Ontario Health nursing registration fee reimbursement →
Eligible paid fees reimbursed after assessment; not a general tuition grant
Check requirements and where to start →Program details are in English. Page labels are translated.
Your full route · Ontario
From nurse abroad to registered nurse in Ontario
I am already a nurse from another country. What should I do before paying for another degree?
Goal: Register with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO)
- Time
- Time varies — depends on your file
- Cost · CAD
- Costs not published yet
Some steps have no published time or cost
Based on official sources. Confirm with each provider before paying.
Before you pay
- Don't buy upgrading courses until CNO tells you what you need. CNO may or may not require extra education.
- Ontario Health may reimburse eligible nursing registration fees. Check its rules before you pay.
- Compare CNO's approved assessment providers before paying. Fees differ, and NNAS fees are not refunded.
- Healthcare Connections is preparation for non-licensed roles. It is not a nursing licence.
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https://app.possibilityatlas.ca/route/route-ien-to-rn/
A clearer next step
Your route, step by step
Follow the steps that fit your situation. “Choose one” offers alternatives; “Alongside” can happen while you work on other steps.
Everyone
Get your nursing credentials assessed
CNO needs your nursing education verified by an approved provider: WES, ICAS or ICES. CNO also accepts NNAS reports.
- Time
- Not publishedDepends on how quickly your school sends documents.
- Cost · CAD
- Costs not published yetEach provider sets its own fee. For example, NNAS charges $750 and doesn't give refunds.
Everyone
Apply to the College of Nurses of Ontario
CNO reviews your assessment report and tells you exactly what you still need.
- Time
- Not published
- Cost · CAD
- Costs not published yetCNO application fee is set by CNO.
Same program as step 1 for Credential assessment and CNO registration for internationally educated nurses →Credential assessment and CNO registration for internationally educated nurses
Everyone
Complete the Transition to Practice course
Nurses educated abroad meet CNO's transition-to-practice requirement by completing one approved course, unless already registered as a nurse elsewhere in Canada.
- Time
- Not publishedOnline, with set start and end dates at each college.
- Cost · CAD
- Costs not published yetSet by the college delivering the course.
Only if…
Extra education or supervised practice
Only if CNO asks you to
Some nurses need extra courses with a 400-hour clinical preceptorship (separate from the Transition to Practice course), or recent practice hours through SPEP.
- Time
- Not publishedThe preceptorship is 400 hours.
- Cost · CAD
- Costs not published yetCourse fees set by each college. SPEP cost not published.
Only if…
Pass the registration exam
If you haven't already passed the national registration exam
CNO tells you when to apply for the exam after reviewing your file.
- Time
- Not publishedDepends on exam booking.
- Cost · CAD
- Costs not published yetExam fees set by the exam provider and CNO.
Alongside
Get free support while you wait
CARE helps internationally educated nurses through the process. Healthcare Connections prepares you for non-licensed healthcare work in the meantime.
- Time
- Not publishedHealthcare Connections runs for six weeks.
- Cost · CAD
- No program fee
Plan before committing
Help with costs
These supports have their own eligibility rules. Admission does not guarantee funding, and loans must be repaid.
Official sources for this route
Open each program’s sources to see the original provider information and its checked date.
- Credential assessment and CNO registration for internationally educated nurses — sources →
- Transition to Practice for Nurses (TTPN) and IEN courses — sources →
- Supervised Practice Experience Partnership (SPEP) — sources →
- Supports Training & Access to Regulated-employment Services (STARS) — sources →
- Healthcare Connections — sources →
After this route
What comes next
Once CNO registers you, you can practise as a nurse in Ontario.
Explore more possibilities →