To ensure fairness and equitable treatment of all applicants, every application is assessed individually. As a result, the time required to complete the assessment process can vary from one applicant to the next.
CNO is committed to processing your application as quickly as possible. To help facilitate this, we ask you to submit our requested information in a timely way. The longer it takes for you to submit information, the longer the process will take.
CNO makes every effort to acknowledge all written correspondence from applicants within 15 days. If the request is one that cannot be addressed within those 15 days, then we will acknowledge receipt of the request and provide information about next steps.
You have two years from the date CNO notifies you of receiving both your application and your application fee to meet all your requirements to register, including paying the registration fee(s). 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, though CNO may use any information it has on record, if available, for your new application.
The assessment/registration process
Initial Application
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Registration Activity
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How long will it take? |
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Apply to CNO and submit payment. If applicable, CNO receives a report from an education credential assessment service provider. Then CNO acknowledges receipt of your application, reviews it and informs you of next steps and if you have any requirements outstanding.
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Up to 15 days
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Language Proficiency
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Registration Activity
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How long will it take? |
| If you completed an approved nursing program in English or French within the past two years, you meet the language proficiency requirement. CNO will update this information on your online application. |
Up to 15 days after CNO receives your Verification of Course Completion from your school.. |
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Language tests
If language proficiency is outstanding in your application, we encourage you to take a language proficiency test. After the third party sends CNO your test results, CNO will update this information on your online application.
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Up to 15 days after CNO receives your language proficiency test results.
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Other Registration Requirements
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Registration Activity
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How long will it take? |
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Evidence of practice has expired
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If your Evidence of Practice expires, it will take up to 15 days to provide you with a status update with next steps.
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Registration exam (after CNO receives your results)
Please note that CNO does not accept exam results from the applicant |
Up to 5 days – once CNO receives notice that you passed the registration exam, CNO updates this information on your application
Up to 5 days – once CNO receives notice that you failed the exam, CNO updates this information on your application
Up to 15 days once CNO receives your results from another nursing jurisdiction.
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Jurisprudence exam (you can write this exam anytime)
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Up to 24 hours (this is how long it will take for CNO to receive your result and update the information on your application)
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| Police criminal record check |
Up to 5 days – This is how long it will take CNO to receive and update your application after receiving your police criminal record check result. CNO will contact you if further information is required regarding any criminal history identified.
Up to 5 days if CNO requires further information about your criminal history.
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| Transition to Practice Requirement |
Up to 15 days - after CNO receives your Verification of Course Completion results from your school, or Verification of Registration or Practice in Canada.
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CNO confirms applicant is eligible for registration
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Once you have met all registration requirements, you will immediately receive a message through the applicant portal advising that you are eligible to register and required next steps. |
| Applicant becomes registered to practise in Ontario after fully completing the registration requirements and paying fees online. |
Immediate
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Factors that may delay an applicant’s registration include the following:
- graduation from a nursing or practical nursing program that doesn’t meet the education requirement
- lack of evidence the applicant has practiced nursing or graduated from a nursing program within the past three years
- lack of evidence the candidate demonstrates language proficiency in either English or French
- submission of official documents in languages other than English or French. For more information, see Translation of Documents
- unsuccessful completion of the national registration exam
- failure to meet the Transition to Practice requirement
- information provided to CNO that would require further assessment to ensure applicants have the knowledge, skill and judgement to practice nursing safely and competently
- failure to provide documents requested by CNO in a timely manner.