Requirements depend on your original nursing education, current licence, recent practice, language evidence and the regulator. Nurse Practitioner is an advanced-practice class with its own education and assessment route.
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Canada · internationally educated nurses
Choose the province before you start your nursing application.
Canadian nursing registration is provincial or territorial. This guide helps internationally educated nurses identify the right first assessment step, prepare documents, understand likely exams and estimate an initial cash reserve before making a move.
RN · practical nurse · psychiatric nurseProvince-specific route checkerReviewed October 13, 2026Important distinction: registration as a nurse is separate from immigration permission to work. An NNAS Advisory Report is not a nursing licence and does not itself decide equivalency; the regulator makes the registration decision. Do not pay for a credential report until you confirm which assessment route your intended regulator accepts.
Know what “RPN” means: in Ontario, RPN means Registered Practical Nurse. In western and some other jurisdictions, RPN can mean Registered Psychiatric Nurse, a distinct profession. Choose “Practical nurse” or “Psychiatric nurse” below to avoid starting the wrong pathway.
Prepare your file in the right order
Many regulators use NNAS, but Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta have specific routes. Québec and the territories follow separate processes. Use the route checker before ordering reports.
Schools, licensing authorities and employers may need to send records directly. Prepare official transcripts, course outlines, registration history, employment verification and certified identity documents as your chosen route requires.
The regulator reviews education and practice, English/French proficiency, currency of practice, conduct and other requirements. It may require a competency assessment, bridging education or additional clinical learning.
RN applicants outside Québec generally need NCLEX-RN. Practical and psychiatric nurse exams vary by regulator. You must receive registration in the province or territory before practising under a protected nurse title.
Documents to organize
- Passport or other accepted identity documents; certified/notarized copies and name-change records, if relevant.
- Nursing diploma/degree, official transcripts, curriculum and course descriptions.
- Initial and current nursing registration/licence verification from the issuing authority.
- Employment verification and practice history, including dates, hours, duties and recent clinical experience.
- English or French test evidence if required by the selected regulator.
- Good-standing, criminal record, immigration/work-status and other evidence only when requested by the regulator.
Document rule: NNAS often requires schools, employers and licensing authorities to submit records directly. Its language test scores are sent to the provincial regulator, not NNAS. Follow the current checklist for your route.
How the first step changes by location
| Location | Start here | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) | Apply through CNO and use a CNO-approved education credential assessment provider. CNO also accepts eligible NNAS Expedited reports; NNAS is not a universal prerequisite for every Ontario route. |
| British Columbia | BCCNM + Inspire Global Assessments | BCCNM recommends starting its licence application and Inspire assessment together. Most IENs can be assessed toward RN and LPN routes in one application. |
| Alberta | CRNA for RN; CLHA for practical nurse; CRPNA for psychiatric nurse | Use the appropriate regulator’s Pathways to a Permit tool. CRNA accepts an NNAS Advisory Report or an approved credential assessment in applicable RN routes. |
| Québec | OIIQ for RN; OIIAQ for practical nurse | Québec has its own professional orders, French-language expectations and examination pathways; do not assume NNAS or NCLEX-RN rules apply. |
| SK, MB, NB, NS, PE, NL | Usually NNAS first, then the provincial nursing regulator | NNAS Expedited Service lists participating RN/LPN regulators in these provinces. Confirm that your nurse category and current application route are included. |
| Yukon, NWT, Nunavut | Contact the territorial regulator before applying | NNAS does not serve the territories. Some territorial regulators may require initial eligibility or registration in a province before transfer. |
Registered Psychiatric Nurse is a distinct category regulated only in selected provinces and territories. In Ontario, “RPN” means Registered Practical Nurse. Nurse Practitioners follow advanced-practice registration requirements beyond an initial RN licence.
Reviewed October 13, 2026. Fee tables, regulator names and registration requirements can change; verify the live instructions before paying or applying.
NNAS · Expedited Service, eligibility, fee and participating regulators ↗NNAS · fee schedule, including psychiatric nursing ↗NNAS · document process and timeline ↗Ontario · CNO internationally educated nurses ↗Ontario · 2026 CNO fees ↗NCLEX · Canadian registration and international-centre fees ↗REx-PN · exam fees ↗B.C. · RN fee schedule ↗B.C. · LPN fee schedule ↗Inspire · B.C. assessment fees ↗Alberta · CRNA 2026–27 fees ↗Alberta · CLHA fees ↗Alberta · CRPNA fees ↗BC · BCCNM internationally educated nurses ↗Alberta · CRNA international applicants ↗CCRNR · RN regulators and NCLEX-RN ↗Registered Psychiatric Nurse regulators ↗Keep the move plan connected
Professional registration and immigration are separate tracks. Once you know the likely licensing steps, budget for document requests, exam preparation, possible bridging and time before the first Canadian nursing paycheque.
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