Financial Support

Internationally Educated Nurse Bursary Program

Through Health Match BC, the Province of British Columbia provides financial support to eligible Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) pursuing registration with the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM).

The IEN Bursary Program helps offset the costs associated with the registration process, including international credential assessment, English language testing, skill evaluation, and educational upgrading. Eligible IENs may receive up to $17,000 in bursaries (reimbursements), depending on the assessments and upgrading required by BCCNM.

The following bursaries (reimbursements) are available to eligible IENs:

Registration Requirement

Available Bursary

Education Credential Assessment (ECA)

Up to $1,200 CAD for fees related to an accepted credential assessment application.

English Language Proficiency (ELP)

Two BCCNM-acceptable English language proficiency tests up to $400 CAD for each attempt.

BCCNM Application Fee

Up to $690 CAD + taxes for costs associated with the BCCNM initial application fee.

Inspire Application Fee

Up to $600 CAD + taxes for costs associated with the Inspire application fee.

Inspire Global Assessments

A one-time payment of up to $3,000 CAD + taxes for the Inspire competency assessment (Computer Based Assessment (CBA) and Simulation Lab Assessment (SLA)).

Inspire Travel Stipend

Up to $1000 CAD to offset some of the costs associated with travel and accommodation. Available to residents of British Columbia only; distance conditions apply.

Transitional Education

Up to $10,000 CAD for tuition fees related to education an IEN is referred to complete by the BCCNM.

Nurses advised by BCCNM to retake a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in its entirety are not eligible for the Transitional Education Bursary.

Eligibility Criteria

Bursaries (reimbursements) are available to IENs provided they meet the following criteria and sign a Return of Service agreement with the BC Ministry of Health prior to obtaining provisional or full registration in BC:

Not currently hold (or previously held) registration as a registered nurse in any other province or territory in Canada.
BC must be the only province or territory the IEN has applied for registration as a nurse. If the IEN has active applications for registration in any other Canadian province or territory, those applications must be withdrawn.
Have applied for registration with the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) in accordance with current regulatory pathways and have applied to Inspire Global Assessments for an integrated assessment where required.
Have a valid Canadian Social Insurance Number (SIN) and a Canadian bank account. Applicants without a valid SIN may be eligible for bursary support but will not receive reimbursement until they have a valid Canadian SIN.
Have incurred costs on or after May 1, 2021, and have or will complete the BCCNM registration process on or after May 1, 2022.

Important Notes:

To ensure fair distribution of resources, if an applicant possesses qualifications in more than one profession that is eligible under the Internationally Educated Nurse Bursary Program and/or Internationally Educated Allied Health Bursary Program, the applicant must proceed with an application for only one profession (i.e., eligible for one funding stream only). Multiple applications may result in funding being denied.
Recipients of the Access to Practical Nursing (APN) Education Incentive Bursary are not eligible for further funds through the IEN Bursary program.

Additional information about the IEN Bursary Program and Return of Service (ROS) is available in the Financial Supports (Bursaries) and Return of Service sections of our FAQs. You may also contact ienbursaryinfo@healthmatchbc.org or your Health Match BC Navigator for more information.

Note: This information is subject to change. For the most up to date information, please contact us.