Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and Psychiatric Nurses in British Columbia are all regulated by the British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals (BCCNP).

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To apply for Registration in BC, it is recommended to start the process before you leave your country of residence, as it can be quite time consuming.

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Step 1: 

As an Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN) you will need to apply to the National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS). The website can be found here.They are in Philadelphia, USA but handle the International Registrations for Canada.

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You can create the account first and then once your ready, pay the fee to start the process/get access to the forms. The application fee costs roughly $650 USD. Once the fee is paid you have 12 months to submit your paperwork.

 

A few key pointers to get you on your way to registration: 

1. You will need any employers from the last 5 years to fill out an employment form and send it by postal mail back to the NNAS. Do not send these forms yourself– the NNAS requires everything to be sent from the original source.

2. You should contact your University as they to will need to fill out documentation and send your transcripts to the NNAS. Most Universities have an International Recognition sector who can help with this process.

3. For Australian Nurses – for your Nursing Registration history information, only use AHPRA and the dates registered with them. You will need to apply for a Certificate of Good Standing ($50 AUD) and send them the documentation that the NNAS request. AHPRA however will send it back blank along with the Certificate. The NNAS will accept this as proof of registration history. Do not include any state-based registrations as this tends to delay the process.

4. If your degree or principle place of practice is not in English or French, you will need to have your documents translated and will need to provided proof of English proficiency.

5. The rest of the requirements from NNAS are easy to obtain (mostly personal information).

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There is also an option to extend your NNAS profile for another year (2 years being the limit) for $180 USD if required.

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Useful information that describes the step by step process can be found on their website here as well.

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Once the NNAS completes your Assessment Report, you will be notified that your report is ready and you can apply to the province that you have chosen.

 

For BC you can access BCCNP’s website for details on the registration process for IENs here.

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Step 2:

You can apply directly from your NNAS profile to the BCCNP, who will receive a copy of your report from them. The standard step from BCCNP is to refer all Internationally trained Nurses to the Nursing Community Assessment Service (NCAS).

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NCAS is an assessment service used in BC and once you have received your referral to apply for the NCAS from BCCNP, you can apply to sit your exams. The exams cost approx. $2100 CAD. Once the NCAS contact you, you can book your exam dates. There are two components of the exams - the online component can be completed in most major cities in Canada. The practical component must be completed in Vancouver. Their website has some useful information and links to resources as well.

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Once your NCAS exam results are returned to you, you will receive an option to either send the results directly to the BCCNP or challenge your results. The BCCNP will either refer you directly to apply for the National Council Licensure Examination for RN’s (NCLEX), which is the national registration exam required by all new registers, or you will be referred to complete transitional course work, or be required to complete a 1 -2 year re-entry nursing program.

 

Step 3:

If you were referred to complete either of the latter two requirements, once you complete these, you are required to send all the completed documentation/results/course outcomes back to the BCCNP to gain permission to sit the NCLEX exam. Information regarding the NCLEX can be found here. 

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Once your exam results are received by the BCCNP, you will gain permission to register as an RN.

 

Douglas College:

If you are already a Permanent Resident of Canada, Douglas College offer an International assistance program, Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants - Health. The course enables you access to a Career adviser for 2 years and $2000 CAD funding, which you can use towards your exams, textbooks or courses related to obtaining your registration. More information here.

 

If you are applying for a Working Holiday Visa (International Experience Canada) you will need to apply for medical clearance to be able to work in healthcare under this Visa. You may need to have a medical exam prior to entering the country and prior activate your visa or you will have to apply in-country to change the conditions of your visa. Check the Canadian Immigration website for further information.

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