Eligibility requirement for international student to be CPA in USA

The CPA exam application process for non-citizens or people who live outside the United States is complicated

Education Requirements
The minimum educational requirement to sit for the CPA exam is generally a four-year degree (120 credit hours) from an accredited University. In addition to the 120 credit hour minimum, candidates must take a required amount of accounting, business law, finance, taxation, and auditing classes for most jurisdictions.

Some states require 150 University semester hours before you can sit for the CPA exam. Most states also require 150 credit hours to obtain a license after the exam has been successfully completed.

If you attended a college or University outside of the United States, you will have to check to see if your educational institute is accredited and recognized by the AICPA. If it isn’t, you will not be able to take the CPA exam. NASBA has created a resource to help identify approved educational institutes.

No Residency or Citizenship Requirements

Some states do not require that you be a resident of the state or a U.S. citizen to earn a CPA certificate in that state. The following states do not have residency requirements.

• Alaska
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Kentucky
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• Oregon
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Texas
• Utah
• Virginia
• Washington
• Wisconsin

No Experience Requirements

Most states require some type of experience before you are issued a license. There are some states, however, that will grant a CPA certificate with no experience. These states often require evidence of experience before a permit to practice is issued, however. If you just want a U.S. CPA certificate for your resume, you might investigate the current requirements of these states:

• Alabama
• District of Columbia
• Florida
• Guam
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• Puerto Rico
• South Dakota
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wyoming

Less Than 150 Credit Hour States

Most states have adopted a 150 University credit hour educational requirement to obtain a CPA license. A few states, however, only require a four-year university degree. Here’s a list of states that don’t currently require 150 credit hours to be issued a license:

• California
• Colorado
• Delaware
• New Hampshire
• Vermont
• Virgin Islands

The International Application Process for the Uniform CPA Exam

The application for international candidates is very similar to domestic candidates. The only real difference is in the educational requirements. Most US Colleges and Universities are accredited and approved by NASBA and the AICPA. Thus, US candidates don’t tend to have problems with their education requirements. Before you apply, check the NASBA site to make sure you institution is recognized. After that is out of the way, your application process should be pretty easy.

1) Contact the appropriate board of accountancy to obtain an application.

2) Send in your application including the required recommendation letters, transcripts, photographs, and other documents. You should request your application several months in advance. Keep a copy of your completed application, and send your application by certified mail (return receipt requested).

3) Use your ATT to obtain a NTS

4) Use your NTS to schedule your exam.

State boards are constantly changing their CPA exam requirements, so make sure to contact the state you plan to sit in before sending in your application.

Once you have passed the exam in one state you can transfer to another state if need be. You will have to meet the education and experience requirements of the new state, but normally you are given credit for having already passed the CPA exam.

Once you’ve decided where you want to take the exam, don’t sit around. Start studying right away! The last thing you want to happen is to re-take one of these exams after this lengthy application process.

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Work Permit while you study in Canada

If you’d like to get a part-time job to help support yourself while studying in Canada, you can now qualify to work on or off-campus for up to 20 hours during university semesters and full-time during breaks such as the winter or summer holidays, without the need for a work permit.

To qualify, you must:

• Have a valid study permit
• Be a full-time student
• Be enrolled at a designated learning institution at post-secondary level or, in Quebec, a vocational program at secondary level
• Be studying in an academic, vocational or professional training program that leads to a degree, diploma or certificate that is at least six months in duration.

You will also need a Social Insurance Number (SIN) from Service Canada to work in Canada or to receive benefits and services from government programs.

Your study permit will become invalid 90 days after you have completed your study program, so you’ll need to acquire a post-graduation work permit if you want to stay in Canada after your studies and seek work. This is valid for three years. 

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How to get education visa for Canada

How much time will it take to get my visa?

Be sure to allow extra time for your visa application. Immediately after you've been accepted to and enrolled in the university of your choice, you can already start your application for the Canadian Study permit. You should apply at least 4-6 months before your university degree programme starts.

After you've applied, you can expect that you'll wait about 35 days for the decision.

Main steps to take for the Canadian student visa

Here is what Indian students have to do to get a student visa that will allow them to study in Canada:

You can apply for visa online or on paper. If you apply on paper you will have to visit a visa application centre in India to submit your documents. Depending on your situation, after your application is analysed, it is possible you will be called for a visa interview.

Indian students maybe have to provide biometrics during the visa application process. Your biometrics are, basically, extra identification (e.g. fingerprinting and pictures) that countries use for security purposes.

You will have to attend a visa interview during the application process.

The Study permit from Canada is valid for up to course duration + 3 months. So that you can stay during your entire degree programme, you may need to renew your visa every year. If you want to stay in Canada after your degree is over, you will have to apply for a different visa, or a visa renewal through the immigration office.

How much will I have to pay for the student visa?

To apply for the Canadian Study permit, you will also have to pay a fee of 150 CAD. Depending on your situation, Canadian authorities will allow you to pay this fee online, on location at a visa application centre in India, or through a bank transfer.

Indian students won't need to get health insurance for the Canadian visa.

If you apply for a visa at an application centre, you'll have to pay a medical exam fee and a visa application service fee of 15 CAD. Unknown CAD.

What documents will I need to get for my student visa?

When you apply for your visa, one of the most important things you need to prove is that you can support yourself during your study programme. For Canada, they require you to prove that if you are going to study in any province except Quebec you can pay 833 CAD/month, or if you are going to study in Quebec you can pay 917 CAD/ either from an external source, or already in your bank account.

Indian students won't have to prove they speak English well enough to study in an international university in Canada. These language skills ensure that you can succeed in your classes and manage your way around Canada.

Indian students will need to take a medical test before arriving in Canada.

Indian students won't need to set up a Restricted Bank Account. This type of bank account restricts the amount of money you can withdraw every month, and only allows you to access it when you arrive in Canada.

Look at the Canada immigration website for more detailed visa information.

Questions that would be ask

• nationality
• age
• language ability
• family members
• education
• work experience
• income and/or net worth
• details on any job offer

The process for obtaining a Canadian student visa is as follows

You must first obtain a standardized letter of acceptance from a recognized higher education provider. Students studying in Quebec must also apply for a certificate of acceptance, known as a CAQ, from the government of Quebec. You must acquire this before you are permitted to apply for a study permit. You can get this online, by printing out a form, or by requesting a paper form from your university, which will also provide advice on this subject.

The next stage is to get a Canadian student visa application package, either from the CIC website or by contacting your local visa office, or the Canadian embassy or consulate in your home country. You may also need to obtain a temporary residence permit if you are from a designated country (find out if you need to get one here), but this will not complicate matters too much as it’ll be processed at the same time as your study permit application.

In order to get your application package you’ll need to answer a few questions about yourself on the CIC website. These questions will determine whether you are eligible to apply online for a Canadian student permit, and what documents you’ll need to provide.

If you are found eligible, you will receive a personal checklist code, valid for 60 days, which you will need in order to submit your application online. Make sure to print out the page containing your code for future reference. The page will also include an application guide, an estimated tuition fees amount, a list of documents you will need to submit with your application, and guidelines for your next steps

When you are ready to apply, create a MyCIC account, where you will enter your personal checklist code. You will then receive your personal document checklist which allows you to upload and send your documents to CIC. You’ll need a printer or a scanner to do this.

Once you have your documents and application form ready and have paid your fees, you can submit your completed application to CIC.

Some applicants may have to attend an interview at their local visa office.

Additional Canadian student visa requirements 

Some or all of the following additional Canadian student visa requirements may also apply:

• Applicants from Europe, the Middle East or Africa may need to provide biometrics (photograph and fingerprints).

• Some applicants may also need to get a medical exam and/or police check before submitting their application. You will not be able to get a study permit if you have a criminal record – you may be asked to provide a Police Clearance Certificate as proof.
• Unless you’re from the US or St. Pierre and Miquelon, you will need to prove you have a valid passport which allows you to return to your country of origin after your course is complete. Two passport-sized pictures are also required, with your name and date of birth written on the back.

• Canadian student visa requirements also include proof of funds to support yourself. At present this is deemed to be CA$10,000 (~US$7,650) for every year of your stay (CA$11,000/~US$8,400 if you’re applying to study in Quebec) on top of your tuition fees. You will also need to make sure you have enough money to pay for transportation to return home.

To prove you have this money, you can provide any of the following documents: bank statements, evidence of a Canadian account in your name if the money’s been transferred, a bank draft in a convertible currency, proof of payment of tuition and accommodation fees, a letter from a person or institution providing you with money, or proof of funding paid from within Canada if you have a scholarship or are undertaking a Canadian-funded program.

Applying through the Student Direct Stream

Canada recently introduced the Student Direct Stream, which students from China, India, the Philippines or Vietnam can apply for in order to get their study permit faster. The requirements are similar to the regular study permit, although there are stricter language requirements – you need to have an IELTS score of at least 6, or a 7 in the Niveaux the Compétence Linguistique Canadiens for French, or have graduated from a Canadian-curriculum high school. If you don’t meet the requirements for the Student Direct Stream but do meet them for the regular study permit, your application will be reviewed for the regular study permit option and you won’t get faster processing.

Next steps after applying

If and when your Canadian student visa application is approved, you’ll receive a Port of Entry (POE) Letter of Introduction, while students from countries which require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) and/or a temporary residence visa will be issued these if required. The eTA will be linked to your passport. It is important that you travel with the passport you used when you applied for your study permit. The eTA will be valid for five years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.

Present these along with your passport, proof of your finances and your letter of acceptance (and any other documents that you’ve been advised to take) to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) in Canada, who will then issue your Canadian study permit and allow you access into Canada.

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How to go canada for educational purpose

           Recently, craze for going to Canada and USA is increasing day by day. Someone may willing to go for higher education like IT, Computer Science, Engineering etc. for having future very rich.

          Canada is second largest country by area. Canada is known for its maple syrup, the Niagara Falls, and their excellent ice hockey teams. Canada is home to more than 3000 lakes. Canada is the world's most educated country, with over half of its residents having university degrees.

         Canada is actually a place where you can study a Master's degree abroad. some of the top universities in the world offer competitive Master's degrees in Canada, and students from all over the world reach out to Canada for joining the biggest names in their field.  Popular subjects you may choose for a Master's programme in Canada may include Journalism, Politics, Medicine, Engineering and Information Technology etc.

Study permit

If you're a student from India, you'll need the Study permit to study in Canada. This visa is made specifically for students like you who are ready to begin their study abroad adventure in Canada. Find out the best information about the process of getting the Study permit to decide if studying abroad in Canada is right for you.

How much time will it take to get my visa?

Be sure to allow extra time for your visa application. Immediately after you've been accepted to and enrolled in the university of your choice, you can already start your application for the Canadian Study permit. You should apply at least 4-6 months before your university degree programme starts.

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How to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

Demanding requirements

The CPA has some of the most demanding requirements of any accounting certification. In the U.S., the states grant the CPA license, so the state boards of accountancy determine the licensure requirements. Most state boards have settled on these three CPA requirements:

1. Pass the Uniform CPA Exam
2. Earn 150 credit hours of education
3. Acquire 1-2 years of accounting experience

Some state boards also expect candidates to meet an additional requirement by passing an ethics exam. While the general requirements are the same across the country, the specifics vary per jurisdiction. Therefore, you must contact the state board to which you would like to apply to find out exactly what it’s going to take to earn the CPA and if you’ve got it in you.

If you attended a college or University outside of the United States, you will have to check to see if your educational institute is accredited and recognized by the AICPA. If it isn’t, you will not be able to take the CPA exam. NASBA has created a resource to help identify approved educational institutes.

Low exam pass rates

The CPA Exam pass rates have a reputation for being fairly low. While the percentages rise and fall from quarter to quarter, the average CPA Exam pass rate is less than 50%. The exam’s purpose includes protecting the public interest, and as long as that’s the case, I expect the exam will always be quite tough. In order to better test the knowledge and abilities required of current CPAs, the AICPA regularly modifies the exam with changes like content updates, new question types, altered question totals, and testing time adjustments. However, you don’t need to be discouraged by the low pass rates. They don’t mean that you can’t pass; they just signify that passing the CPA Exam requires a lot of time, effort, and focus. If you’re ready to commit to that, you can pass it

Challenging exam 

The CPA Exam contains 4 sections that test your knowledge of various accounting topics through a significant number of questions. On top of that, the CPA Exam also uses over 600 tasks representing the work of a real CPA to assess your accounting skills.

Strict exam time limit

One final CPA Exam complication you must overcome is the rolling 18-month window in which you must pass the exam. This time period starts as soon as you pass your first section, so you technically have 18 months to pass the remaining 3 sections. If you don’t pass the rest of the exam in this time, you will lose credit for the first section you passed, and you must pass that section again as well as the other remaining sections in 18 months. The beginning of the 18 months will continue to move back, cutting off credit for your oldest passed section and shifting the start to the time you passed your second oldest section. This time limit may sound intimidating, but it is actually more time than you need, as passing the CPA Exam in a year or less is quite possible. You just need to establish a study schedule, stick to it, and keep moving forward with each exam section.

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