Reciprocity
Our members are Chartered Accountants from England & Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada. We have invited members of other CAW institutes to become Associates and participate in our events and networking. In addition we have invited CPA Canada members to continue their involvement with us as Associate members. To become a Chartered Accountant you must complete the program provided by each Institute. For information on becoming a Chartered Accountant, check our member institutes links.
CAW Network USA works with NASBA, AICPA and our Member Institutes to help more of our members become US CPAs. As of November 2020, members of CA ANZ, Chartered Accountants Ireland, CPA Canada and SAICA have been able to pursue US CPA licensure via the IQEX route under an active Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA). The ICAS agreement lapsed on 31 August 2024, and ICAEW and ISCA do not currently hold an MRA — their members qualify by sitting the full Uniform CPA Exam. Because MRA status changes, always confirm the current position on the NASBA Mutual Recognition Agreements page.
Members should note that while the agreement with NASBA/AICPA is a general agreement, it is not binding on individual states. Most US states recognize it in full, but some do not and the acceptance of the unilateral approach usually requires changes to state legislation. To address this, many members have sat IQEX in a different state to the state in which they reside.
MRAs, which provide for reciprocal practice rights for Chartered Accountants and CPAs, are already in place for a number of countries. NASBA and AICPA have in recent years reworked and renegotiated previous agreements with the institutes in Canada, Ireland and Australia/New Zealand. It has also added agreements with Scotland (ICAS) and South Africa (SAICA). The SAICA agreement was renewed effective 27 January 2026 and runs to 30 June 2031; the ICAS agreement lapsed on 31 August 2024. ICAEW and ISCA do not currently hold a US MRA. This information is reviewed periodically (last checked July 2026).
Since the Canadian profession unified its MRA was renegotiated as the legacy CGAs and CMAs were not part of the original agreement. The renegotiated agreement was signed at the end of 2017. All members of CPA Canada are eligible to sit for the IQEX examination as long as they meet the requirements under the new MRA. Certain candidates will require additional experience and education in order to meet the audit practice requirement for the eligibility. These candidates will need to consult CPA Canada and their provincial bodies to determine their exact requirements.
Where there is no MRA in place, members have been unable to take advantage of the MRA route to become CPAs. Becoming a CPA for members of these institutes requires evaluation of their education and experience and, in many cases, requires additional educational credits. Obtaining these can be costly and time consuming. In relative terms, taking the CPA exam itself can be easier than meeting the criteria to do so.
Many States use the Uniform Accountancy Act (UAA) as a template for their regulation of the accountancy profession. The UAA contains a set of model regulations and is maintained by NASBA and AICPA.
Section 6 (g) of the Uniform Accountancy Act has recently been amended to allow for the States to accept unilateral recognition of foreign designations. The criteria are that:
- Foreign designation is duly issued from an authorized foreign accounting body.
- The candidate is in good standing with the accounting body.
- The candidate is able to opine on financial statements (have audit practice credentials).
- The candidate’s education, experience and examination are similar to that which a US CPA is required to obtain.
State Boards can rely on IQAB to identify which foreign accounting bodies are considered substantially equivalent. IQAB has drafted their procedure for evaluating the equivalence, but our understanding is that (for example) the ICAEW qualifications have already been favorably evaluated.
Licensing Requirements
Want a CPA?
While the CA designation is world-recognized, you must hold a CPA license in order to sign off accounts in the US. The CPA designation is the most widely understood designation for potential employers around the country. Each State has its own educational eligibility for examination and licensing requirements. Also each States’ Rules and Regulations are ever changing.
You must contact the State Board of Accountancy where you wish to be licensed, before you plan to write any exams. Please contact the applicable State Board before undertaking any course of study based on these guidelines.
NASBA has a new International Evaluation program to assist in eligibility to sit for the CPA examination. NIES (NASBA International Evaluation Service) has a few different services to evaluate your international education and provide the best options for getting approval for the CPA Examination and licensure based on the education you have completed.
IQEX
International Qualification Exam
CPA Canada, CAI, CAANZ, ICAS and SAICA have Mutual Reciprocity Agreements with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy.
The power of these Mutual Reciprocity Agreements is that their members wanting to work with a US CPA qualification, in the USA now have a fast track career route open to them.
The current form of this exam is the Regulation portion of the CPA examination. Please check with NASBA for the most updated eligibility criteria.
MRA Status by Institute
The table below summarises whether each Chartered Accountants Worldwide member body currently holds a US Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA), which determines whether its members can use the IQEX route to a US CPA licence. Status as of August 2026 — always confirm the current position with NASBA.
| Institute | US MRA / IQEX route | Route to US CPA |
|---|---|---|
| CA ANZ (Australia & New Zealand) | Active MRA | IQEX |
| Chartered Accountants Ireland | Active MRA | IQEX |
| CPA Canada | Active MRA | IQEX |
| SAICA (South Africa) | Active MRA (renewed 27 Jan 2026 – 30 Jun 2031) | IQEX. Note requires a candidate to have 7 years verifiable PQE. |
| ICAS (Scotland) | MRA Lapsed 31 Aug 2025. No MRA currently. | Full Uniform CPA Exam |
| ICAEW (England & Wales) | No MRA | Full Uniform CPA Exam |
| ISCA (Singapore) | No MRA | Full Uniform CPA Exam |
Even where an MRA exists, it is not automatically binding on every US state board. Members should first get NASBA to confirm they are eligible to sit IQEX. Then study for, sit and pass the IQEX (REG) exam. After this they can apply to a state board. Not all States recognize IQEX and some have additional requirements (in state residency, ethics exam). If you need a specific State for licensing then we suggest you contact the relevant State Board of Accountancy to check if they accept IQEX.
CAW Network USA Chapters
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Chapters
Find your local CAW Network USA Chapter