JAJ

You don't have to live in the U.S. to sit for the American exams. Lots of Canadians take these.


Don't ACCA have an office in Canada? Why not contact that office directly? The problem as far as I am aware is that there is no consistency in CGA decisions, especially in the lower population provinces. Everything is case by case.

The bottom line is that you should make sure you get your BSc degree AND ACCA full membership, but you will likely need to add a Canadian or US accounting qualification to your resume for longer term success in Canada. ACCA just isn't well known in Canada and Canadians in particular are only comfortable with designations they know about and understand.

JAJ

If you want to access the new Mutual Recognition Agreement and become a CGA member through reciprocity, then you need to be an ACCA member and have a university degree (BSc from Oxford Brookes will do).

http://www.accaglobal.com/news/general/2850952

Hammer44

Hi John
My wife is an ACCA with MBA and would like to move to Toronto after visiting many times, how realistic is the chance of finding a job especially now CGA have signed this new agreement with ACCA last month. At the moment we live and work for the British goverment in an overseas territory.

Thank you

Ed

budda

Hi John,

a bit off spec. I am actually a recruitment consultant in London, UK moving to Toronto in August. I work the Rec2rec market. How did you find the job hunt? any advice?

Thanks

John (I am also John)

JAJ

Does she have a visa to migrate to Canada?

akdakd

hey,

just came across your thread, do you have an email address? I am thinking of coming to Toronto in about 4-5 weeks, I have got my BUNAC visa sorted and was wondering what the current job market for a part qualified ACCA & graduate would be? Any help would be grand!!

Cheers

Anup

rayh

Hi John,

My name is Karen and my husband and I have just arrived in Canada from the UK. I saw your post and wondered if you were still working for the accountancy recruiter. I am a fully qualified accountant with the ACCA designation, a fellow of the ACCA since 2001. I was wondering if you could help at all. We are currently living in Erin, which is about an hour from downtown Toronto and between Georgetown and Orangeville. I have o problem with commuting to work. If you can assist, or know someone who may be able to help I would be grateful. We have no phone or internet as yet at the house we are renting but we can check information via the local library.

Hellboy663

I'm sorry that I cant speak much about the specific situation in Canada now as its been quite a while since I've last been there but hearing all the negatives and horror stories of immigrants not being able to find jobs, credentials not recognized etc, I feel that anyone intending to go over to Canada should consider doing the following:

(i) Try finding out as much as possible about the country and decide where exactly is it that you'd like to start off. Once you have decided, take a holiday to the respective place to see how things are like.

(ii) Try as best as possible to get a local qualification like CA or CGA or at least a US CPA. As ACCA has MRA with CGA, I think you can get the CGA designation if you are a full ACCA member (you may have to do an online course or something like that I think). For members of ICAEW, you may be able to gain entry into Canadian CA on completion of a final examination.

(iii) For ACCA and CIMA members, please ensure that you also have a bachelor degree along with your relevant professional qualification. It may be acceptable in the UK to have a professional qualification without any bachelor degree but not in most other parts of the world from what I know, especially not in the US or Canada. A Masters degree or MBA should be ok but it would be better if its an American or Canadian one or one from a top British University like Oxford, London Business School, Strathclyde etc.

(iii) Try to get to know as many people as possible. Networking, thats the main thing. Its good that John here is willing to help. In addition, try contacting as many recuriters or companies as possible before going over, ideally it would be good if you could arrange to attend interviews on arriving in Canada. Try joining a Church, a club or any other organization to build up your contacts.

These were the very things I did when I was moving to Australia but I suppose its very similar for Canada as well.

Good Luck!!!

JAJ

ACCA members admitted on or after 1 August 1998 need to have a university degree (any subject) in order to be eligible to become a CGA under mutual recognition. Quebec may still not be part of that mutual recognition agreement.
http://www.canada.accaglobal.com/can...ognition/cgaac

Some Canadian provinces may not recognise 3 year university degrees as equivalent, so that may also be an issue for some. I don't know what the experience on the ground has been.

As for CAs, those not trained in public practice may not be eligible to become Canadian CAs through mutual recognition. The Canadian CAs are the last of the major CA institutes to accept the concept of training outside practice and while they are only now piloting it in Canada, they may not accept overseas experience.

Hellboy663

If Canadian Institutes are not prepared to recognize 3 years bachelor degree, then I suppose there might be a problem for those having qualifications like the Oxford Brookes degree. The CA Institutes are also very rigid about their admission criterias. In countries like Australia, you'll get entry into Autralian CA if you are a member of a professional body that has MRA with ICA (ICAEW, ICAS, ICAI USCPA etc), they are not very particular about where you've got your experience from. However in Canada, getting admitted into the CA Insitutes not only depends on their rigid qualifications and experience requirements but you have to have been a resident in the country that you've obtained your professional accounting designation. For example, if I got an American CPA while holding a British passport and am not a resident nor citizen in the USA, my US CPA would not be recognized by the Canadian CA Institutes for admission (its comical as to what residency has to do with professional ability).
This coupled with the fact that many Canadian employers are fixated on applicants having Canadian experience makes it very difficult for immigrants. The websites and migration agents potray an image that Canada is a land of opportunites and skilled migrants are greatly valued and are needed to boost up the economy. However, the job market as well as the professional bodies are giving out the clear message that they are not welcome.

JAJ

The ACCA website says that the Oxford Brookes degree is acceptable to the CGA. The only question is whether all the provincial CGA institutes are committed to accept this - I know that anecdotally, there are issues in some provinces (eg British Columbia) with recognition of 3 year degrees from the United Kingdom.


The reason for these restrictions is to prevent Canadians bypassing the regular entry requirements for CA. If they were not in place then lots of Canadians would do the American CPA exam instead, and then look to become a Canadian CA based on mutual recognition.

Incidentally, it's also relevant as to which state a CPA is licensed with. Not all American state boards are recognised by the CA institutes, because not every U.S. state recognises Canadian CAs.

ToufiqUlAlam

Hello there,

My name is Toufiq. I am from Bangladesh. I am very much interested in doing ACCA as I had very unfortunate break of study since 2003. I went to australia at a very young age and could not handle the pressure and came back home. I did not find any place suitable to study and hence took interest in ACCA. Well, I have going through your posts and understood your deep experience with the accounting profession.

Could you please give me some rough ideas about how hard it is to pass all the subjects of ACCA? What is the real passing rate ? Is there any suggestion from you on how to make strategy for beating these exams? Are the BPP and KAPLAN books enough for passing the exams?

Thank you very much.

Please help me with the info.

Toufiq

ToufiqUlAlam

Hello there,

My name is Toufiq. I am from Bangladesh. I am very much interested in doing ACCA as I had very unfortunate break of study since 2003. I went to australia at a very young age and could not handle the pressure and came back home. I did not find any place suitable to study and hence took interest in ACCA. Well, I have going through your posts and understood your deep experience with the accounting profession.

Could you please give me some rough ideas about how hard it is to pass all the subjects of ACCA? What is the real passing rate ? Is there any suggestion from you on how to make strategy for beating these exams? Are the BPP and KAPLAN books enough for passing the exams?

Thank you very much.

Please help me with the info.

Toufiq

loza789

Hello John,

My name is Loraine and I am a qualified AAT (associated accouting technician). My boyfriend and I are planning on moving to Toronto next summer and have a recce planned for Sept this year.

I am struggling to find out what exam or course I should sit to become the Canadian equivalent. Can you help me?

Do you think there is an opportunity within your company for me?

Many thanks
Loraine

manjinder

Hi John,I am an indian chartered accountant ,have got canadian permanent immigration.I have passed 3 sections of cpa recently and appearing in 4th in october and landing in canada in november.I want to know how to find suitable job in canada.Please reply via [email protected]