Standalone Health Care Assistant (HCA) Notification

The Inspire IEN Pathway is designed to assist nurses who are educated outside of Canada on their journey to gaining nursing registration in British Columbia.

As of August 1, 2025, the BC IEN Pathway will no longer accept requests for standalone Health Care Assistant (HCA) assessments. Applicants who are deemed eligible for the full three-in-one integrated assessment (HCA, LPN, RN) may not request to be assessed for HCA only.

Applicants on the BC IEN Pathway cannot self-select which professional role they want to be assessed for. Our team will review your English language proficiency documents and educational credential assessments to determine which roles you are eligible for. Most applicants complete the full three-in-one (RN/LPN/HCA) integrated assessment.

To become registered as a health care assistant (HCA), you must apply directly to the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry (the Registry). Qualified candidates seeking to complete the standalone HCA assessment will need to be referred by the Registry to Inspire. There is no application fee, but those applying as Internationally Educated Health Care Professionals, must provide an ICES (or equivalent) evaluation and evidence of language proficiency to the Registry.

Please visit the Registry’s application requirement pages here:
• If you have a Canadian RN license: Apply Here
• If you do not have a Canadian RN license: Apply Here