British Columbia
Quick facts for internationally educated nurses. Pick your designation below. For the full step-by-step guide, start with Before You Apply.
Registered Nurse (RN)
Do you need NNAS?
No NNAS
Application cost
$690 + GST
Application review
Yearly license cost
$781.10
Do you need NNAS here?
Key fact
No. BC uses its own assessment service, Inspire Global Assessments, instead of NNAS.
Who licenses nurses here
One office — the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) — handles RN, LPN, and RPN (psychiatric nurse) licensing, so you apply in the same place no matter which type of nurse you are.
English test accepted
Only CELBAN or IELTS Academic, and all four parts are required. You submit it through BC's assessment partner, Inspire Global Assessments, not directly to BCCNM.
- CELBAN: Listening 9, Writing 7, Reading 8, Speaking 8
- IELTS Academic: Listening 7.0, Writing 6.5, Reading 6.5, Speaking 7.0, Overall 7.0
Criminal record check
Every province requires a criminal record check as part of your application to them, not to NNAS. It's checked at the provincial regulator stage, after your NNAS step.
Heads up
It has to be dated within 6 months of your application, so timing matters. If you're applying from outside Canada, you generally need a separate check for every country you've lived in — not just your current one — which is easy to miss and can add real time if you don't plan for it. If your check comes back in a language other than English, you'll need an official certified translation.
Good to know
Accepted sources typically include your local police service, the RCMP, or an approved Canadian background screening company.
Needs verification
The exact accepted provider list for your criminal record check wasn't individually confirmed for this province in our research. Confirm on BCCNM's own site before relying on a specific vendor.
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
Do you need NNAS?
NNAS needed
IEN application fee
$690*
Registration / licence
$737.30
The BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) — the same college that handles RN. BCCNM assesses most IENs for both LPN and RN in one integrated application.
- Do you need NNAS?: NNAS or Inspire Global Assessments is accepted.
- IEN application fee: International $690; US $345; Canadian $345; BC $265 (non-refundable).
- Practising registration (2025–26): $737.30; non-practising $135.05.
- Licensing exam: REx-PN — $350 per attempt (+ $150 international scheduling fee).
- English test: CELBAN (Reading 8 / Listening 9 / Writing 7 / Speaking 8) and IELTS Academic (Reading 6.5 / Listening 7.0 / Writing 6.5 / Speaking 7.0 / Overall 7.0); OET via Inspire. Valid 2 years. IENs applying after Jan 31, 2023 submit English evidence to Inspire Global Assessments.
Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN)
Do you need NNAS?
NNAS needed
IEN application fee
$690*
Registration / licence
$737.30
The BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) — the same college as RN and LPN.
- Do you need NNAS?: NNAS or Inspire Global Assessments is accepted.
- IEN application fee: International $690; US $345; Canadian $345; BC $265.
- Practising registration (2025–26): $737.30; non-practising $135.05.
- Licensing exam: RPNCE.
- English test: CELBAN / IELTS Academic (same benchmarks as BC LPN); OET via Inspire; valid 2 years.
Good to know
Your employer may pay this back. Once you're licensed and working, many Canadian employers reimburse your annual license renewal fee, either fully or in part. This is common in unionized health authority positions and is often written into the collective agreement, but it's rarely advertised, so a lot of nurses never claim it.
Two places to ask: your employer's HR or benefits department, and your union representative. If you're unionized, check your collective agreement directly — look for professional fees, licensing, or professional development.
Worth doing early. Some employers require you to submit the claim within a set window after you pay, so knowing the process before your next renewal is better than finding out after.