Canada has tens of thousands of nursing vacancies, and its immigration system gives health workers priority. Even so, a foreign nursing licence does not let you practise there. Nursing is regulated province by province, and every internationally educated nurse must be registered by a provincial regulator before working under the title of nurse.
The process is long and has several separate costs, but it is well mapped and thousands of nurses from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, the Philippines and India complete it every year. This guide explains the stages in order and where immigration fits in.
Read also: New Zealand Accredited Employer Work Visa Jobs in 2026: Requirements, Costs and How to Get Hired
Step 1: Choose your nursing category and province
Canada has three main regulated nursing groups:
| Category | Typical education | Entry exam |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse (RN) | Bachelor’s degree in nursing | NCLEX-RN |
| Licensed or Registered Practical Nurse (LPN, called RPN in Ontario) | Two-year diploma | REx-PN in Ontario and British Columbia, CPNRE elsewhere |
| Registered Psychiatric Nurse | Regulated in the western provinces only | Separate examination |
Nurses trained abroad are sometimes found eligible only for the practical nurse category at first, particularly if their education was a diploma. Many accept that registration, start working and then bridge to RN later.
You apply to the regulator of the province where you intend to work, such as the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO), the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives, the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta or the Nova Scotia College of Nursing. Requirements are broadly similar but not identical, and some provinces are noticeably faster. Check processing times and local job demand before choosing.
Step 2: Credential assessment
For most provinces outside Quebec, the first step is the National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS). You open an online account, pay the fee and arrange for documents to be sent directly to NNAS by the bodies that hold them:
- Your identity documents, which you submit yourself
- A nursing education form and transcripts, sent by your nursing school
- A registration verification form, sent by every nursing council you have been licensed with
- An employment form, sent by your employers for the past five years
- Language test results, sent by the test provider
NNAS compares your education with Canadian standards and issues an advisory report. It does not decide whether you can register. The provincial regulator makes that decision using the report.
Delays almost always come from schools and councils that are slow to send forms. Contact them before you pay NNAS, find out exactly how they handle such requests and follow up regularly. NNAS offers an expedited service for applicants whose documents arrive complete.
Several regulators have changed their processes in recent years to speed things up, and some now accept credential assessments from other approved providers or run their own streamlined pathway. Read the regulator’s “internationally educated nurses” page first to confirm which assessment route it currently requires.
Step 3: Prove your language ability
Unless your nursing education was in English or French and you meet the regulator’s exemption rules, you need a recent language test. The tests accepted are IELTS Academic and CELPIP General for English, and TEF Canada for French. Required scores are set by the regulators and are roughly at the level of IELTS 7.0 overall, with specific minimums in each skill. Results are generally valid for two years, so do not sit the test too early.
Step 4: Apply to the provincial regulator
Once your advisory report is ready, you apply to the regulator and pay its application fee. The regulator then tells you what you still need. There are three common outcomes:
- Education accepted. You move on to the registration exam
- Competency assessment required. You take a practical and written assessment to measure your skills against Canadian entry level
- Gaps identified. You must complete bridging courses or supervised practice before you can sit the exam
Recent practice matters. Most regulators want evidence that you have worked as a nurse within the past three to five years.
Step 5: Pass the registration exam
Registered nurses take the NCLEX-RN, the same computer-adaptive examination used in the United States. It is delivered at Pearson VUE centres, and you need the regulator’s authorisation before you can book. The exam adapts to your answers and can end after as few as 85 questions. Most provinces also require a short online jurisprudence exam on local nursing law and ethics.
Step 6: Register
After passing, you complete the final declarations, show that you are legally entitled to work in Canada, pay the registration fee and receive your licence. Some regulators grant a temporary or provisional class in the meantime, which lets you work under supervision while you finish outstanding requirements.
What it costs: Ontario as an example
Fees differ by province. These are the College of Nurses of Ontario’s published fees for internationally educated RN applicants, including tax:
| Item | Fee (CAD) |
|---|---|
| CNO application fee | $489.29 |
| Jurisprudence examination | $45.20 |
| NCLEX-RN | $360 plus tax |
| Registration and first-year membership | $493.81 |
Add to these the NNAS or other credential assessment fee, which is charged separately and in US dollars, your language test, document courier costs, and any competency assessment or bridging course you are asked to complete. A realistic total for registration alone is in the low thousands of Canadian dollars, before any immigration costs.
How long it takes
With documents that arrive promptly, the whole process can be completed in under a year. Twelve to eighteen months is common, and bridging requirements can extend that. You can complete credential assessment, language testing and often the NCLEX itself from your home country.
Immigration routes for nurses
Registration and immigration are separate processes handled by different bodies, and you can run them in parallel.
- Express Entry healthcare category. Canada holds draws specifically for health and social services occupations, including nurses. You need at least 12 months of full-time work experience in a single eligible occupation within the past three years, and the experience can be from outside Canada. These draws have often had lower score cut-offs than general draws
- Provincial Nominee Programs. Most provinces run streams or targeted draws for health workers, and a nomination adds 600 points to an Express Entry profile. Some provinces require a job offer from a health authority and others do not
- Employer-sponsored work permit. A health authority or care home can hire you on a temporary work permit, after which you apply for permanent residence from inside Canada
- Atlantic Immigration Program. Employers in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador can recruit nurses through this employer-driven route
Having your registration in progress, and especially having passed the NCLEX, makes you far more attractive to employers and to provincial programs. Several provinces run recruitment schemes that reimburse part of an international nurse’s licensing costs in return for a commitment to work there, so look at the health recruitment website of the province you choose.
Pay and working conditions
Canada’s Job Bank reports a national median wage for registered nurses of over CAD $40 an hour, with higher rates in Alberta, British Columbia and the northern territories. Most hospital nurses are unionised, so pay follows a published collective agreement with steps for each year of experience, and night, weekend and overtime premiums are paid on top. Rural and northern posts frequently add relocation payments or retention bonuses.
Working while you wait
Many internationally educated nurses arrive before their registration is finished and work as health care aides or personal support workers, which do not require a nursing licence. Some provinces also offer supervised practice programmes that place you in a hospital while you complete your requirements. This keeps your clinical skills current and counts as Canadian experience.
Mistakes to avoid
- Starting NNAS before confirming how your school and nursing council process verification forms
- Letting your language test expire before the regulator has finished assessing you
- Allowing a long gap in nursing practice while you wait
- Paying an agent who claims to “fast-track” registration. Only you, your school and your regulators can supply the required documents
- Assuming registration gives you the right to work in Canada. You also need a work permit or permanent residence
Related guides
- Canada Temporary Foreign Worker Program in 2026: How LMIA Jobs Really Work
- Getting Your Degree Recognised Abroad: WES, UK ENIC, ZAB and Other Credential Evaluations Explained
- How Foreign-Trained Doctors Can Work in the UK: PLAB, GMC Registration and Costs in 2026
Official sources
- National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS)
- College of Nurses of Ontario: application and membership fees
- Government of Canada: Express Entry category-based selection
- Job Bank: wages and outlook by occupation
Fees and requirements were checked in October 2026. Each provincial regulator sets its own rules and updates them often, so confirm the current process with the regulator in the province where you plan to work. This article is general information and not immigration or licensing advice.
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