ACCA-CGA/CPA Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA)

[Irfan247]

Hiii
Yes I did fill the form, there is no mention of it in the list but while filing the form it asks for it. What I have understood from online search, to become CPA member you need to develop expertise is certain areas which you need to prove while applying for membership (Student route or MRA route). Therefore, I would advise you to fill and submit the form to avoid delay in the process.

Yes, you have to fill separate form for each employer and it shows primary employer in the list. You need to submit your detailed CV as well..
I hope this helps...

Hi FHussain,

Since you have applied to CPA, any suggestions, whether i should apply for CPA first (not to miss the deadline) before applying for the PR?
Or
I must have PR application in process to be able to apply for CPA?

Your help is highly appreciated.

 

[Irfan247]

Hi,

Just like ACCA/CPA MRA, ACCA have MoU with University of London and ACCA members can apply to MSc without graduation.
Similarly ACCA members can apply for MBA to Oxford Brookes without graduation based on their understanding etc.

(ACCA is considered good enough for Masters degree admission in UK. LOL)

Sorry i meant without

 

[PhdStream]

Sorry i meant without

But are you sure CPA Canada accepts MRA with ACCA without an undergraduate degree? I am not saying you can't but just wondering if that is possible. FYI, CPA Ontario (we are interested in Ontario), one of the requirement to have CPA designation is to have an undergraduate degree or other equivalent indicator of academic achievement comprising 120 credit hours or equivalent, not sure it this is waived for MRA applicants. Normally a master's degree is 56-60 credits and in some case more than 72 credits.

 

[Irfan247]

But are you sure CPA Canada accepts MRA with ACCA without an undergraduate degree? I am not saying you can't but just wondering if that is possible. FYI, CPA Ontario (we are interested in Ontario), one of the requirement to have CPA designation is to have an undergraduate degree or other equivalent indicator of academic achievement comprising 120 credit hours or equivalent, not sure it this is waived for MRA applicants. Normally a master's degree is 56-60 credits and in some case more than 72 credits.

Well. I am still not sure. But i asked them and they said, i have to apply to know.
But what i understood from their eligibility criteria is that we must have a degree, it doesn't say undergraduate degree, it just says a degree.
Also MSc i did, specifically say its equivalent to 120 credits for ACCA member, and more otherwise. So i assumed how come graduate degree could be more of a degree than postgraduate ,lol.
Anyway i would take a chance and apply, but i dropped the idea to apply for CPA, bcuz they said i must have PR, or in process of immigration to be eligible, which i am not at the moment. Plus if i dont get PR, CPA is pretty useless outside Canada. Atleast ACCA/MSc is seems to be much more recognized worldwide by employers, if i end up somewhere else other than Canada.

What you guys think of this situation?
Am i missing anything?
Any advise would be highly appreciated.

 

[PhdStream]

Well. I am still not sure. But i asked them and they said, i have to apply to know.
But what i understood from their eligibility criteria is that we must have a degree, it doesn't say undergraduate degree, it just says a degree.
Also MSc i did, specifically say its equivalent to 120 credits for ACCA member, and more otherwise. So i assumed how come graduate degree could be more of a degree than postgraduate ,lol.
Anyway i would take a chance and apply, but i dropped the idea to apply for CPA, bcuz they said i must have PR, or in process of immigration to be eligible, which i am not at the moment. Plus if i dont get PR, CPA is pretty useless outside Canada. Atleast ACCA/MSc is seems to be much more recognized worldwide by employers, if i end up somewhere else other than Canada.

What you guys think of this situation?
Am i missing anything?
Any advise would be highly appreciated.

In my opinion, your understanding of credit is not correct. Credit is normally #hours you spent (normally 4 hrs per week for 12 weeks is 3 credits). University education (undergraduate or graduate), is considered to be 30 credits/year in general, and 120 credits or 60 credits for undergraduate or graduate studies respectively.

I am being specific to CPA Ontario here (ref: https://www.cpaontario.ca/become-a-cpa/why-cpa/internationally-trained-accountants/acca-and-cga-canada-mutual-recognition-agreement). which requires applicants to be either residing in, moving to or in the process of immigrating to Ontario. So if none of this is applicable to you then it could be waste of time and money. If you are willing to take a risk and gamble time and money, then go a head. If you ever come to Canada it is really helpful. I am telling you from our experience. My wife came to Canada in a middle of her ACCA journey and accounting career. In the beginning it was difficult to get a job, even the casual ones (could be for several reasons), she could neither focus on her ACCA nor job search. She then halt her ACCA and did a college course in accounting. She was able to get a job as soon as she finished her study. Since then she has re-started her ACCA and now have to complete two professional papers. She could have done that but due to the pandemic, she was not able to sit on exam since last March. Moreover, her employer is very much eager to have her ACCA and CPA, they are even willing to help her financially and logistically to get relevant trainings and ACCA exams. So from our perspective, CPA is something nice to have. The only issue is we do not know what will happen after April 2021 and its kind of uncertain.

 

[Irfan247]

In my opinion, your understanding of credit is not correct. Credit is normally #hours you spent (normally 4 hrs per week for 12 weeks is 3 credits). University education (undergraduate or graduate), is considered to be 30 credits/year in general, and 120 credits or 60 credits for undergraduate or graduate studies respectively.

I am being specific to CPA Ontario here (ref: https://www.cpaontario.ca/become-a-cpa/why-cpa/internationally-trained-accountants/acca-and-cga-canada-mutual-recognition-agreement). which requires applicants to be either residing in, moving to or in the process of immigrating to Ontario. So if none of this is applicable to you then it could be waste of time and money. If you are willing to take a risk and gamble time and money, then go a head. If you ever come to Canada it is really helpful. I am telling you from our experience. My wife came to Canada in a middle of her ACCA journey and accounting career. In the beginning it was difficult to get a job, even the casual ones (could be for several reasons), she could neither focus on her ACCA nor job search. She then halt her ACCA and did a college course in accounting. She was able to get a job as soon as she finished her study. Since then she has re-started her ACCA and now have to complete two professional papers. She could have done that but due to the pandemic, she was not able to sit on exam since last March. Moreover, her employer is very much eager to have her ACCA and CPA, they are even willing to help her financially and logistically to get relevant trainings and ACCA exams. So from our perspective, CPA is something nice to have. The only issue is we do not know what will happen after April 2021 and its kind of uncertain.

Thanks for your thoughts and advise.

I suppose you are correct. I may have misunderstood the degree requirement.
Although I know that MSc gave us 120 credits as per transcripts. And WES also said that they have an arrangement with UoL to get transcripts electronically.

But obviously CPA requirements are little more specific than I took, and as you mentioned correctly, it will be waste of time and money if I don't get PR or not in process of immigration.

I think I will follow the same route you mentioned. Apply for PR, and if I succeed, will figure out how to get CPA once i am in Canada. There will be a way or other to get it.
I feel getting CPA is, although difficult but achievable, but PR is rather more challenging task because it depends on multiple factors, and many are not changeable. In may case, i can only try hope for CLB 10 for myself, and CLB 8 for my wife. Getting her Master will probably not help much, since i will lose some marks for one more year in age.

Can you guys advise, what are my options with 440 points or less.
Any chance for Any Provincial Nomination with these points, given that i be going for CPA later to get in the accounting Jobs.

 

[PhdStream]

Thanks for your thoughts and advise.

I suppose you are correct. I may have misunderstood the degree requirement.
Although I know that MSc gave us 120 credits as per transcripts. And WES also said that they have an arrangement with UoL to get transcripts electronically.

But obviously CPA requirements are little more specific than I took, and as you mentioned correctly, it will be waste of time and money if I don't get PR or not in process of immigration.

I think I will follow the same route you mentioned. Apply for PR, and if I succeed, will figure out how to get CPA once i am in Canada. There will be a way or other to get it.
I feel getting CPA is, although difficult but achievable, but PR is rather more challenging task because it depends on multiple factors, and many are not changeable. In may case, i can only try hope for CLB 10 for myself, and CLB 8 for my wife. Getting her Master will probably not help much, since i will lose some marks for one more year in age.

Can you guys advise, what are my options with 440 points or less.
Any chance for Any Provincial Nomination with these points, given that i be going for CPA later to get in the accounting Jobs.

Hi, to be honest I am not much familiar with the current PR process. I applied mine sometime in 2011 when there was a pass/fail system (you have to obtained 67 points to be passed and then you will be on PR queue).

I do not think I have to mention, but there might be thread on this forum where the acceptance vs points are tallied and you can get some idea from there.

 

[Sam_4321]

Hi Sam,

You can pay the fee if you like, that means your application is submitted but not complete. Its written on their website too, that you can pay your fee even if they haven't received your documents yet.
The point is, without fee, they may not start the process even if you have already sent all the documents.
But once fee is paid, you are their potential member(a customer), so they will even email you if they need something.

I personally haven't paid the fee yet, but i made an account to get CPA ID, so i can use that ID to ask ACCA and WES to include as my ref.
Once i have done course, i will pay the fee (ofcourse asap), and not so close to 30 April 2021.

My fear is that my UoL still hasn't replied to my request to send documents to WES, even though WES say they have partnership with UoL to receive document electronically.

I would advise to start the process asap, so we don't struggle to meet 30 April 2021 deadline.

Yup. I ll follow your lead on that. you made it clear for me though

 

[Sam_4321]

Hi Folks,

Those of us who are not in Canada and haven't got the PR yet, what about this requirement of CPA Ontario that "Applicants to CPA Ontario should be either residing in, moving to or in the process of immigrating to Ontario".

Doesn't this imply that our membership application will be rejected if we can't prove either of the above.

Any thoughts?

is this the new requirement? that was not required before, I checked the requirements not so long ago

 

[Fhussain]

Hi FHussain,

Since you have applied to CPA, any suggestions, whether i should apply for CPA first (not to miss the deadline) before applying for the PR?
Or
I must have PR application in process to be able to apply for CPA?

Your help is highly appreciated.

Hello Irfan,
You can apply for CPA Ontario without PR or PR application as it is not MRA requirement. Also, they dont ask about your status in application form, I mean questions like do u have PR or planning to migrate, this MRA (CPAO) is available to all regardless of their country of residence..

 

[Akhila93]

Hi Sam/Hannan(and interested folks),

I just completed the application, so your document list seem complete.

The answers to your queries (as per my little knowledge are below) if it helps.

• Do I need to register at CPA Ontario's website before starting the process? and do I need to pay fees upfront If I need to proceed? YES- Follow the link "APPLY TODAY" on the info page and it will take you there.
• The fee for the period of October to March is CAD 1,118.70? YES, it should be this much, but when i completed the application, its coming to 1672.40.Not sure why. Have emailed them though.
• I have an ECA for OBU and ACCA, If I start an absolutely new application for WES, can my documents be transferred from the old to the new one without going through the whole process of contacting the university and sending them again (as OBU did at the time of ECA). I believe the process to transfer docs to new app is explained in this thread few post before.
• And the required report is WES ICAP (DOC by DOC)? YES. If you select professional qualification & ......., ICAP will appear.
• References can be ACCA members, they don't have to be CPA's provincial bodies members? Again, someone else have asked CPA Ontario, and they said YES, it can be from your membership body. U can find those posts as well on this thread.
• and If I have an additional qualification, that I did not use for ECA (as ACCA and OBU serves the purpose) and they make part of my resume, Do I need to send those undergraduate degrees to WES for evaluation and then to CPA for the Processing of my application? (I am only asking this because they make part of my resume). I am not sure on this one. But personally i would only send only what CPA Ontario needs. e.g. OBU and ACCA membership if that's what they need. Alternatively you can ask CPA Ontario, but they may say they are not sure and you have to apply to know, lol.

(My background - ACCA member + MSc from UoL-applied to CPA Ontario - Yet to submit documents).

Hai i tried to upgrade my degree ugrade for processing cpa acca mra, but i couldnot finad any icap option, why?

 

[Nishreen]

Hi all.

I recently cleared my last ACCA paper and applied for membership. I had completed my PER in 2019 when my supervisor worked for Deloitte. So all our correspondence was on his official email. Now, he is with another company. ACCA cam back saying that he had not uploaded his ICAI membership details such as certificate and number, and have put my application on hold.

What is the best way to deal with this?

 

[Islander216]

Guys, if someone can get the CPA approval based on the OBU, then whatever your specific case, just submit your application and see what they say.

There is no way ACCA + OBU would fulfill the credit requirement of an undergraduate degree which is 90 credits, but they still accepted it for applicants who submitted it for their ACCA conversion. If they did that, i don't see why they shouldn't accept it in the case of the MSc from UoL. You might as well try.

 

[Islander216]

Hi all.

I recently cleared my last ACCA paper and applied for membership. I had completed my PER in 2019 when my supervisor worked for Deloitte. So all our correspondence was on his official email. Now, he is with another company. ACCA cam back saying that he had not uploaded his ICAI membership details such as certificate and number, and have put my application on hold.

What is the best way to deal with this?

This is tricky, i'm not sure how he would be able to do that, unless what you could do is send him an invitation as a supervisor to his person e-mail, and he could upload his credentials on that account.

 

[Nishreen]

I tried searching for the option to resend invite. Its not there on the PER dashboard. However, there is an option to disbale this employer. I'm not sure what happens when i select it. What if all that I've recorded vanishes? Or they want me to do it again?

Its a real crappy situation.