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In this globalisation era, the accountants, like other professionals, are raring to spread their wings in the vast canopy of global market. Towards this end, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is starting an awareness series of details in professional aspects in markets of interest. We start with Canada which could be one of such destinations of interest to ICAI members.
In Canada, there are three major national accountancy bodies - the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA), Certified General Accountant Association (CGA) - Canada and Certified Management Accountant (CMA) - Canada.
CICA deals with the structure of the Chartered Accountancy profession in Canada. The Designation as Canadian CA enables an individual to practice public accounting in Canada. Certified General Accountants (CGAs) are professional accountants who have acquired their accounting education through and are members of the Certified General Accountants Association. Certified Management Accountants (CMAs) are strategic financial management professionals who combine accounting expertise and business acumen with professional management skills to provide leadership, innovation and an integrating perspective to organizational decision-making. Further information in respect of these institutes viz., CICA, CGA - Canada and CMA Canada can be found on their respective websites at www.cica.ca; www.cga-canada.org and www.cma-canada.org.
In order to practice public accounting in Canada, the membership of CICA to become a Canadian CA is required, for which the following would be pertinent :-
S No. Criteria Requirement(s) for ICAI Members
1. Body granting the admission for pursuing Canadian CA Each of the Canada's ten provincial and two territorial Institutes of Chartered Accountants and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bermuda (collectively referred to as PICAs/Ordre) is responsible, under uniform general requirements, for the admission of members and students, and for ensuring that students obtain the required pre-qualification and professional education.

Membership in CICA is derived automatically from the membership in one of the PICAs/Ordre.
2. Broad Requirements for becoming Canadian CA
  • apply for a student membership in one of a PICAs/Ordre;
  • complete the respective PICA's/Ordre's post university degree professional education program;
  • complete the CA profession's term of required experience;
  • satisfy the CA profession's course requirements in Canadian Law;
  • write and pass the CA profession's Uniform Final Examination (UFE);
  • provide character references.
3. Requirement(s) for admission as a student to PICAs/Ordre One of the requirement for admission to one of the PICAs/Ordre is the possession of a university undergraduate degree. In case, the university degree is not in Commerce/Business related, the appropriate bridging courses or their equivalent must be taken up as being run by the Provincial Institute or its educational affiliate.

ICAI Members need to apply for student membership in a PICA/Ordre. These Institutes evaluate the standing of individual applicants within their respective programs. Foreign trained accountants may be eligible to register with the provincial Institute of their intended province of residence, with their category of registration depending on to which foreign accounting body they belong.
4. Other Requirements as a student of PICAs/Ordre

a) Professional program
Once students complete the required courses at the undergraduate level, they enter a professional program run by the respective PICA/Ordre or their educational affiliate
  b)Pre-qualification experience Pre-qualification experience required to become a CA consists of 30 months experience (24 months in Quebec) in a public practice firm that is approved, by the respective PICA/Ordre, to train students.
ICAI members may be given some credit for comparable experience obtained in India which would be subject to a determination by the respective PICAs/Ordre.
5. Examination Requirements
a) Type of exam
All prospective Canadian CAs are required to pass the CA profession's Uniform Final Examination (UFE). Candidates must complete all of their course/educational requirements in order to be eligible to sit in the UFE. However, the candidates need not have completed their required experience before sitting in the UFE.
  b) Body conducting the examination The UFE is developed and marked by the CICA on behalf of the PICAs/Ordre of Chartered Accountants. The PICAs/Ordre administer the writing of the examination under uniform administrative rules.
6. Body granting the license to practice Some provinces have no restrictions on who can practice public accounting (unregulated jurisdictions), some provinces limit by statute the right to practice to members of a certain accounting body or bodies and some provinces have bodies that licence people to practice.
7. VISA Requirements Applicable immigration requirements apply. There are no special visa restrictions specific to Indian chartered accountants. A medical examination is normally required for visits of over 6 months.

Indian professionals who obtain work permits would still need to satisfy the applicable licensing or certification requirements of the appropriate professional regulatory bodies in Canada's provinces or territories. Indian chartered accountants seeking to enter and stay temporarily in Canada in the "professional" category under Canada's Immigration Act and Regulations would need a labour market opinion and a work permit. If, however, an Indian chartered accountant qualified as a "business visitor"b>b>, a labour market opinion and a work permit would not be required. If an Indian chartered accountant qualified in the intra-company transferee category (i.e., as an executive, manager, or specialist), only a work-permit would be necessary.

For more information on the temporary and permanent residency and on the application procedures and processing times, please consult the website of the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi at www.dfait-maeci.ge.ca/new-delhi/visasen.asp.
8. Form of organisation permitted for practice The permitted form of practice varies from province to province since it is dependent upon provincial legislation and PICA/Ordre bylaws. All provinces permit CAs to practice in sole proprietorships or in partnership of CAs. Some provinces now allow CAs to form limited liability partnerships (LLPs). Currently, legislation permitting LLPs s in force in Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan.
9. Local partnership requirements Many PICAs/Ordre have rules with respect to the operation of practicing offices in the province.
10. Measures on Code of Professional conduct/ CPE programs The PICAs/Ordre deal with ethics and discipline of members through the development and enforcement of Code of Professional Conduct. The PICAs/Ordre harmonize their Codes of Professional Conduct to the extent possible. These Institutes also develop and administer CPE programs for their members.
11. Body setting accounting and assurance standards The CICA sets accounting and assurance standards, which all CAs are required to adhere to by their provincial PICA's/Ordre's code of professional conduct.
In order to obtain the membership of CGA - Canada, the following would be pertinent:-
S. No. Criteria Requirement(s) for ICAI Members
1. Who are CGAs CGAs are professional accountants working in industry, commerce, finance, government and public practice. They are represented nationally through CGA-Canada and regionally through their provincial/territorial/regional associations and local chapters.
2. Body granting the admission for CGA The Certified General Accountants Association of Canada is a national self-regulating association of 55,000 Certified General Accountants and students. CGAs work in Canada and elsewhere throughout the world; students are enrolled in the CGA program of professional studies in Canada, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China.
3. How to apply for CGA Canada For those residing in Canada, they may enroll in the CGA Program via the provincial affiliates and each application is subject to affiliate policies at the time of application. One is also required to be either a landed immigrant or citizen or possess a valid student visa. For those enrolling by distance, one must reside in the jurisdiction of one of the provincial affiliates or international examination centres. For more details, please visit http://www.cga-canada.org/eng/regional.htm
4. Advanced Standing Status to ICAI Members The Certified General Accountants Association of Canada (CGA) has given advanced standing status to ICAI members. Now, the ICAI members will have to appear effectively in only five papers to pass the CGA examinations of Canada as against the sixteen papers earlier. The announcement has come from CGA Canada after a process of evaluation of ICAI qualification was over at their level.

The following CGA courses will receive advanced standing status, unless otherwise indicated, based on ICAI designation and a university degree. Admission requirements are the sole jurisdiction of CGA Affiliate:-

CGA Program of Professional Studies
Level 1

Financial Accounting 1 (FA1)
Law 1 (LW1)*
Economics 1(EMI)

Level 2
Financial Accounting 2 (FA2)
with Practice Set 1(PSI)
Quantitative Methods 1(QU1)
Management Accounting 1 (MA1)
Communication 1 (CM1)**

Level 3
Financial Accounting 3 (FA3)
with Practice Set 2(PS2)
Finance 1(FN1)
Management Information Systems 1(MS1)

Level 4
Management Accounting 2(MA2) challenge exam privilege
It appears that approximately 65-75% of the CGA MA2 course is covered by the ICAI program,
therefore, a challenge exam privilege is required. Accounting Theory (AT1) required,
no transfer credit.
Less than 40% of the AT1 topics are identified as being covered. The CICA handbook and CGA
ethical standards are not covered.
Auditing 1(AU1)***
Taxation 1(TX1) required
Canadian content is necessary

Professional Level
Financial Accounting 4(FA4) challenge exam privilege
CGA FA4 is a mandatory requirement that all students must complete in order to qualify for CGA membership.
University degree requirementis satisfied.

Notes:
*LW1 may receive a transfer credit provided substantially equivalent law studies are completed at ICAI and/or university.
** CM1 may receive a transfer credit, provided studies were completed in English at university and ICAI.
***AU1 will receive a transfer credit provided the ICAI designation was completed within 5 years. If AU1 is exempt, CGA AU2 will be a mandatory course in the professional level. The audit practice set (PS3) is mandatory.
In order to obtain the membership of Certified Management Accountant (CMA) - Canada, the following would be pertinent:-
Certified Management Accountants are strategic financial management professionals who have gained the knowledge and skills necessary to provide leadership, innovation and an integrating perspective to organizational decision-making in the global marketplace. To earn the CMA designation, prospective members must:
  1. Complete a University Degree
  2. Pass the Entrance Examination
  3. Complete a two-year Strategic Leadership Program while gaining Practical Experience in a management accounting environment.
More details on the above requirements can be found at the website of CMA-Canada at www.cma-canada.org.

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