Foreign Accounting Professionals

The Canadian Chartered Accountant (CA) designation is internationally recognized for high professional standards in the accounting field. In today’s changing economic climate, business expertise is vital to the success and survival of every organization. CAs are in high demand across all sectors of the economy because they offer the talent, integrity, and expertise to make the right decisions. Canada's top corporations look to CAs to bring strategic thinking, business insight, and leadership skills to the decision-making table

As a foreign trained accountant, it is important to recognize that you must be a registered member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta (“ICAA”) in order to use the title Chartered Accountant or to use the CA designation in Alberta. Accounting in Alberta covers a wide variety of work; under Alberta’s Regulated Accounting Profession Act (“RAPA”), restrictions are in place for certain types of accounting work, including assurance services (audits or reviews).

The information provided in this website outlines the steps a foreign trained accountant must take to obtain membership in the ICAA and ultimately to the use of the CA designation in Alberta.

Before You Immigrate to Alberta

Your education and training can be assessed before you immigrate and you will be informed of what additional requirements you will need to complete in order to obtain the Chartered Accountant (CA) designation in Alberta. We suggest that you carefully review the information on this website; this overview and general understanding will help you to make better career decisions.

Assessment Information

Once you decide that you are interested in obtaining the Canadian CA designation, you must send documents of your qualifications and work experience to the ICAA for an assessment (note, an assessment fee may be charged for this service). After the assessment, the ICAA will advise you on what requirements you would need to meet in order to obtain the CA designation. Depending on which accounting body (if any) you are currently associated with, you will be eligible to register through one of three general categories. Your category of registration determines what requirements you will need to fulfill to obtain the Canadian CA designation. Refer to “Framework for Recognition”.

Registration categories are founded on the recommendations of the CA profession’s International Qualifications Appraisal Board (“IQAB”) regarding the substantial equivalence of a foreign accounting body’s qualification process. Substantial equivalency is evaluated on the basis of a comparison of the foreign accounting body’s education requirements, term and nature of practical experience and examination requirements, as well as professional standards for admission to and continuance of membership.

If you currently hold an accounting designation from a recognized foreign accounting organization, you may be exempt from some or most of the requirements to become a Chartered Accountant in Alberta.

Printer friendly copy of the Pathways to Membership for Foreign Trained Professionals