Welcome to CNO’s guide to registration for applicants with Canadian nursing education who want to apply for registration as a Registered Nurse (RN) or Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) in Ontario.

We have made every effort to make sure our information is accurate and up to date, but please contact CNO if you have any questions or discover an error.

Who is this guide for?

This information is intended for:

• graduates of a Canadian nursing program that prepared them to practice as an RN or RPN outside Ontario (such as a baccalaureate degree or diploma). This does not include bridging programs.

For more information about the requirements to register in Ontario, visit the Registration Requirements page.

Please see our other registration guides if you are:

• a recent graduate of an Ontario nursing program

• a nurse currently registered to practice in another Canadian province or territory

• an internationally educated RN or RPN who is not currently registered to practice nursing in another Canadian province or territory (for example, nurses with expired, cancelled or resigned certificates of registration or who have not practiced nursing in Canada)
• applying to CNO to practice as a Nurse Practitioner (NP).

This guide explains the registration process, emphasizing the requirements all nurses must meet and the steps required for registration with CNO.

We assess all applicants to determine whether they meet the registration requirements listed below.

The application process

To start the application process, you will need to provide information about your nursing education, registration and employment. You will also need to upload proof of citizenship or immigration status in a category that is authorized for practicing nursing in Ontario. You may need to ask a third party to send some documents. Request these documents early to prevent any delays in processing your application.

Follow these steps for your application:

1. Create an online account on CNO’s “Maintain your Membership” portal. When you create your account in the online portal, make sure your personal information is correct.
2. Log in and select “create a new application.”
3. Fill in your application completely.
4. Pay your application fee. This fee is non-refundable.
5. Send verification forms to relevant third parties, such as educators, employers or regulatory bodies. CNO needs to receive these documents directly from the third parties. Any third-party information submitted by the applicant will not be considered.
6. We will start assessing your application only after we receive the following:
   
   • a completed application, including the application fee
   • a verification of course completion and transcript you request from your nursing school if you graduated from a nursing program in Canada but are not registered with another nurse regulator in Canada (this information must come directly from the nursing school in an official sealed envelope with the school’s official letterhead, logo or stamp)
7. Once we receive and review your information, you will receive a message from us telling you what other information is needed to assess your application. For example, evidence to demonstrate that you have met CNO’s other registration requirements.

Notes about your application

Declaration: On your application, if you answer “yes” to any question on the declaration, you will need to provide additional information. We may ask for a personal statement and supporting documentation separately. We will send you instructions about how to submit the supporting documents to CNO. CNO’s Registrar and CEO will review your information and may refer your application to the Registration Committee. This additional step will extend the time it takes to process your application.

Proof of authorization or citizenship: You can submit your proof of authorization to work (citizenship, residency status or authorization to practice nursing in Ontario) at any time during the application process, but we recommend you submit this when you create your application. If you do not submit it during your initial online application, you will need to send it to the CNO separately.

Name changes: You must let us know if your name has changed, by sending us a written request for a name change. You can find details of what to include in the request on our Applying to CNO FAQ page.

Sharing your information: Your application is confidential. We will not share information about your application with anyone unless you give us written permission to release it to a third party, such as, an employer, spouse, agency or lawyer. To authorize this, you can either send us a written and signed letter of permission or complete the Authorization to Release Information form. Please review the Privacy Policy on the CNO website to understand how your personal information will be used.

Criminal record check: Note that criminal record checks are valid for only six months from their date of issue. If the criminal record check you submitted has expired, you will need to apply for and submit a new one.

Complete information: Incomplete or missing information may delay the processing of your application.

Closing your application: You have two years from the date CNO notifies you of receiving both your application and your application fee to meet all your registration requirements. If you don’t meet all the requirements by that date, your application will be closed. If it is closed, you can reapply by submitting a new application, fee, and supporting documents, if required. CNO may use any information it has on record, if available, for your new application.

False information: If you provide false or misleading information and/or documents in support of your application for registration, CNO may refuse your application for registration or cancel any certificate that has been issued.

Registration requirements

This section lists the registration requirements for applicants who have graduated from a nursing program in Canada but are not yet registered to practice in Canada. It also includes applicants who practice under Temporary, Provisional, Graduate or similar registrations in other Canadian provinces and territories.

If you are a nurse currently registered to practice in another Canadian province or territory with an equivalent certificate of registration and you are applying to register as an RN or RPN in Ontario, please review the Canada (registered outside Ontario) guide.

See Registration Requirements for further information about each of these requirements.

If we find that you do not meet one or more of these requirements, you may be asked to provide more information or take additional steps that allow you to meet these requirements, such as completing an evaluation or additional education.

You have the right to request a review of your application if you want to appeal any decision made by CNO staff or the Registration Committee concerning your application.

Examinations

Registration examination

All applicants to CNO must successfully complete the registration examination that Council has approved for the category they are applying to.

If you are applying to practice as an RN, you will write the NCLEX-RN.

If you are applying to practice as an RPN, you will write the REx-PN.

Both exams consist of a series of questions designed to measure the competencies of nurses at the start of their practice. The examinations are written at testing centres across Canada.

Jurisprudence examination

Applicants must successfully complete a separate jurisprudence exam. This online exam is designed to evaluate your knowledge and understanding of the laws, regulations and CNO by-laws, practice standards and guidelines that govern the nursing profession in Ontario.

The RN/RPN jurisprudence exam can be completed online at any time. After you have submitted your application form and fees, we will send you information about how to access the secure testing site.

Visit our Examinations section for more information about the registration and jurisprudence exams, including fees, refund policies and accommodation requests.

Registration Timelines

• If the name on any of your supporting documents is different from the name appearing on your application, you must send us a photocopy of your birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce decree or legal name change along with a letter requesting a name change.
• During the application process, if CNO receives any information about issues that could affect your ability to practice nursing safely, we will review the information. This may extend the time needed to process your application.
• You have two years from the date CNO notifies you of receiving both your application and your application fee to meet all your registration requirements. If you don’t meet all the requirements by that date, your application will be closed. If it is closed, you can reapply by submitting a new application, fee, and supporting documents, if required. CNO may use any information it has on record, if available, for your new application.
• Criminal record checks are valid for only six months from their date of issue. If a previously submitted criminal record check has expired, you will need to apply for and submit a new one.

Completing your registration

When you have successfully met all registration requirements, you can complete your registration using the Maintain Your Membership portal and pay the applicable fee.

You can then confirm your registered status searching for your name in Find a Nurse, CNO’s online register.

Paying your annual fee

You must pay the full registration fee for the year you become registered, no matter when during the year you complete your registration. The fee is not pro-rated for partial years.

You must pay this fee before you can practice as a nurse in Ontario.

Documents from official sources

When you apply to CNO, you are required to obtain certain documents from official sources relating to your nursing education, practice and other requirements. These sources include schools, employers and regulatory boards.

Here are some types of documents you may need to get from official sources:

• Verification of Nursing Practice forms, job descriptions or letters of reference from nursing employers

These documents should be sent directly to CNO from the official source. They must not come from you.

If circumstances make it impossible for official source to send documents directly to CNO, contact us and we will tell you what you will need to do to proceed with your application.

This may happen if, for example, the source experienced a natural disaster at their facility or it closed down for other reasons.

Practicing as an RN or RPN in Ontario

Registering with CNO is a legal requirement to practice nursing in Ontario.

Only nurses registered with CNO can practice nursing in Ontario and use the titles “nurse,” “Registered Nurse,” “Registered Practical Nurse,” “Nurse Practitioner,” “RN,” “RPN,” or “NP.”

It is illegal for anyone to practice nursing or use any of these titles in Ontario without a valid certificate of registration issued by CNO.

Your status as an RN or RPN informs the public that you have gained the knowledge, skill and judgment required to provide safe and ethical nursing care.

General and Temporary Classes

The majority of CNO applicants enter the General Class, the most common class of registration for nurses in Ontario.

Applicants who wish to begin nursing before completing their registration requirements for the General Class also have the option of joining the Temporary Class provided they meet the Temporary Class registration requirements.

RN prescribing practice

RNs registered with CNO in the General Class can add prescribing authority to their practice by completing RN prescribing education approved by CNO. RNs with this authority can prescribe certain medications and communicate diagnoses for the purpose of prescribing those medications.

If you have completed education that qualifies you to prescribe medication as an RN in another Canadian jurisdiction or country, you will still need to successfully complete CNO-approved education to become authorized in Ontario. There are many differences in RN prescribing across jurisdictions. CNO-approved education is based on the legal scope of practice for RN prescribing in Ontario. Visit RN Prescribing Practice for more information, including a list of continuing education approved by CNO for RN prescribing in Ontario.

For those who complete CNO-approved RN prescribing education, RN prescribing authority comes into effect after they become registered as an RN in the General Class.

Do you have any other questions about your examinations or the registration process? Contact CNO.

Related links

• Timelines for registration processes
• Application and membership fees