In Canada, provincial regulators make registration decisions. NCAS is a credentialing review and competency assessment service that regulators rely on to make those decisions. NCAS is one stop on your registration pathway. You must also apply to the regulator in the province where you want to practice. NOTE: you cannot apply for registration in more than one province at a time.

Registration applications can sometimes take a long time, so, we urge you to do that as soon as possible. Don't wait until after you've finished your NCAS process – start your application with your regulator now!

If you want to become a nurse in Saskatchewan, click here.

If you want to become a nurse in the Maritimes, including Nova Scotia, New Brunswick or PEI, click here.

If you want to become a registered nurse, licenced practical nurse or health care aide in BC, see below. 

Remember: NCAS might assess your education and competencies for entry into three different nursing professions at once. That's a good thing because the regulator may decide that you have to complete some transitional education, a national certification exam or other steps before you can be registered in the profession of your choice. If this happens to you, the good news is that you might be able to start working as a health care aide or LPN, for instance, while you're transitioning to become a registered nurse. We recommend that you submit your application to BCCNM right away. ​

Applying to BCCNM

To become a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse in BC, apply to BCCNM.

Applying to the Health Care Aide Registry

To become a Health Care Aide in BC, you will need to wait until you finish with NCAS and receive your NCAS report to apply to the Registry.​