NNAS or a credential assessment? How Ontario checks your nursing education.

Do I still need NNAS to become a nurse in Ontario?

No. Before April 2025, every internationally educated applicant went through NNAS, even if their credentials had already been checked for immigration. CNO now accepts an educational credential assessment from three approved providers:

• World Education Services (WES)
• International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS)
• International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) at BCIT

CNO says assessments from providers not on its list will not be accepted. If you already have a report from one of these three, for example from your immigration application, ask the provider to send it to CNO.

Can I still use NNAS?

Yes, for its Expedited Service. CNO says it will continue to accept NNAS Expedited reports prepared by TruMerit, formerly CGFNS. NNAS assigns files to two processors, though, and CNO names only TruMerit, so confirm with CNO if your report was prepared by the other one. NNAS reports are accepted by every nursing regulator in Canada except Quebec and the territories, so NNAS can make sense if you are keeping other provinces open.

How much does NNAS cost and how long does it take?

All documents must reach NNAS within 12 months of your first payment. The report can be downloaded for a year and is usually valid for two, depending on the regulator.

What documents does NNAS Expedited need?

• From you: two forms of notarized identification, at least one current photo ID.
• From an approved assessor: a course-by-course assessment from CES, ICAS, ICES or WES, sent directly to NNAS.
• From your regulators: a Nursing Registration Form from the authorities that issued your first and current licences.

Most documents must come from third parties, not from you, and anything not in English or French needs an approved translation. Since October 2022, NNAS no longer collects language scores: you send those to the provincial regulator.

What happens after my credentials are checked?

CNO reviews your education. If it is substantially equivalent, you are eligible to write the registration exam, and CNO tells you through your portal. That is the moment to book the NCLEX-RN, so most nurses start studying while their credentials are being checked. To track every document and step, get the free Ontario nursing licence checklist. See the full Ontario process.