Canada's requirement for foreign Accountants

Experienced chartered accountants from overseas are still in immense demand in Canada although the current economic crisis is causing layoffs in other sectors.

And, fortunately, the federal government has frequently been listening to concerns about the deficiency.

Accountancy is one of 38 occupations listed as being wanted in this country for the predictable future by Immigration Canada. But the biggest difficulty in hiring of foreign accountants is the slowness of the immigration system, with permanent residency taking up to 12 months to complete.

The CICA has approved 13 foreign chosen accounting bodies, whose members require only passing local tax and law exams in the province or territory in which they aim to practice.

These are:
Ordre des Experts Comptables (France)
The Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia
Institut des Réviseurs d'Enterprises de Belgique
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland
Instituto Mexicano des Contadores Publicos
Nederland Instituut van Register Accountants
New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland
The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants
National Association of State Boards of Accountancy U.S.

And four are under review: the Institutes of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Zimbabwe.