Licensing guide · Northwest Territories

How to Become a Registered Nurse in Northwest Territories

Last checked 5 sources checkedNOC 31301

Do you need a licence?

Licence required

You must be registered with the College of Nurses of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut to work as a registered nurse in Northwest Territories or to use a protected title.

Protected titles
Not listed in the sources checked
Show the source
“Performing nursing duties without the required registration or licensure”

From cannn.ca/complaints-conduct/practising-without-a-valid-licence, checked October 10, 2026.

At a glance

Licence status
Licence required See the source
Routes
Annual fees
Not stated by the regulator Check with CNNN

Your roadmap

Every route is listed. Follow the one that matches where you trained.

Trained in Canada

  • Listed one-time fees: $402
  • 1 fee depends on your situation and is not in the total
  • 4 steps without a listed fee

  1. Verify that your nursing program is approved by CNNN.

    Source
    “Verify your nursing program is approved by CNNN”
    cannn.ca/resources/new-student-graduate

  2. Apply to CNNN and to Pearson VUE at least 30 days before your desired exam date, then write the NCLEX-RN within the validity dates on your Authorization to Test.

    Source
    “You must apply to both CNNN and Pearson Vue — both applications must be submitted at least 30 days before your desired exam date.”
    cannn.ca/resources/new-student-graduate

  3. Email CNNN to begin your initial registration application.

    Source
    “Email [email protected] to begin your initial registration application”
    cannn.ca/resources/new-student-graduate

  4. Submit the required documents, some of which must be sent directly to CNNN by your school, instructors, or regulatory bodies.

    Source
    “Some documents must be sent directly to CNNN by your school, instructors, or regulatory bodies — they cannot be submitted by you”
    cannn.ca/resources/new-student-graduate

  5. Once your application is approved, pay the registration fee, which activates your registration.

    Source
    “Once your application is approved, your registration fee becomes available to pay. Your registration becomes active upon payment”
    cannn.ca/resources/new-student-graduate

Listed fees for this route

One-time total listed: $402

One-time fees listed for Trained in Canada, by type
Fee typeAmountShare
Exams $402 100%
One-time total $402 100%

1 fee depends on your situation and is not in the total.

4 steps without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Official page for this route

Licensed in another province

  • 3 steps without a listed fee

  1. Contact CNNN by email so they can create your account and guide you through the initial registration application.

    Source
    “Initial registration applications are completed through CNNN’s registration system. To begin your application, contact us at [email protected]. We will create your account and guide you through the process.”
    cannn.ca/initial-application

  2. Provide identification, legal name change documents if applicable, verification of registration from all nursing jurisdictions where you are or were registered, evidence of practice hours, and a criminal record check with vulnerable sector screening.

    Source
    “Verification of Registration is required from all nursing jurisdictions in which you are currently or were formerly registered”
    cannn.ca/initial-application

  3. Once your application is approved, pay the registration fee, which activates your registration.

    Source
    “Once your application is approved, your registration fee becomes available to pay. Your registration becomes active upon payment”
    cannn.ca/resources/new-student-graduate

Listed fees for this route

No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with CNNN

3 steps without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Official page for this route

Trained outside Canada

  • Listed one-time fees: $2,415
  • 4 steps without a listed fee

  1. Read the pathway descriptions and, if unsure, contact CNNN before beginning your application.

    Source
    “Read carefully to determine which pathway applies to you before beginning your application. If you are unsure, contact CNNN before proceeding.”
    cannn.ca/resources/internationally-educated-nurses

  2. Submit the IEN application form, government-issued photo ID, and the payment authorization form with the application fee so CNNN can review your documents and refer you to Inspire Global Assessments.

    Source
    “Complete the IEN – Inspire Global Assessment Application Form”
    cannn.ca/resources/internationally-educated-nurses
  3. Source
    “Competency Assessment — Complete a Computer-Based Assessment (CBA) and Simulation Lab Assessment (SLA) through your Inspire account”
    cannn.ca/resources/internationally-educated-nurses

  4. Inspire sends a completed report to CNNN, and the Registration Committee reviews it and makes a recommendation to the Registrar on your eligibility for licensure.

    Source
    “Inspire will send a completed report to CNNN. The Registration Committee will review it and make a recommendation to the Registrar on your eligibility for licensure.”
    cannn.ca/resources/internationally-educated-nurses

  5. If deemed eligible, submit a formal application for registration, provide any additional required documentation, and pay the registration fee.

    Source
    “If deemed eligible, you must: Submit a formal application for registration Provide any additional required documentation Pay the registration fee”
    cannn.ca/resources/internationally-educated-nurses

Listed fees for this route

One-time total listed: $2,415

One-time fees listed for Trained outside Canada, by type
Fee typeAmountShare
Application $2,415 100%
One-time total $2,415 100%

4 steps without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Official page for this route

Requirements

Conditions the regulator sets on top of the roadmap steps.

Education

  • New graduates must provide evidence of successfully passing an entry-to-practice exam accepted by CNNN.

    Source
    “Evidence of successfully passing an entry-to-practice exam accepted by CNNN”
    cannn.ca/initial-application

  • New graduates must submit a transcript request form and a Form C instructor reference completed by a nursing faculty member from their school of nursing.

    Source
    “Form C Instructor Reference Form – completed and submitted directly to CNNN by a nursing faculty member from your school of nursing.”
    cannn.ca/initial-application

  • For the bridging program pathway, you must have completed a Canadian nursing bridging program approved by the regulatory body in the province or territory where it is offered.

    Source
    “You must have completed a Canadian nursing bridging program approved by the regulatory body in the province or territory where it is offered”
    cannn.ca/resources/internationally-educated-nurses

Experience

  • You must confirm a minimum of 1,125 practice hours in the past five years or 450 hours in the past two years using Form A2 completed by employers.

    Source
    “completed by employers from within the past five years, confirming a minimum of 1,125 hours in the past five years or 450 hours in the past two years.”
    cannn.ca/initial-application

  • For the practice currency pathway, internationally educated nurses need at least 1,125 hours of nursing practice in the past five years or 450 hours in the past two years, in Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom.

    Source
    “Minimum 1,125 hours of nursing practice in the past five years, or 450 hours in the past two years”
    cannn.ca/resources/internationally-educated-nurses

Police check

  • You must provide a criminal record check with vulnerable sector screening dated within the past six months.

    Source
    “Criminal record check with vulnerable sector screening dated within the past six months.”
    cannn.ca/initial-application

Other

  • You must provide two pieces of government-issued ID in colour with a signature, at least one of which includes a photo.

    Source
    “Two pieces of government-issued ID in colour with a signature. At least one must include a photo.”
    cannn.ca/initial-application

  • If your name has changed, you must provide a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or notarized statutory declaration of legal name change.

    Source
    “Legal name change: Where there has been a name change, one of the following is required:”
    cannn.ca/initial-application

  • You must provide verification of registration from all nursing jurisdictions in which you are currently or were formerly registered.

    Source
    “Verification of Registration is required from all nursing jurisdictions in which you are currently or were formerly registered”
    cannn.ca/initial-application

  • It is your responsibility to ensure you have the appropriate immigration status to complete any transitional education required and to work legally in Canada.

    Source
    “It is your responsibility to ensure you have the appropriate immigration status to complete any transitional education required and to work legally in Canada.”
    cannn.ca/resources/internationally-educated-nurses

Already licensed in another province?

Not stated

The pages state that registration in another province or territory does not permit practice in NWT or Nunavut and that nurses registered elsewhere apply through the initial registration application, but they do not state whether such applicants can register without retaking the entry-to-practice exam or a competence assessment.

Source
“Registration in another province or territory does not permit practice in NWT or Nunavut.”
cannn.ca/complaints-conduct/practising-without-a-valid-licence

Processing time: Not stated by the regulator Check with CNNN

Check a move between two provinces

Credential assessment

Not stated by the regulator Check with CNNN

Exams

Language tests

Not stated by the regulator Check with CNNN

Compare scores across provinces and professions

Canadian experience

Form D – Employer Confirmation of English Language Proficiency must be completed by an employer you have worked for as a nurse in Canada within the past two years, confirming safe practice in an English-speaking environment.

Source
“Form D – Employer Confirmation of English Language Proficiency, completed by an employer you have worked for as a nurse in Canada within the past two years, confirming safe practice in an English-speaking environment.”
cannn.ca/initial-registration-application

Supervised practice

Not stated by the regulator Check with CNNN

Demand and pay

Job Bank figures for NOC 31301, Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses. Wages for 2023-2024 in Canadian dollars an hour; outlook for 2025-2027.

Job Bank wages and outlook in Northwest Territories and Canada
WhereLowMedianHighOutlook
Northwest Territories $45.00 $58.00 $69.23 Very good (5 of 5)
Canada $30.00 $43.27 $54.37 —

Wages by region and job outlook in Northwest Territories

Wages in every province and territory

Registered nurses in other provinces and territories

Regulated in all 12 other jurisdictions checked so far. The rules differ from one place to the next.

Compare registered nurse licensing across Canada

Sources checked

Pages read on October 10, 2026.

  1. Practising Without a Valid Licence — College of Nurses of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut cannn.ca/complaints-conduct/practising-without-a-valid-licence · fetched October 10, 2026
  2. Initial Application — College of Nurses of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut cannn.ca/initial-application · fetched October 10, 2026
  3. New Student Graduate — College of Nurses of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut cannn.ca/resources/new-student-graduate · fetched October 10, 2026
  4. Internationally Educated Nurses — College of Nurses of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut cannn.ca/resources/internationally-educated-nurses · fetched October 10, 2026
  5. Initial Registration Application — College of Nurses of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut cannn.ca/initial-registration-application · fetched October 10, 2026

Frequently asked questions

2

Do you need a licence to work as a registered nurse in Northwest Territories?

Yes. Registration with the College of Nurses of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut is required to practise in Northwest Territories.

Which exams are required?

NCLEX-RN, Computer-Based Assessment (CBA), Simulation Lab Assessment (SLA).

Getting Licensed? Get Your Resume Ready Too

Nainly pairs expert resume assessment with a done-for-you career marketing campaign, so your profile keeps reaching decision-makers while you work through the licensing steps.

Schedule a Call

Free consultation. No commitment.