Visiting the AccountingInCanada.com (.ca) website is the first step towards becoming a professional accountant in Canada. This site has been designed to help current and future immigrants obtain the information they need to make an informed decision regarding an accounting career in Canada. If you are interested in joining this growing and important occupation then you are in the right place.

This website has been developed with Western Canada in mind. As you will learn along your journey through this site, there are many accounting designations and occupations and each Canadian province has its own regulations and professional bodies. In many cases, these are similar between each province. However, this site focuses specifically on British Columbia (BC) and Alberta, Canada’s two most western provinces.

Target Audience

This website has been designed with newcomers to Canada in mind. You don’t necessarily need to have started living in Canada yet to use this website. In fact, you may find it helpful in planning your move to Canada. Knowing in advance what to expect when searching for work in Canada can help to reduce some of the stress that many new immigrants experience when first arriving in a new country.

If you have a background in an accounting or finance related profession and you wish to become an accountant in Canada, this website will help you. The information contained in this guide is focused specifically on the accounting profession in BC and Alberta, although most professionals may work in any Canadian province or territory (Some requirements do differ; you should check with the professional accounting body in the area in which you plan to settle for region-specific information). Professional accountants work in public practice, for-profit industries, not-for profit industries, and within the federal and provincial government. They hold a variety of finance and accounting related positions such as:

• Auditors
• Senior tax advisors
• Senior financial analysts
• Chief Financial Officers
• Controllers
• Business owners
• Educators

Other audiences

Even if you do not hold an accounting designation, you may have acquired many transferable skills from your past work experiences that can help you in your pursuit of a Canadian professional accounting designation. While it can be helpful to already have a career as a professional accountant in your home country, this is not required. For example, a number of occupations are related to accounting but are not performed by professional accountants. Service Canada’s JobFutures website provides detailed information on some of these related occupations in Canada:

* Accounting student
* Immigrant serving agency staff member
* Employment counselor
* Career development practitioner
* Academic advisor
* Government official
* Immigration lawyer or consultant
* Accountant already working in Canada
* Recruitment firm