You trained outside Canada. Now you want to practise as a Registered Nurse in Ontario. There are only two gates: NNAS first, then CNO. This guide walks you through every step, every document, and every fee — in the right order, so you don't lose months to one wrong form.
Tap “Mark done” inside any step you have finished.
NNAS does not give you a licence. CNO does not check your foreign documents itself. Each has one job — do them in this order.
The National Nursing Assessment Service verifies who you are, where you studied, and where you were licensed — then sends an Advisory Report to CNO.
The College of Nurses of Ontario reviews your NNAS report and checks its own 8 requirements — education, practice, language, exams, character — then registers you.
Quebec and the territories do not use NNAS. This guide is only for Ontario (CNO). If you are also considering another province, NNAS Expedited lets you send the same report to multiple regulators at no extra cost — choose them before your report is issued.
Open each step for exactly what to do, what it costs, and what slows people down. Mark steps done as you finish them — your progress bar follows.
Tap each item as you arrange it. The #1 rule of NNAS: anything sent by you instead of the institution gets rejected.
Fees change. These are the published figures checked October 2026 — always confirm the live amount on nnas.ca and cno.org before you pay. All CNO/NNAS fees are non-refundable.
| Item | Notes | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| NNAS Expedited Service | RN + RPN in one application; multiple regulators free | $750 CAD |
| NNAS Regular Service (alternative) | One profession, one regulator; ~12 weeks | $650 USD |
| CNO initial application | RN — General Class (Outside Canada) | Check CNO* |
| NCLEX-RN exam | Paid to Pearson VUE when CNO makes you eligible | Check CNO* |
| RN Jurisprudence Exam | Online, open-book style; access after CNO application | Check CNO* |
| Language test (if needed) | IELTS Academic or CELBAN — score goes to CNO, not NNAS | Varies |
| Transition to Practice course (if required) | CNO-approved course; Ontario Health support may apply | Varies |
| CNO initial registration + first-year membership | Paid only when all requirements are met | Check CNO* |
| Budget to plan around (NNAS Expedited + CNO + exams + one language test) | ≈ $1,800–$2,600 CAD | |
*CNO publishes its current fee schedule on cno.org and updates it — quoting an old number here would mislead you, so confirm there. Good news: Ontario has been providing financial support through Ontario Health to help IENs cover General and Temporary Class registration costs — ask CNO / Ontario Health about reimbursement eligibility when you apply.
Answer 3 questions — get a realistic range, not a promise.
With ready documents and current practice, most IENs finish in this window. NNAS Expedited itself is fast — your total time is decided by documents, TTP/SPEP if needed, and NCLEX readiness.
CNO — not NNAS — checks your English or French. Since October 2022, test scores go directly to the regulator. You may also meet this through recent nursing education or practice in English/French — CNO decides from your file.
One low section means a re-test of that route — prepare for Writing and Speaking especially; they are where most IENs fall short.
CELBAN is nursing-specific (Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses) — many IENs find its clinical scenarios more familiar than general IELTS topics.
Every one of these is common — and every one is avoidable.
NNAS rejects documents that don't come directly from your school, licensing body, or employer. You arrange and pay — they send.
Your application stays active 12 months from payment. If documents haven't all arrived by then, it expires and fees are not refunded.
There isn't one. Language scores go to CNO. Nurses lose weeks searching the NNAS portal for a button that doesn't exist.
You can only register after CNO confirms eligibility and Pearson VUE issues your Authorization to Test (ATT). Book inside the ATT window.
NCLEX-RN is one requirement. You are an Ontario RN only when CNO registers you — check your name on CNO's public register (Find a Nurse) before using the RN title.
Since April 1, 2025, TTP is a real registration requirement for IENs. Check your CNO portal early so the course doesn't surprise you at the end.
The NNAS Advisory Report goes to your nursing regulator. For Express Entry education points, IRCC requires a separate Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). Many nurses need both — they are not the same document.
Straight answers, no sales talk.
Yes. If your nursing education was completed outside Canada, you go through credential assessment (NNAS Expedited is the main route CNO accepts, alongside other CNO-accepted assessors) regardless of your immigration status. Citizenship or PR does not skip this step — but you will need to show CNO your authorization to work in Canada as part of registration.
For most Ontario applicants: Expedited. It is $750 CAD, covers RN and RPN together, can go to multiple regulators at no extra cost, and the Advisory Report is released within five business days after all documents arrive, because education is assessed at the country level (no full curriculum package). Regular Service ($650 USD) covers one profession and one regulator and takes about 12 weeks — its main advantage is flexibility to redirect your report within 12 months if your province plans change.
Under the April 2025 rules, CNO accepts a baccalaureate for RN and a diploma for RPN. If your education doesn't meet the RN baccalaureate requirement, CNO will tell you your options — which can include an approved IEN education pathway or registering as an RPN first. Your NNAS Expedited application already covers both RN and RPN, so no extra NNAS fee.
A CNO requirement in effect since April 1, 2025 for new RN/RPN applicants. Nurses educated outside Canada meet it by completing a CNO-approved Transition to Practice course, which covers the safety competencies and accountabilities for practising in Ontario. CNO assesses your file and tells you in your applicant portal whether you must complete it.
Not necessarily. CNO asks for Evidence of Practice if you are not a recent graduate (within the past three years). If yours has expired (within the last five years), the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership (SPEP) — run by CNO with Ontario Health and approved employers — lets you demonstrate current knowledge, skill and judgement through supervised practice in Ontario (hosts commonly provide 140+ supervised hours). If your practice expired more than five years ago, you can ask CNO's Registration Committee to review your case.
Yes — once CNO has made you eligible and you hold a valid Authorization to Test, NCLEX-RN is offered at Pearson VUE centres internationally. Eligibility always comes from CNO first; the exam result alone never creates a licence.
It is CNO's online exam on Ontario nursing law, ethics, and professional standards — the rules of practising here, not clinical knowledge. You get access after submitting your CNO application and fee. Prepare by reading CNO's practice standards; treat it as learning Ontario's rulebook, because you will be held to it.
No. Registration (CNO) and immigration (IRCC) are separate systems. Nurses commonly pursue Express Entry (Federal Skilled Worker) or the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) in parallel — and that track needs its own ECA for education points. Start both early; run them side by side.
Most IENs wait until CNO eligibility arrives to start NCLEX prep — then lose 3–4 more months. Start now: try the free readiness check, then build up with the 40-day plan and full question bank at NavjotTalks.