Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN)


 NOTICE

The College wishes to remind all applicants you must complete your application yourself. 
Having someone else submit your application or answer the questions on your behalf
is considered dishonesty and could jeopardize your eligibility for licensure with the College.

Use of a third party (example: recruitment company or immigration
consultant) in the College’s application submission process is prohibited.

Reminder: NEVER provide your login information
or password to another person or company. 

If you are locked out of your member portal account, please email [email protected].
 

Who can apply as an IEN?

  • You were educated at the Registered Nurse level and completed your education program outside of Canada.
  • You were registered as an RN in the country you completed your RN education program or registered in another country outside of Canada.

Who is not eligible to apply?

  • You were not educated at the RN generalist level but were educated as a practical nurse, midwife, or specialty nurse (e.g. community health nurse, learning disability, pediatric nurse).  
  • You are registered in another Canadian province or territory (see our Canadian applicant page). 

Note: Individuals who completed a psychiatric/mental health nursing program outside Canada may be eligible for licensure as a Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN) but must obtain an RPN licence in another Canadian province first before applying to CRNNL for RPN licensure.  

The College will assess you application under one of the following pathways: 

  • Designated countries pathway
    • If you completed your entry-level nursing education in Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, UK or USA you meet the education requirement for registration. 
  • General pathway
    • If you completed your entry-level nursing education outside one of the designated countries you will require further competence (Inspire) assessment to determine if your education meets the requirements for registration. 

You are encouraged to review the College’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Fact Sheet for additional information on our pathways.

To begin your application you must create an account in the College’s member portal. Some documents can be uploaded directly to your application and others will need to be sent to the College directly. The application processing fee ($172.50) must be paid, and all required documents must be received before your file can be reviewed. 

Required documents

You are required to provide the following documents: 

a. Two (2) government issued identification documents. Eligible documents include:

  • Passport
  • Driver’s License
  • Birth certificate
  • Permanent resident card
  • Citizenship card
  • Immigration card

b. Change of Name documentation such as marriage certificate and/or legal change of name document (if applicable)

c. A current Criminal Record Check (<6 months old). Please see the CRC Factsheet for additional information. 

d. A Verification of Registration document will be required from the jurisdiction (country/state/province) where you originally registered and from each jurisdiction where you are currently registered or licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse.

• Note: The College can verify licensure online for some jurisdictions, but others will require a document be sent from that licensing body directly to our College. 

e. Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)
An ECA confirms that you graduated from an accredited nursing education program and determines the general academic level (diploma or degree) of the credential in Canada.

The ECA can be obtained through the credential assessment organizations designated by IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada).  If you have already completed an ECA for immigration purposes, you can contact the ECA provider and request a copy be sent to the College.

If you have not yet completed an ECA, you can use one of the following organizations and request that your report be sent to the College:

Note: IQAS is unable to provide a copy of an applicant’s transcripts with an ECA report. Applicants who use IQAS, in addition to their ECA report, must request an official copy of their transcripts be sent directly to the College from their nursing education program(s).

Note: ICES is unable to provide a copy of an applicant’s transcripts with an ECA report. Applicants who use ICES, in addition to their ECA report, must request an official copy of their transcripts be sent directly to the College from their nursing education program(s).

Associated costs are paid directly to the selected provider and are not part of the College registration fees.

Other Requirements

You may also be required to submit additional documentation in order to complete your application. The College will notify you if the following documents are required:

  1. English Language Proficiency (ELP)
    Review the College’s ELP Factsheet to determine if you need to submit a test of ELP or if you meet one of the other methods of demonstrating proficiency.
  2. NCLEX-RN Exam
    If you have already passed NCLEX-RN, the College will notify you if further verification of your exam result is required. The exam is one part of the registration process and having already passed NCLEX-RN does not mean you are instantly eligible for a licence; your nursing education must also meet the requirements for registration.

    If you have not yet written NCLEX-RN, the College will notify you of your eligibility to take the exam and the process to register, following the review and approval of your application.
  3. Nursing Employment History
    As part of your application, you will provide employment information for all your nursing employer(s) in the last five (5) years. 

You will also declare if you have ever been suspended or terminated from any nursing employment. If you answer yes, you will need to provide a brief explanation. The College will notify you if additional information is required.

  1. Practice Hours (Currency of Practice)
    You will self-report the number of hours you practiced as an RN during the previous five (5) years. Currency of practice is defined in legislation as:
    • graduated from entry-level nursing program in the last 3 years; or
    • practiced as an RN for at least 1125 hours in the last 5 years OR 450 hours in the last 2 years; or
    • completed an approved re-entry program in the last 5 years. 

    NOTE: For practice hours to be recognized you must have held an RN licence to practice in the country/state/province where you completed the hours.

    Documentation of hours from current/previous employer is not generally required. However, in the assessment of your application, the College may determine that verification of your hours is required.  You will be notified and will need to request documentation be submitted to the College. 
Click To Apply

NEXT STEPS

Once all required documentation has been received by the College, your file will be sent for review. During the review your application may be returned to you for additional information and/or additional documentation. A complete application will be reviewed, and you will be provided with a decision within 15 business days.

 A complete application includes all required documentation, and any additional information requested. 

Based on a review of your nursing education and currency of practice hours there are a variety of pathways to registration:

Meet Education Requirements and meet currency of practice (designated countries)

  1. Eligible for Registration (Practicing License)
    If you are deemed eligible for registration, the College will notify you by email and direct you to the next steps to apply for a practicing license.

    The annual licensure fee is $412.47 plus Professional Liability Protection fee ($78.20) paid directly to the Canadian Nurses Protective Society (CNPS).
  2. Eligible for Provisional Registration (Interim License)
    If your application is approved but you have not yet written the NCLEX-RN, the College will notify you by email and direct you to the next steps to write the exam and apply for an interim license.

    An interim licence is a time-limited (4 month) permit to practice nursing while finalizing your registration requirements. The Interim licence fee is $156.40 plus Professional Liability Protection fee ($78.20) paid directly to Canadian Nurses Protective Society (CNPS).

Meet Education Requirements but does not meet currency of practice (designated countries)

  1. You may be eligible for an interim license to participate in the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership Program (SPEPP) with a NL employer to gain currency of practice

    OR 
  2. You may be required to complete the IEN bridging/re-entry program.

Does Not Meet Education Requirements (general pathway)

If you were educated outside one of the designated countries you will fall under this pathway and depending on the outcome of the review of your application the following options are available:

  1. Competency Based Assessment and bridging education

    • You will be required to complete an assessment of your competencies using the Inspire Global Assessment. The assessment has two components (computer and in-person) and the outcome of the Inspire assessment will determine whether you are required to complete bridging education (select courses or full bridging program) to address competency gaps before you are eligible for registration.  
    There are fees associated with both the Inspire Assessment & bridging courses. 

    OR

    • You can choose to complete the full IEN bridging/re-entry program.

    Following completion of the Inspire Assessment and any identified bridging education you may be eligible for an interim (temporary) license and be given authorization to write the NCLEX-RN exam (if you have not already passed the exam in another jurisdiction). If you don’t meet currency of practice may be eligible for an interim license to participate in the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership Program (SPEPP) with an NL employer to gain currency of practice.

    Following the successful completion of NCLEX-RN and meeting currency of practice you may be deemed eligible for registration; the College will notify you by email and direct you to the next steps to apply for a practicing license.

    The annual licensure fee is $412.47 plus Professional Liability Protection fee ($78.20) paid directly to the Canadian Nurses Protective Society (CNPS).
  2. Missing Specific Content Areas

    • If you are missing specific content areas from your nursing program (e.g., pediatrics), you may be eligible for an interim licence with restrictions (IL-R) that will allow you to practice while you complete the required education.

    OR

    • Your application may be denied.


Does Not Meet Education Requirements and do not meet currency of practice (general pathway)

Additional information related to licensure