Can Cpa License in Amercia Work in China

For those who are not familiar with the term, CPA stands for Certified Public Accountant. Each country has different rules and requirements for becoming a CPA, but this certification is widely known worldwide as the certified accountants in United states of america (if you work with bookkeeping you probably have seen earlier someone signing his/her name in a document, or including it on Linkedin, followed by ", CPA").

What some people don't know is that since 2011 you can actually obtain such certification without going to US or being an United states of america denizen (I did that). It is not an easy process, as English language is non the starting time language for several candidates, and there are boosted costs incurred when going through the process. However, differently from other countries, you don`t need to have a Bachelors' degree in Bookkeeping or have attended university in US to become a The states CPA.

There are actually ii sources of very useful data on the whole procedure, if you are interested, which would be National Association of Country Boards of Accountancy - NASBA's website, where you can discover amongst other items "The Candidate Bulletin" – a very detailed official certificate covering several questions you lot may have, and "I Pass the CPA Test" website past Stephanie Ng, where y'all tin find a lot of free and updated information and tips from the point of view of someone who really took the test.

My intent with this article is non to repeat all information from these ii websites, only to provide a summary of the process based on my personal experience going through the process, and also mentoring U.s. CPA candidates while working at a big four exterior US, including the frequently asked questions I made myself or answered during this menstruum.

Some of the pros and cons of this certification for international candidates:

PROS

• Large fours and other audit firms, and subsidiaries of US companies, e'er value such certification
• Approval rate is not high. And then if you pass the exam means at least you have bailiwick for studying and ability to piece of work under pressure
• The "Financial Accounting & Reporting (FAR)" section of the exam covers several U.s. GAAP topics and IFRS. So if you pass it means y'all accept a practiced knowledge of both
• Yous actually larn knowledge while studying for the exam, if you have non studied in a United states of america academy or don't work in the United states surround
• The agenda to take the test is pretty flexible, compared to other certifications (as CFA). In the past you could take the exam during viii months of the twelvemonth, but since mid-2020 the test is bachelor year-circular (if available in the intended testing location). There is as well no order to take the 4 sections of the exam
• Although worldly known, the The states CPA is not commonly accepted outside US territories. There are reciprocity agreements with some countries, and then if yous are certified at that place, you can check the applicable requirements and employ such certification in U.s.a. (Commonwealth of australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Republic of ireland, United mexican states, New Zealand, Scotland and S Africa). Always consult how it works (this is not automated or simple)

CONS

• The exam and written report materials are in English. If this is not your first language, it may be an obstacle, as the timing for answering questions in the exam is actually tight
• The total costs (from kickoff to end), including self-written report material, is approx. US$4,000 on average for an international candidate. Some items may increment or decrease this full, but don't expect much less than that
• If y'all don't alive in the countries which accept international testing locations, you will accept to travel to some other country or even Usa, so also consider those costs
• Approval charge per unit is approx. 50%
• Approx. 700 hours of study during 1 year (perchance longer if you fail), depending on your methodology for studying and ability to acquire (it could exist much higher or lower)
• eighteen months to be approved in the 4 exams. If you lot don't succeed, the oldest passed exam expires
• Almanac or bi-almanac fee in US dollars (commonly in addition to your local CPA)
• Annual Standing Professional Teaching (CPE) requirements to keep the license, with some States only accepting courses from US certified learning providers

How the exam works?

The requirements for the CPA are on per State basis in terms of being approved to take the exam and to obtain the license. The exam in itself is the same for all States. So choosing the Country is an of import pace.

Although it is a bit confusing in the starting time to understand, you take 2 main steps in the CPA process: the CPA Examination and the CPA Licensure . In order to be able to have the exam, yous already need to fulfil some (CPA Exam) requirements; otherwise, you are non even allowed to take the examination.

The examination is divided in 4 sections, being a computer-based test:

Auditing and Attestation (AUD) - iv Hours (72 questions and 8 task-based simulations)

Business Surroundings and Concepts (BEC) - four Hours (62 questions, 4 task-based simulations and 3 written communications tasks)

Fiscal Accounting and Reporting (FAR) - 4 Hours (66 questions and 8 job-based simulations)

Regulation (REG) - four Hours (76 questions and 8 task-based simulations)

You need a score of 75 to pass each section of the exam. This does not necessarily mean you need 75% of correct answers to laissez passer, but endeavor to reach this per centum when studying for the exam. At that place is a department in AICPA website which includes a paper from AICPA explaining the score methodology if you are interested.

Which State I should choose?

If you put States in rows and requirements in columns, yous volition encounter choosing your State seems similar a battleship game for an international candidate. In fact, if you will non sign whatever accounting or tax document in the US, it does not matter much the State you will choose. If in the future you go to alive in US, you can transfer your license if you fulfill the transfer requirements for that State.

The requirements are updated by the states from times to times. The "Vanquish the CPA" website has a tabular array which summarizes that (not certain how reliable or updated it is, only in any instance that is a skilful starting point). E'er consult the Lath of Accountancy website of the Country you are because in terms of requirements, to avoid basing your conclusion on outdated information.

For international candidates, in previous years I would normally recommend New Hampshire , for those who had more diverse accounting credits in their academic curriculums (financial accounting, direction accounting, auditing and tax), or Oregon , for those who don't (like me).

Why and then many international candidates give up during the procedure and many others fail the exam?

This can be answered with another question: what the candidates who passed the examination have in common? Self-discipline for studying. During the 3 years I mentored some international candidates from big fours or not (while I was besides studying for the exam), most of people who started the process to get a US CPA gave up before taking the kickoff section of the exam . Unremarkably those who tin implement a routine for studying would pass. It is hard to compare passing rates amongst certifications, but the CPA Examination has an average of fifty% passing charge per unit (non impossible but also not easy).

A funny fact the partner responsible for the mentoring would say (he had several years mentoring candidates) is that if you take the timesheet of worked hours from the people who passed the exam, would be equal or even higher than the people who gave up. At first I didn't believe it, but afterwards a few years I would say it is actually truthful.

Getting back to the kickoff question, I would say time constraint is the chief event. International candidates ordinarily would accept the examination after starting to work, and in accounting you always take tight deadlines. This, combined with attention you would requite to your family and friends, eventual work or personal trips, and other unexpected events, would make candidates to surrender or not studying enough to laissez passer the test.

Other factors would be English (not the outset linguistic communication for several international candidates), pressure (fourth dimension is really tight for each question in the exam), self-study textile (not everyone tin can concentrate in cocky-study) and difficulty in learning the topics for the sections of the test (the topics are not really complex, merely also are not easy, and may be very different from what you learned in the university exterior US).

What I need to have to pass the CPA Exam and CPA Licensure?

The main requirements for both are:

• Good knowledge of business organisation English: non officially required, merely this would prevent you from studying to the exam, every bit the materials are in English, and also passing the exams, due to the short timing to reply questions
• Time: also non officially required, but consider yourself on a sabbatical year from your family, friends and personal life (unfortunately this is not a joke)
• Professional person accounting experience attested past another CPA: this is ane of the last requirements most of candidates don't pay attending, but I would say information technology tin can forbid a lot of international candidates from obtaining the CPA license. Most of States require that another U.s.a. CPA with who y'all worked with attests your professional accounting experience (unremarkably in a letter). Information technology doesn't need to exist a US CPA of the same State, but information technology needs to be a US CPA. And then the question is, have you worked with whatever United states CPA? Outside big fours or United states of america subsidiaries this may be an upshot. I suggest to check if there is this requirement in the State you are planning to choose
• Bachelors' caste with minimum hours of formal education: most States require approx. 150 semester hours of bookkeeping and other topics in Bachelors' or college (i.east. MBA) degrees. Some States only take this requirement to obtain the license, but others also before taking the exam. If your Bachelors' degree is in Accounting, unremarkably you would have nigh or all of these hours, but it depends much on the country where you attended academy. High schoolhouse and non-bookish courses are commonly non accepted every bit credits
• Minimum hours on specific topics: some States crave minimum hours in specific topics within the 150 hours, as 30 hours in accounting (covering financial bookkeeping, management bookkeeping, auditing and tax) and 24 hours in business concern (information technology varies in each State)
• United states of america citizenship and/or US residency in the State: a few States crave that, and so it besides limits the number of States which have international candidates
• Social Security Number (SSN): virtually of States currently require that. According to "I Laissez passer the CPA Exam" website, there are a few ways to overcome this (equally affidavit) that demand to be checked with the intended State, so this should not foreclose you lot from standing the process
• To accept the test in the U.s.a.: some States used to require that (they didn't accept international test centers), merely currently near of them participate in the international programs. This can be checked in this section of the AICPA website.
• Academic documentation in English: diplomas and school records should be translated to English language past certified translators
• Minimum historic period: eighteen or 19 years former is the minimum age in some States
• Passport: this is the most commonly accepted proof of identification
• Background cheque: a very few States require a background check, which is hard to get outside United states of america and takes time. Avert such States

Where are the locations I can take the exam exterior United states of america, and who can take on these locations? Why only a few locations were chosen?

This is a bit tricky. Really, you cannot cull whatever of the international locations. From the list of countries provided past NASBA, for almost of the locations , you can just take the exam in the international location of the list ( Bahrain, Brazil, Egypt, India, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, State of kuwait, Nepal, Kingdom of saudi arabia, South korea and UAE ) if you are a U.s. denizen or have legal condition of permanent or long term resident in the listed countries or countries nearby. In a few countries outside Usa, there is no citizenship or residency requirements ( Canada, England, Germany, Guam, Ireland and Scotland ). Normally the largest cities in those countries would have a testing location.

NASBA has made a not bad chore in contempo years expanding the international locations, so hopefully one of them will be close enough to you. If non, you lot can yet fly to a US territory (I personally don't recommend, unless the US territory is the closest location that you authorize, every bit the exam is stressful plenty to exist combined with a trip). The funnier it may seem, countries in Africa (except for Egypt), Oceania and also Cathay have no testing locations , and then their candidates need to fly to US or other locations to have the exam, what tin reduce US CPA'due south in those countries.

According to NASBA, the locations were called based on a few criteria, every bit volume demand demonstrated past candidates from those countries taking the examination in the US, ability to deliver the exam without legal obstacles, security threat to the examination assessed at levels equivalent to those presented domestically, and existence of established Prometric examination centers.

How to written report for the exam?

For an international candidate, unless the land yous alive has live classes and yous are willing to pay for that, you would use self-study. Due to the way the exam is structured, normally you lot would not discover online a complimentary form which really prepares yous for the examination. I personally don't know other materials you could use, but based on colleagues who lived in Usa and knew other materials, the cloth from Becker seems to exist the best available in the market.

At the date of this article, the bones package "SELF-STUDY CPA Exam Review Advantage (24-calendar month admission)" would be approx. US$two,400. Becker has additional materials in more than expensive packages, equally flashcards, simply yous don't really need those. The good thing about self-report is that yous make your own schedule, but at the same time you will not have anyone to answer your questions (although on internet you lot could clarify most of them), unless you lot purchase the most expensive packages with live online classroom pick. The period of the license is 24 months for the basic expensive package mentioned above, which is reasonable considering the limit of time you have to pass the iv sections of the exam (18 months).

You tin can buy the license online, or contact the sales representative of Becker in your land, if available. The prices should exist similar.

The material includes video classes, multiple-option and job-based simulation exercises, a few samples of total exam so you can practice, electronic version of the books, amid others. After I found my own method of study, I would say to disregard reading the book (except for consultation on specific questions), as the video classes bear on the main topics covered by the books.

The table below is how would be a regular week of study. Of course some days you may study more than or less than the suggested time, but in average this would exist information technology, for around 12 months.

The material for each section of the exam varies in terms of chapters, but subsequently finalizing the chapters, for review purpose I would be doing simulations mixing the multiple-selection questions of all chapters, and doing and redoing the samples of the total exam and the chore based simulations.

Which section of the exam I should take first?

As there are 4 sections of the test, I would take one section per trimester, ever closer to the 24-hour interval that the results will exist sent to you (available in AICPA website. Doing this manner, yous should receive the results online in approx. 10-15 days (example: I would take on March 31 to receive the results on April ix). If you lot take one department per trimester, you have fourth dimension to recover if y'all fail whatever of the sections (practice it once again right later).

In terms of lodge, I took and advise international candidates to take REG, AUD, FAR and BEC. This mode you lot tin can mix two difficult sections with 2 not and so painful. REG and FAR tend to be harder for international candidates, as they are related to US tax and business concern police force (REG) and extensive US GAAP and IFRS content (FAR), which some people outside United states of america are not and so used to. Equally the 18 months to pass all four sections merely start to count after you lot pass the first section, you can endeavour REG until you laissez passer (only don't forget Becker'south license elapse engagement if you are on the basic package).

What are the continuing professional person pedagogy (CPE) requirements?

Information technology depends on each Country, simply be prepared to accept on average forty hours a yr of standing education. Some States are stricter than others in terms of what can be accepted as CPE. For instance, in Oregon, live courses don't need to be The states certified trainings, simply e-learnings need (so you volition need to inform the ID of the learning provider named Quality Assurance Service – QAS).

What if I have additional questions on the procedure?

Internet has a lot of information well-nigh the CPA process, in addition to NASBA'southward and "I Pass the CPA Exam" websites. Feel free to comment this commodity, and I or other people will try to help. Also, for:

• technical issues with the material, reach out to Becker
• questions on the evaluation process, accomplish out to the evaluation bureau
• questions on the requirements of the Country, reach out to the State Lath of Accountancy (in my case, Oregon was very helpful in all the process).

Something I learned on the CPA process, if it is urgent or you accept not gotten an answer, call instead of sending e-mails.

>> 7 steps to get a CPA being an international candidate <<

Pace ane – Choose your State

In my opinion, this is the showtime step. If you cannot find a Land where you can apply to go a CPA (i.eastward. you don't have all the requirements of any of the States), don't proceed with the process. This would probably happen only in instance you don't have the necessary accounting credits (hours of formal education). If this happens, yous will firstly need to become back to university (another Bachelor or MBA degree) to comply with the requirement

Stride 2 – Assemble all the documentation (mostly academic)

You will need the original diplomas and school records of all the academic courses (Bachelor, MBA, Principal, etc.) you will employ as credits. If yous lost or don't have whatsoever of them, inquire over again your university. If they are non in English, go a certified translation of them.

You will also need a valid passport to take the test, so renew it if it is close to expire.

Step 3 – Submit the documentation to the international evaluation bureau

Equally your education was outside US, an agency will need to evaluate and "translate" your bookish diplomas and schoolhouse records to the U.s.a. educational system, and also taking into consideration the Country you chose. Each Country has a list of evaluation agencies accepted by them (ever consult the website of the State Board of Accountancy). I recommend using NASBA International Evaluation Services, as information technology is probably the most accepted agency, and some States merely accept this ane.

It may accept up to 6 weeks for the evaluation to be completed, after they receive your documentation. Thus submit it as soon every bit possible. Remember to check how to go dorsum your original documentation (if not, the evaluation agency will discard your documents after analysed).

Step 4 – Start studying to take the test

Define your schedule for studying and taking the sections of the examination. While yous wait for the written report from the evaluation agency, purchase your material and start studying for the post-obit 12 months (three months per section of the exam).

Step 5 – Employ for your Notice To Schedule (NTS)

Getting your report from the evaluation bureau does not necessarily mean y'all will be accepted to sit down for the exam. You lot will need to employ to become your NTS, which is similar a certificate saying you tin schedule and take the test. For well-nigh of States you lot would utilise at CPA Primal, but check with the State first where you should apply for that. First-time applications may accept about 6-eight weeks to receive the NTS, and for repeat applicants it usually takes about vi-10 days.

After receiving the NTS, international candidates however have to pay an additional fee per exam section, otherwise you will not be able to schedule your test. It takes about 24 hours to process the payment.

Step 6 – Schedule and take the exam

Finally, later payment is processed, you can schedule your department of the examination at Prometric website. You don't demand many days in advance to schedule it, merely the confirmation e-post may take a few hours. You can choose any twenty-four hour period of the calendar week, during the months available in the website. CPA is a certification with a pretty flexible testing dates.

The only rule to be aware is that y'all cannot take the same section of the exam twice in the aforementioned testing window. For instance, if you lot fail AUD in the first trimester of the year, you tin can only retake information technology in the 2d trimester. Afterward testing windows were ended, information technology is not clear if this dominion still applies.

Pace 7 – Employ for your CPA license

Afterward being approved in the 4 sections of the exam inside 18 months, it ways yous passed the CPA Examination and tin can start the CPA Licensure procedure. Go to the website of your Country Board of Accountancy, cheque the additional documentation you need to submit, pass the online ethics exam that most States crave, pay the applicable fees, and submit the documentation, which will be analysed and approved by the State Board of Accountancy during a few weeks.

If everything goes well, CONGRATULATIONS, after your hard piece of work, you became a The states CPA.

[DISCLAIMER: This article was last updated in July 2021. Always consult the original sources/links mentioned for the most updated information]

Vinny Bravo – I am an economist and accountant, currently working in the technical accounting team at Globe Fuel Services . I became a Us CPA in April 2016

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Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-steps-become-us-cpa-outside-non-us-citizens-vinicius-bravo

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