The Process —
Canada vs USA
Two different roads to the same job. Canada runs through one national credential check (or Québec's own system) and a union wage grid. The USA runs through a credential evaluator, an extra visa-only certificate, and a green-card queue. Both are doable. Neither is fast.
Exchange rates used below: 1 CAD ≈ 43.3 PHP, 1 USD ≈ 61.5 PHP (July 2026).
NCLEX route: NNAS → college → NCLEX-RN → immigration
Credential check — NNAS
Every province except Québec uses the National Nursing Assessment Service to check your education and licence history first. Expedited: $750 CAD flat, ready in about 5 business days once your documents are verified. Regular: $650 USD (about $845–$923 CAD), about 12 weeks. Expedited is now both faster and cheaper once you convert currency (NNAS, 2026). Your file is valid 12 months; no refunds.
Apply to the provincial college
Example, Ontario (College of Nurses of Ontario): IEN application $525.00 CAD, NCLEX admin fee $136.50 CAD. Other colleges charge similar amounts — being verified per province (CNO, 2026).
English test
CELBAN: $425.00 CAD (CELBAN Centre, 2026). Or IELTS Academic in the Philippines: about PHP 11,990 (~$277 CAD) (IDP/British Council, 2026). Each college sets its own accepted test and minimum score — being verified per province.
Sit the NCLEX-RN
$360.00 CAD exam + $150.00 CAD international scheduling fee = $510.00 CAD, testing from the Philippines. Non-refundable, even on a no-show (NCLEX.com, 2026).
Immigration (IRCC)
Work permit application $155.00 CAD. Express Entry permanent residence, main applicant: $1,590.00 CAD ($990 processing + $600 Right of PR Fee, effective April 30, 2026). Biometrics $85.00 CAD. Spouse/dependant fees are extra (IRCC, 2026).
Québec route: no NNAS, no NCLEX, French instead
Québec doesn't use NNAS or the NCLEX. The Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec (OIIQ) runs its own diploma-equivalence review and licenses on French ability.
What it costs
- Diploma equivalence file: $270.19 CAD being verified for Philippine diplomas specifically
- Initial registration on the Roll (2025–26 reduced rate): $295.50 CAD
- Annual membership (2026–27): $466.34 CAD, about $579 CAD all-in with insurance and tax
- OQLF French exam itself: free. The cost is any French course beforehand being verified
The French runway
If your French isn't strong enough yet, you can get a temporary permit, valid 1 year and renewable up to 3 times — up to 4 years total to reach the required level while working under supervision (OIIQ, 2025–26; Gouvernement du Québec, 2026).
What the whole Canada path costs and takes
| Route | Total cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Route A — NCLEX province (e.g. Ontario), NNAS Expedited + CELBAN | ≈ $4,176.50 CAD (≈ ₱180,845) | Swap CELBAN for IELTS → ≈ $4,028.50 CAD |
| Route B — Québec/OIIQ, year 1 | ≈ $2,862–$2,975 CAD (≈ ₱123,930–128,808) | OIIQ membership recurs yearly; French course not included |
Immigration fees are the single biggest line item — the Express Entry PR fee ($1,590 CAD) alone is larger than all nursing licensing fees combined (Process — Canada, 2026).
| Timeline | Optimistic | Typical |
|---|---|---|
| License-eligible, Route A | ≈ 4–5 months | ≈ 8–14 months |
| Start to PR decision, Route A | ≈ 10–11 months | ≈ 15–21 months |
| Start to PR decision, Route B (French already strong) | ≈ 8–9 months | ≈ 11–15 months |
Québec can add up to 4 years if you start below the required French level (Process — Canada, 2026).
Credential evaluation → NCLEX → licence → VisaScreen → green card
Credential evaluation (CGFNS/TruMerit CES)
CGFNS rebranded to TruMerit in 2025; both names appear on official material. CES Professional Report: $485.00. Expedited add-on: +$425.00. Timeline: 10 business days expedited, 8–12 weeks standard being verified (TruMerit, 2026).
English test
IELTS in the Philippines: ₱11,990 (~$195) — note the June 1, 2026 price increase, confirm current price. OET (all 4 sub-tests): ₱21,800 (~$354). The Philippines is not on TruMerit's English-speaking-country waiver list, so most Filipino-trained nurses sit a test even though nursing school there is taught in English (Process — USA, 2026).
NCLEX-RN
Pearson VUE fee $200.00 + international scheduling fee $150.00 = $350.00, both non-refundable even on a no-show (NCLEX.com, 2026).
State board licence
A US Social Security Number is normally issued only after work authorization — a chicken-and-egg problem while you're still overseas. Ten states are commonly cited as not requiring an SSN to apply or test: Minnesota, West Virginia, Idaho, Washington, Texas, Ohio, Montana, Colorado, Illinois, New York — but confirm "apply" vs. "be issued the licence" on each board's own site (NEAC, 2026). New York worked example: $70 application + $73 first registration = $143 total (NYSED, 2026).
VisaScreen certificate
Required by US immigration law before a green card can issue to a foreign healthcare worker. Passing NCLEX and getting a state licence does not replace it. Initial application $740.00; renewal $475.00 (TruMerit, 2026).
EB-3 Schedule A green card
RNs are pre-designated a shortage occupation, so the employer skips PERM labor certification and files the petition directly (GT Law, 2026). This step needs a US employer sponsor and usually runs 12–24+ months because of green-card backlogs.
What the whole USA path costs
| Phase | Cost (USD) | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse-borne credentialing (steps 1–5) | ≈ $1,970–$2,529 (₱121,125–155,535) | Nurse, before a sponsor is involved |
| Petition stage (step 6) | ≈ $5,955–$11,255+ | Employer covers most/all by rule and custom — confirm in writing |
Attorney fees for the EB-3/Schedule A petition run $3,000–$8,000; total employer-side spend commonly $7,000–$15,000 (Process — USA, 2026).
The visa queue (July 2026 Visa Bulletin)
| EB-3 category | Rest of World | Philippines |
|---|---|---|
| Professionals/Skilled (RNs) | 01 August 2024 | 01 August 2023 |
| Other Workers | 01 March 2022 | 01 December 2021 |
A Philippines date of "01 Aug 2023" means green cards are being approved for people who filed on or before that date. New filers join the back of the line, and the State Department has warned EB-3 Philippines may move backward or go "unavailable" before Sept 30, 2026. Credentialing itself takes under a year — the queue behind your priority date is the multi-year part (Process — USA, 2026). Check the live Visa Bulletin monthly — it moves every month.
Full process: ≈ 12–18 months for a Rest-of-World applicant. For a Philippines applicant: credentialing ≈ 6–12 months, then a variable multi-year queue, then 8–14 months for the final step (Process — USA, 2026).
Canada vs USA, one table
| Question | Canada | USA |
|---|---|---|
| Main credential check | NNAS ($750 CAD expedited) — Québec uses OIIQ instead | CGFNS/TruMerit CES ($485 USD) |
| Exam | NCLEX-RN ($510 CAD all-in) — Québec uses French, not NCLEX | NCLEX-RN ($350 USD incl. int'l fee) |
| Extra visa-only credential | None | VisaScreen ($740 USD) — required before the green card |
| Nurse-borne cost to licensed | Route A ≈ $4,176 CAD incl. immigration; Route B ≈ $2,862–$2,975 CAD | ≈ $1,970–$2,529 USD credentialing only; petition costs extra, usually employer-paid |
| Typical time to licence-eligible | ≈ 8–14 months | ≈ 6–12 months |
| Time to PR / green card | ≈ 15–21 months typical | 12–18 months (Rest of World); multi-year for Philippines |
Sources: Process — Canada; Process — USA (2025–2026).
Figures last reviewed 2026-07 · sources listed above · figures marked "being verified" should be confirmed with the named official source before you rely on them. This page is education, not immigration or legal advice — for anything about permits, sponsorship, or status, consult a licensed immigration professional.