Big Changes to CNO Registration in 2025: What IENs Need to Know (and How We Can Help)
Big news from the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) — starting April 1, 2025, major updates are coming to the registration process, especially for internationally educated nurses (IENs). These changes are designed to make things faster and clearer, but it’s important to know what’s new so you don’t miss any steps.
🔍 What’s Changing?
CNO is updating two key registration requirements:
1. Education Requirement
CNO will now:
- Check that your nursing education is approved or recognized in your country.
- Then assess if it meets the new minimum education standard:
- RNs: Must have a bachelor’s-level nursing education
- RPNs: Must have a diploma-level nursing education
If your education doesn’t match, don’t worry — you’ll have options, including:
- Taking a new Education Pathway (available after April 1)
- Completing the Competency Assessment Supplement (CAS) (for RPNs) (LEARN MORE)
- Or (for RNs) completing a competency assessment via Touchstone Institute (LEARN MORE)
2. Transition to Practice Requirement
This is a new requirement for everyone registering after April 1, 2025.
You’ll need to show that you’re prepared for nursing in Ontario — by completing a course, showing recent practice, or graduating from a Canadian program.
💡 Note: While CNCAP doesn’t offer the official Transition to Practice course, our classes already cover many of the same topics, so you’ll be extra prepared!
✨ New Class: Understanding CAS
If you’re thinking of completing the CAS, we’ve got something just for you.
Our new class — “Understanding CAS: A Guided Support Class for IENs” — helps you: ✅ Understand the CNO competencies
✅ Reflect on your nursing experiences
✅ Learn how to clearly describe your skills in a way that matches what CNO is looking for
We’ll guide you through it step-by-step — so you can write with confidence and clarity.
Note: We do not fill out the CAS for you, but we help you understand it deeply so you can do it yourself.
🎉 SPECIAL OFFER: First 5 students to sign up get this class FREE! (Coupon code: CAS2025)
👉 Click here for further details.
✅ Need Help Navigating the 2025 Changes?
We’ve helped hundreds of IENs move forward with clarity and confidence.
If you’re feeling unsure about what to do next — you’re not alone.
We’re here to support you every step of the way 💙
