Professions / Nurses and health workers / Canada
Nurses and health workers
to Canada.
A single national service is the first step for internationally educated nurses.
What the official sources say
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The National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS) is the first step towards becoming a nurse in Canada for internationally educated nurses, covering RN and LPN credentialing, with a separate pathway for Registered Psychiatric Nurses.
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For a regulated job you must get your licence in the province or territory where you plan to settle.
Checked against the official pages on 8 November 2026. Rules change, so JO confirms the current position before you rely on it.
What this page does not tell you
Which occupation code your job maps to, whether it is currently eligible, and how many points or what score you would need. Those depend on your exact duties and on lists and thresholds that change, so JO confirms them for your case rather than guessing here.
The usual steps
- 01
Start your credentialing or skills assessment
Each country names the body that assesses internationally educated nurses.
- 02
Plan registration to practise
Immigration approval and the right to practise are different things, and usually handled by different bodies.
- 03
Prove your English
Health regulators and immigration both set English requirements, and they can differ.
- 04
Choose the pathway
Employer-led routes are common for health roles. JO helps you compare.
Next step
Find out where
you stand.
The readiness check is free and takes about eight minutes.