We have received your application for registration as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the General Class

If you haven’t already, you will need to meet the following requirements to complete your registration:

  • Proof of your citizenship, residency status, or authorization to practice nursing in Ontario
  • You will also need to request a police criminal record check through Sterling, a secure third-party criminal record check provider. CNO does not accept police criminal record checks from any other sources. Your police criminal record check is valid for only six months after it is issued. Please keep this timeline in mind when you start the application process. If your police criminal record check expires while your application is in progress, you will need to request a new one. Visit our police criminal record check webpage for more information, including how to make a request.
  • You must successfully complete the Transition to Practice requirement. Canadian applicants will meet this requirement by holding current registration in another Canadian province or territory or by having recent Canadian education or practice (within three years). Learn more about the TTP requirement. 
  • All applicants must successfully complete an online jurisprudence examination. Once you have submitted your online application and fee, you will receive information about how to access the secure testing site.

Applicants are responsible for paying the full cost of sending all documents to CNO, including those sent by a third party.

This information is intended for applicants currently registered as a practicing RN. This does not include Temporary, Provisional, student registration or inactive/non-practising registration.

If you are currently registered as a practicing RN in another province or territory outside of Ontario, we will need the following:

  • Verification of Registration from:
    • the Canadian provinces/territories where you are currently registered as any type of nurse (RN, LPN, NP)
    • any jurisdictions outside Canada where you are currently registered and/or practicing as a nurse

CNO may request proof of registration from any other jurisdictions where you were previously registered and/or practicing as a nurse after reviewing your application information.

If you are not currently registered in another province or territory outside of Ontario, we will need the following:

CNO may request proof of registration from any other jurisdictions where you were previously registered and/or practicing after reviewing your application information.

Practice in the Temporary Class

The Temporary Class is an option for applicants with an open General Class application. This option allows applicants to practice nursing, under specific terms, conditions and limitations while completing the nursing education requirement to become eligible to write the registration exam or completing the Transition to Practice course.

To be eligible for Temporary Class, you must:

  • have completed a nursing education program approved in your jurisdiction
  • meet the Ontario requirements for registration in the General Class except for the education, transition to practice and the registration exam requirements
  • have an RN offer of employment from an approved Ontario nursing employer

Applicants who fail the registration exam two or more times are not eligible for registration in the Temporary Class.

Applicants who fail the registration exam two or more times are not eligible for registration in the Temporary Class.

Check your application status

To check the status of your application and to see a list of your requirements, login to Maintain Your Membership, select “View Open Applications” and select your RN application. A registration requirement will be marked as “outstanding" either because CNO has not received information, or because CNO is still reviewing the information. Throughout the application process, we will send you messages in the online portal’s message centre. Please check the portal periodically.

Make sure your contact information is up to date

If your mailing address, telephone number or email address has changed, please use the “update my personal information” feature in the online portal. However, if your name has changed, you must send a letter to CNO along with your official name-change document, such as a marriage certificate. In the letter, please indicate how you would like your new name to appear.

For more information, read the General Class registration guide for graduates of Canadian nursing programs outside Ontario.