shaz36

Hi,
I am currently studying towards my ACCA qual. in the UK. Got 8/14 exams done, sitting 9th one in June. As I have 2 young children, so might take about 1/5-2 yrs to complete them all. I have 10 yrs accountancy work experience though.

I am applying for a visa for australia, hoping to go in about 1-2 yrs time. does anyone know if its best to finish my studies here, or try and register with an association there and finish? I believe to work in australia, a local qualification is preferred so may have to study further even if I finish it here, which may delay emigrating just to study further when there. Does any of the accountancy bodies there recognised my accounting degree, and passes of current ACCA exams to give exemptions so that I wouldnt have to start over again once there?

Hope someone can help? AJA, you seem to be the fountain of all knowledge in this area!

Thanks
Shaz

Bermudashorts

I could be wrong, but my understanding is that you need to be fully qualified in order to qualify for the occupation points. Or are you thinking of going over on some other basis not as an accountant?

I think you mean JAJ

Hopefully he will pop by later and be more help than me

shaz36

Hi Bermudashorts,#

No you can be assessed as an accountant for visa purposes with an accountancy degree and relevant work experience. Basically, you just have to prove that your degree is equivalent to an australian batchelors degree.

I am sending off to ICAA for a skills assessment at the moment.

Shaz

Bermudashorts

Ah ok, in that case I certainly see your dilemma. I don't know answer to that question, hopefully someone will help you out with that soon.

Sounds like you are planning on applying for a 175, as that might take a year to 18 months anyway, I would be tempted to carry on with my exams here and get them out of the way rather than put everything on hold for however long the application takes. It would perhaps reduce the amount of any Australian further studies you decide to do anyway.

Just sent my skills assessment too. Hope to hear back in a week or two.

shaz36

I am self funding so it is expensive, if I am only to be told that I have to start over again. I will probably carry on if it will be recognised over there.

Have you applied to be assessed as an accountant, and are you ACCA, CIMA or ICAS/ICAEW?

Shaz

Bermudashorts

Yes also an accountant and an ACCA. I am not planning to do any more studying when I get there, unless I find I really, really cannot get a job without it!

A couple of Australian recruitment agencies I spoke to did not advise me that I should do more studying and I did specifically ask them about ACCA. I finished my exams in 1996 so I am hoping that my work experience before and since then will be of more relevance to an employer.

shaz36

Bermudashorts,

I was hoping ideally to finish ACCA here, and hopefully not have to do anything else unless I really had to. I have never had a problem getting a job here, and have lots of relevant work experience. I have worked for mainly large companies so that always looks good on a CV.

But with the current climate, I suspect competition will be fierce, so may have to consider doing some bridging subjects, or getting an australian qualification which will be the last thing I really want after just finishing studying here!

Where are you planning on settling in Australia? I am going to Brisbane as I have a sister there, but accountancy is not on the list for getting state sponsorship and my company have offices there but not in Brisbane! A transfer might have been easy but only to Sydney.

Shaz

JAJ

What accounting degree do you have?

shaz36

Its BA Accounting. An ordinary degree rather than honours.

Bermudashorts

We will be moving to Sydney. Mainly because hubby is in a very niche area (a Catastrophe Analyst ) and our research shows he would find it very difficult outside the main financial services area. Can I have your tranfer to Sydney please?

shaz36

Hi all,
Just re-enquiring now, as I have a positive skills assessment as an accountant based on my accountancy degree.

As I said before, I have 8/14 exams passed in ACCA. Should I consider CPA or NIA in Australia, as I know so far that I would have to sit 4 exams to be NIA qualified, not sure about CPA. Considering I have 6 left at ACCA, would I not be better doing an Australian qualification?

I have now submitted my 175 and expect it to take around 6 months to be granted - hopefully so would not be finished ACCA by this time. Plus, expect that even if I do the 6 exams, would still have to do further tax/law exams in Australia.

Any advice on what is the preferred qualification over there? Also, how easy it is to get a job with ACCA.

Thanks
Shaz

JAJ

ACCA is not a local Australian qualification and doesn't have a mutual recognition agreement in place so if you complete ACCA then you need to be prepared to do further study to have a local qualification.

Your other options from now are:

1. Switch to CIMA. They will probably give you credit for your degree and also for being part-qualified with ACCA. Once CIMA qualified (full member), you can become a member of CPA Australia by mutual recognition.

2. Do the CPA Australia program directly, after completing bridging study in tax and law. As far as I am aware, you can do this by distance learning and then get your mentored work experience once you get to Australia. Once qualified as a CPA, you can look to become a CIMA member by mutual recognition, which also gives you a British qualification.

The CIMA/CPA agreement lasts until about 2012/13 and it may be renewed, but you can never rely on it staying in place indefinitely. If they don't renew it, and you have become a member by mutual recognition, you keep it, but the option would be closed to new applicants.

3. There is also the option, when you get to Australia, of doing the CA Program and becoming an Australian CA instead. This can be done if you work for a company where there is an Australian CA (or other eligible CA) able and willing to provide mentored work experience.

shaz36

Hi JAJ,

Thanks for the advice. I think I would prefer to study for CPA so will enquire as to how to register and how many exams I would have to do based on my current status. I would ideally begin my studies here and then pick up when I move over.

I think that seems a good option and I appreciate your advice.

Thanks
Shaz

Hellboy663

If you have to complete 6 more papers in ACCA, then to do CPA Oz you'll have to complete law and tax and a further about 5/6 papers and if you don't have a bachelor's degree, you'll have to do a bachelor's degree for at least another at least 1 year from an Oz uni. This is frustrating, expensive and time consuming (thanks a million to ACCA). If you wish to study for CPA Oz, you'd be better off switching from ACCA to CIMA now. You may get exemption from some of the papers in CIMA and you can get OZ CPA via mutual recognition once you have completed CIMA and so the number of exams you'll be sitting for will be a lot fewer,the time spent will be a lot lesser and thus less frustrating.

shaz36

Hi Hellboy663,
I dont know if I fancy going through the whole exemption process again with CIMA and paying for the exemptions they would grant after doing that with ACCA. I think I paid around £500 just for them to say that I had covered the first 8 exams in my degree!

Another option that I see is to study for NIA. I would be eligible to get to membership status, then to become qualified would require me to sit 4 exams. I think tax and law is only required if planning to go into public practice which I am not planning on.

What is your experiences of NIA as an alternative to CPA?

Thanks
Shaz