NNAS Process Explained: A Practical Guide for Internationally Educated Nurses

The National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS) verifies and organizes credentials for internationally educated nurses applying through participating Canadian nursing regulators. It issues an Advisory Report to the selected regulator or regulators. NNAS does not issue a nursing licence, decide final eligibility or guarantee that an applicant will be assigned a particular nursing category.

The most important first step is to confirm that your chosen regulator directs your applicant type to NNAS. Some pathways are direct or use other expedited mechanisms.

What changed with expedited service

NNAS offers an expedited service for eligible RN/LPN applicants to participating regulators. The current handbook explains that applicants can pursue RN and LPN credentialing together at a single price, can select multiple participating regulators without an additional NNAS fee, and receive one Advisory Report without an individual curricular assessment.

NNAS states that the report can be released within five business days once all required documents have been received. The clock does not begin simply because you opened or paid for an account. The time required for schools, licensing authorities and other third parties to submit acceptable documents remains a major planning variable.

Applicants for Registered Psychiatric Nurse pathways or those not eligible for expedited service should use the pathway and handbook NNAS identifies.

NNAS in six steps

1. Confirm the route

Read the target regulator’s internationally educated nurse page. Confirm nursing category, whether NNAS is required, whether the regulator participates in expedited service and whether a direct pathway applies.

2. Create an account and select regulators

Use the official NNAS portal. Under expedited service, the handbook says an Advisory Report can be sent to multiple participating RN/LPN regulators without an additional NNAS fee. Each regulator may still charge its own application fees.

3. Disclose complete information

The expedited application asks for information about identity, nursing education, registration/licensure, employment, NCLEX-RN history and licensing conditions. Follow portal instructions on when third-party documentation is or is not required. NNAS and regulators may request additional documents.

4. Arrange acceptable documents

Some documents must come directly from the issuing institution or authority. Do not assume a scan uploaded by the applicant will substitute. Follow the portal’s document-specific rules.

5. Monitor the portal

Track each requirement as submitted, received, reviewed, accepted or requiring action. “Sent by school” is not the same as “accepted by NNAS.” Respond to discrepancies promptly.

6. Receive and use the Advisory Report

Review the report for accuracy and follow the selected regulator’s next steps. The regulator then applies its own registration rules and may request more evidence, assessments, education, language proof or examinations.

Document-planning checklist

The NNAS terms state that an account can expire if all required documents are not received within 12 months and that reactivation has a fee. Check the current terms in your own portal.

Common reasons a file stalls

• A school or authority has not sent the document.
• The sender used an unaccepted method.
• A name or date differs across records without explanation.
• A translation does not meet the specified rules.
• The applicant omitted education, registration or employment information.
• A form is incomplete, unsigned or missing the NNAS identifier.
• The applicant assumes “delivered” means “reviewed and accepted.”
• The applicant does not answer a portal request.

The best response is not to send repeated duplicate packages without instruction. Read the status message, identify the exact deficiency, contact the issuing body and use official support when necessary.

What the Advisory Report is—and is not

Do not advertise an NNAS result as “approved to practise.” Wait for the nursing regulator’s formal decision and registration.

After NNAS

The regulator may open or continue its own application, assess education and competence, and identify remaining requirements. Depending on jurisdiction and individual history, these could include language proficiency, recent practice, competency assessment, additional education, jurisprudence, conduct checks and an entry exam.

There is no responsible way to promise the outcome before the regulator reviews the file.

What to do next

1. Confirm the correct pathway with your chosen regulator.
2. Read the NNAS handbook that applies to your service.
3. Build the document-control sheet before requesting records.
4. Use exact legal names and disclose complete history.
5. Track acceptance, not only dispatch.
6. Prepare for the regulator stage while keeping requirements separate.

For help turning official instructions into a personal checklist, explore BeeRN’s Canada Nursing Registration Guidance.

FAQ

Does NNAS decide whether I can write NCLEX?

No. The applicable nursing regulator determines examination eligibility.

Is the entire NNAS process completed in five days?

No. The expedited timeline refers to report release after all required documents have been received. Third-party document collection may take substantially longer.

Can I apply for RN and LPN together?

The current expedited service supports a single RN/LPN report for eligible applicants to participating regulators. Confirm eligibility in the portal and with the target regulator.

Can I send my own transcript?

Follow the portal’s specific instructions. Where primary-source submission is required, applicant-uploaded material does not replace the institution’s document.

Official sources

• NNAS official site
• NNAS Applicant Handbooks
• NNAS application portal
• NNAS Pathways tool