Pathway to CPA Australia membership for Institute of Chartered Accountants India members

CPA Australia has a mutual recognition agreement (MRA) with the Institute of Chartered Accountants India (ICAI) to establish guidelines on how qualified members can gain reciprocal membership.

ICAI members who qualify for membership of CPA Australia will have rights to use the CPA designation.

Pathway to membership

The following steps demonstrate the pathway for ICAI members to become an Associate member of CPA Australia member under the conditions of the MRA.

Step 1: determine eligibility

If you are a member of ICAI, you will be eligible to apply for CPA Australia membership if you:

• have a recognised university degree
  or
• do not have a degree but have at least five years' work experience in professional accounting
• have successfully completed the ICAI examinations, the ICAI practical experience requirements
• are a member of good standing and not currently subject to any disciplinary sanctions or investigations
• have not been subject to any disciplinary sanctions in the past five years

Step 2: complete application

Complete the application form below and submit it with the following:

• application, membership and enrolment fees (see application and enrolment form)
• 100 points of identification (see application and enrolment form)
• letter of good standing from ICAI, which is dated no older than one year prior to application and contains: 
  • date joined ICAI
  • date advanced to current member status
  • date current membership is fully paid to
  • confirmation that you are not a member of ICAI by virtue of another mutual recognition agreement
  • confirmation that you are not currently subject to any disciplinary sanctions or investigation and have not been subject to any disciplinary sanctions in the past five years
• certified true copies of university academic awards and transcripts/mark sheets
• if you are not a degree holder, you must provide a workplace testimonial from employer/s to confirm position and period of employment as well as evidence of five years' practical experience as a professional accountant
• change of name documentation (if applicable)

Please ensure you provide an e-mail address with your application.

Step 3: submit application

Send your application to member advisory and information services at CPA Australia.

Step 4: processing of application

Your application will take approximately four weeks to process. If there are any queries about your application, a CPA Australia staff member will contact you.

If your application is successful, an e-mail will be sent to you informing you of your success. A welcome pack will follow by mail.

If your application is unsuccessful, a letter will be sent to you outlining the reasons why. We will provide advice about how you can meet CPA Australia's membership requirements.

Step 5: advance to CPA status

Once you become an Associate member of CPA Australia you must complete the following study units within two years:

• Better Practice in Governance and Accountability  
• Global Strategy and Leadership

For current Associate members (ASA) of CPA Australia who have formally applied under the MRA pathway, an enrolment form for these study units are available for downloading.

Upon completion of both courses of study, you are required to complete the ICAI Advancement form to advance to CPA status.

Continuing professional development

Once you are a member of CPA Australia you must undertake CPA Australia's requirements in the following areas:

• continuing professional development (CPD)*
• professional conduct
• professional assurance
• professional standards

*Completion of CPA Australia's CPD requirements will also satisfy ICAI's CPD requirements. You will be required to report annually to both ICAI and CPA Australia.

Public practice

Please note the MRA does not include rights for ICAI members to conduct public accounting services, sign audited financial statements or act as a taxation agent in Australia.

If you wish to offer public accounting services in Australia (including book keeping services) you will need to fulfil the minimum enrolment requirements to obtain a Practising Certificate (Public Practice Certificate), which is issued by CPA Australia.

The minimum requirements to obtain a Public Practice Certificate include:

• completion of examinations approved by the CPA Australia Board in the subjects of Australian company law, taxation and audit procedures; (note the CPA Program Foundation Program - Fundamentals of Business Law exam is not a substitute for Australian company law);

• CPA Program Taxation or Advanced Taxation exam;

• Public Practice Program (distance learning program and residential); and
  relevant Australian work experience.

Additional requirements are prescribed by Australian regulators for members wishing to offer taxation, financial planning or insolvency services.

How do I take advantage of this MRA if I am currently an Associate member?

If you are already an Associate member of CPA Australia, you will need to:

• provide a letter of good standing from ICAI
• complete sections A, C, E and F of the application form (note: application and membership fees will not apply to existing members)
• send the application and enrolment form
• include a cover note with your application, indicating that you are a current member of CPA Australia (provide your CPA Australia membership number) and advising that you wish to take advantage of the MRA with ICAI.