NexaGH
12 May 2026

NNAS Cost for Ghana Nurses Moving to Ontario 2026

You searched for the NNAS fee, so here is the straight answer before anything else. The National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS) application fee for 2026 is USD 650, which works out to roughly GHS 9,750 at April 2026 rates depending on your bank's USD margin. That covers one application, valid for five years, and includes assessment for Ontario through the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO). You pay separately for IELTS or CELBAN (around GHS 2,800 in Accra), document courier from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana (N&MC) verification office at Asylum Down (GHS 400 to 700 with DHL), notarisation at a Ghanaian commissioner of oaths (GHS 150 to 300 per document set), and the CNO registration fee once NNAS clears you (CAD 408 plus CAD 90 jurisprudence exam).

Now here is where most Ghana nurses get blindsided. You came in asking about Ontario, but if you are reading this because your spouse and children are part of the plan, Australia almost always gives the family a faster, cleaner outcome than Canada in 2026. Let me show you why, and what the real cost comparison looks like for a Takoradi-based RN with a teacher husband and two primary-school kids.

Why Ghana Nurses Are Pivoting From Ontario to Australia in 2026

Ontario through NNAS and CNO is a 14 to 22 month pipeline once you factor in N&MC verification delays. Your spouse gets an open work permit only after you land as a permanent resident or get a closed work permit through Express Entry, and that adds another 8 to 12 months. Meanwhile, Australia's AHPRA pathway through the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) can land you in Brisbane or Perth in 9 to 14 months, and your husband gets full work rights from day one on a subclass 482 or 186 dependent visa.

The credentialing hazard nobody tells Ghana applicants: AHPRA requires your N&MC registration to be verified directly through the regulator-to-regulator portal, and N&MC's portal still glitches on certificates issued before 2015. If your initial registration predates 2015, budget an extra 6 to 10 weeks and a physical follow-up visit to the N&MC office in Accra. Bring printed copies of your index number, registration certificate, and a stamped good standing letter.

Cost Comparison: Ontario (NNAS) vs Australia (AHPRA) From Accra in 2026

Here is the honest side-by-side for a Ghana nurse with family:

  1. NNAS Ontario pathway: USD 650 NNAS + CAD 408 CNO + CAD 90 jurisprudence + IELTS GHS 2,800 + N&MC verification GHS 1,200 + notarisation and courier GHS 1,000. Total around GHS 21,000 before visa fees.
  2. AHPRA Australia pathway: AUD 640 application + AUD 525 portfolio assessment if required + OET or IELTS GHS 3,200 + N&MC verification GHS 1,200 + Outcomes-Based Assessment (if required) AUD 4,000. Total around GHS 18,000 to 48,000 depending on whether you sit the OBA.
  3. Family visa add-ons Australia: subclass 482 dependents add AUD 1,455 per adult and AUD 365 per child. Your husband works immediately on a subclass 500 or 482 dependent stream.
  4. Family visa add-ons Canada: spousal open work permit costs CAD 255 but is only issued after your status confirms, which can mean 6 to 18 months of single-income living in Toronto or Mississauga rent.

Booking Your IELTS or OET in Ghana

The British Council on Liberation Road in Accra and the IDP centre in East Legon both run IELTS monthly. For OET, which AHPRA prefers, you sit it at the Pearson VUE test centre in Airport Residential Area, Accra. Kumasi-based nurses still have to travel down for OET as of early 2026, so factor in two nights of accommodation. Book at least 8 weeks ahead because slots for nurses fill quickly between January and April.

What To Do Next

If Ontario is still your target, the NNAS portal is your starting point and budget the GHS 21,000 figure above. If your real priority is getting your husband working and your kids in school within a year, the Brisbane, Perth, or Adelaide route through AHPRA deserves a serious look before you sink money into NNAS.

Ready to compare both pathways with your actual N&MC profile? Book a pathway review with NexaGH and we will map the timeline, total cost in GHS, and family visa sequencing specific to your situation.

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