Essential First Step: Social Insurance Number (SIN)

You'll need a Social Insurance Number (SIN) to work in Canada and access government programs. Apply immediately upon arrival online, by mail, or in person. Start your application here.

ACCA Careers

• ACCA Careers is your free platform for employment opportunities, career advice, and member success stories. New positions across Canadian sectors are posted weekly. Set up email alerts to stay informed of opportunities as they're posted.

Government Resources

• The Government of Canada provides comprehensive job search resources. Job Bank offers services for job seekers plus information on labour standards and market trends. Explore additional job search resources on their platform.

Build your Canadian network through:

• LinkedIn—essential for professional networking in Canada
• ACCA Canada LinkedIn group—connect with fellow members, discover local events, and access CPD opportunities
• ACCA Canada Facebook—career advice and updates
• ACCA Canada X—professional insights and networking tips

• Local CPD webinars available on-demand through our GoTo archive
• ACCA Learning offers courses, certificates, and diplomas in accountancy, finance, leadership, and digital skills.

Under their provision to recognise members of IFAC member bodies, CPA Canada provides a route to membership for ACCA members. Information is available on the CPA Canada website.

There are a number of Approved Learning Partners who provide online courses for ACCA students in Canada. Search our Tuition Provider Directory for E-Learning options. One such provider is Kaplan; learn more about Kaplan's ACCA offerings.

ACCA has one face-to-face Approved Learning Partner in Canada:

Toronto School of Management – Toronto, Ontario

For a list of Canadian learning institutions which have been accredited by ACCA, visit ACCA’s International undergraduate options webpage. Search the ACCA exemptions calculator to learn which ACCA exams would be exempt in your journey, after graduating from the school and program of your choice. Contact the Registrar/Admissions office at the school of your choice to ask about their admission requirements. 

Contact ACCA North America (north.america@accaglobal.com) if you have any additional questions.

University of Toronto Scarborough – Toronto, Ontario, Canada

University of Toronto Scarborough students who successfully complete their MAccFin graduate degree will be eligible for direct entry to the ACCA Strategic Professional Level exams. Students who successfully graduate with their BBA Accounting Specialist degree will receive exemptions from all nine Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills exams on a fast track to the ACCA qualification. Visit the UTS website for more information about their programs.

Check the ACCA's exams pages for the most up-to-date information on and booking remote exams in Canada. ACCA is offering Remotely Invigilated exams in Canada. Booking your ACCA exams online is quick and easy. On this section of our website you will find links to the booking systems as well as some other need-to-know information about exam progression rules, changing a booked exam, and arranging additional support.

Keep on top of exam and subscription fee deadlines by visiting the Important Dates section of our website.

Students can see a complete exam schedule and registration dates by visiting the exam timetables section of our website.

If you require support, contact us or call 1-888-801-0011x1 toll-free from Canada

ACCA Canada is not authorised to provide information relating to any immigration matters. For more information, please contact Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

When you arrive in Canada, please update your contact and employment details on your myACCA Portal. Once your contact details reflect your new Canadian mailing address, you will begin receiving local updates and event invitations from the Canada office.

In addition, email ACCA Canada at north.america@accaglobal.com to inform the team that you have moved to Canada. We will be pleased to provide you with additional resources and an ACCA Canada Orientation Guide.

If you require a copy of your transcript, please log into myACCA to download your transcripts. If you need support, contact us.

To aid your job hunt, you may want to obtain an evaluation of your qualifications through World Education Services to find out how it is valued in the Canadian market. WES will rank your prior education and qualifications.

Currently there is no Mutual Recognition Agreement with CPA Canada. The MRA we had with CPA Canada was not renewed as of 2021 as the terms they proposed did not compare to the standard and formal recognition status of the ACCA Qualification and would place significantly more onerous terms on members than the preceding MRA. Their terms did not reflect the prestige and quality of the ACCA designation in either the Canadian or global context and would have set a risky precedent for ACCA's future agreements both with CPA and other bodies.

The principles that we follow are that any reciprocal agreement would need to: 

• Reflect the quality, rigor, and global status of the ACCA Qualification, and the experience and achievements of those who attain it. 
• Represent our standing in educational and regulatory frameworks globally and be consistent with other reciprocal agreements we have in place around the world. 
• Apply the same recognition principles and evaluation approach to the ACCA Qualification that have been applied in reciprocal agreements already in place with comparable chartered accountancy bodies. 
• Not impose requirements and exams that will disadvantage our members or future members.

We have not been able to agree on a way forward with CPA Canada which we feel adequately reflects these principles.

ACCA members deciding to become members of CPA Canada or the local provincial body are eligible through the IFAC member body route. Details can be found on the CPA website. Note that ACCA members are not required to have their local CPA designation to undertake many roles that fall outside the public accounting domain. We encourage our members to follow ACCA Careers where thousands of roles are posted across Canada annually. Again, should members decide to work in regulated areas we recommend they connect with the local provincial body.

ACCA supports an open and inclusive global profession. Find out about the route available for CPA Canada members to become ACCA members.

For the vast majority of members, affiliates and students, this will have no impact. However, there are certain regulated roles in Canada which require CPA membership, such as public accounting. Any member, affiliate or student wishing to undertake such roles will need to contact the relevant CPA provincial body as described above. 

In Canada, there are provincial regulations governing the use of the ACCA designation. Up to date information is available on your myACCA Portal. Log in and access the Use of the ACCA qualification in Canada document. Review the document to ensure your compliance.

We’re dedicated to excellence, innovation, and a global perspective, all of which are essential qualities in this dynamic and rapidly evolving business environment.  

We have a locally based team that will continue to support by providing opportunities to further the skills and careers of our members and future members across the market.

ACCA is focused on market recognition in Canada. ACCA will continue to leverage its expertise and resources to support the profession and drive progress in the Canadian market. 

We will also continue to focus strongly on our cutting-edge policy and insights research in areas such as sustainability, talent, AI and technology, working with our many partners here to push forward the agenda on these crucial issues. 

ACCA remains heavily committed to exploring employability pathways to support our members’ careers across North America. Our local activities are focused on market recognition, which includes efforts to increase recognition with employers, academic institutions, and the larger business community to ensure ACCA’s reputation and value are well-known. This includes:

• Government advocacy: advocating at various levels of government for internationally trained professionals
• Employer recognition: through our Approved Employer program, of which we have many across the region and growing; ACCA Careers, ensuring that employers are adding to and searching our database for talent and recruitment support
• Public relations: marketing campaigns, press releases and roundtables, showcasing our talented members and their careers across North America
• Partnerships: with finance/accounting private and public sector organisations to raise awareness of ACCA and our members with senior finance professionals
• Recruitment: through HR, recruitment and employment-based organisations to improve the career opportunities for our members
• Educators: through our 15 accredited schools, driving a student pipeline and educating faculty on the benefits of the ACCA qualification, improving ACCA’s reputation & credibility.

ACCA is a global professional body with a huge global network, and we’ll continue to support you wherever you may choose to study and work. You can be confident that your ACCA Qualification and membership continues to be valued by employers, and that the qualification is robust, being governed by the highest standards. 

Our members hold a wide range of senior positions and enjoy successful, flexible careers, while for future members the ACCA Qualification opens doors to an increasing range of career opportunities globally. 

Our global network and influence is unrivalled, offering many opportunities for members, future members, employers and others who partner with us. We recently hit our quarter of a million global membership landmark and continue to grow. 

Accountancy is a truly global profession, and our unrivalled global network means we’ve been able to put together a number of agreements with other bodies around the world which make it easier for you to access their membership. Find out more about our member recognition agreements.

The ACCA Qualification is widely recognised by governments, regulators and educational authorities across the world. You can read more about this in our Formal recognition overview. 

The skills of ACCA members in audit are also recognized through audit recognition in countries such as the UK, Ireland, South Africa and Zimbabwe. This may require members to demonstrate practical experience, meet additional examination requirements and/or hold a practicing certificate. Our accountancy body partnership network and our reciprocal arrangements also provide a range of opportunities for members in other countries to access the requirements they need to undertake regulated roles.