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International Licensure
International Licensure Through Reciprocity
Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) between professional accounting associations in the U.S. and six other countries allow accountants who have been certified or chartered in any of those countries to qualify to practice in the U.S. without being completely re-credentialed. This is because, before the MRA could be signed, the International Qualifications Appraisal Board (IQAB) had to determine that the qualifications for licensure in that country were “substantially equivalent” to those required of a U.S. CPA in the areas of education, examination, and experience.
IQAB is the link between the U.S. accounting profession and other General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) signatory countries. IQAB represents the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) and the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) in protecting the public interest by helping ensure that only qualified individuals become licensed as U.S. CPAs.
Please visit NASBA’s Mutual Recognition Agreements Page to view the professional bodies that have current MRAs with IQAB.
Application Process
Professional accountants in any of the signatory countries who are seeking the CPA designation in the U.S. must apply to take the International Qualification Examination (IQEX), which is available only to those from countries with whom the U.S. has an MRA. The IQEX tests applicants on their knowledge and understanding of ethics, professional and legal responsibilities, and U.S. taxation and business law.
Qualifying by reciprocity from an MRA country is a much quicker process than that available to accountants in non-signatory countries, who must not only be evaluated for education and experience, but must take and pass the Uniform CPA Examination. For more information on qualifying for the CPA designation in the U.S. through reciprocity, see NASBA’s International Page.