Valuable tips to immigrate to Canada as an Accountant

Surya Rathee
[Published 11 Mar, 2023 | 12:30 PM]
About Author - 5 min read

Canada has a good demand for skilled overseas Accounting Professionals across the nation. Here are some valuable tips if you are seeking to Immigrate to Canada as an Accountant. There are many immigration programs for accountants to apply for Canada PR Visa.

The standard salaries for Accountants are variable in Canada depending on the province, work experience, and area of expertise. As per Canada Job Bank, Accountants, and Financial Auditors get a median wage of hourly $35.75.

The highest median wages are offered by Northwest Territories at an hourly $ 51.37. Alberta offers hourly $42 while Saskatchewan offers hourly $39.42. CPAs get significantly higher salaries.

Let us help you How to Immigrate to Canada as an Accountant

Understand the requirements of the local job market

You can acquaint yourself with the requirements of the job market by reviewing job ads for roles in Accounting at your level. It will help you to identify the qualifications, experiences, and skills in demand.

CPA credentials are usually not required for Entry and Mid-level positions. However, a few employers can have hiring preferences for candidates working on their CPA. If you are seeking to acquire CPA, you can enroll with the provincial agency and start the PEP modules prior to your arrival in Canada. This will increase your available job prospects and can also be considered for the professional criterion of 30 months of experience required for the CPA qualifications.

Acquire extra skills and qualifications

As a newly arrived immigrant, you must get acquainted with the most usual accounting standards used in Canada. These include:

• The ASPE - Private Enterprises’ Accounting Standards
• The IFRS - International Financial Reporting Standards
• PSAB - Accounting Standards of Accounting Board for Public Sector
• ASNPO - Accounting Standards for Not-for-Profit Organizations

You can also position yourself as a strong candidate for accounting job roles by investing in up-skilling programs and certifications. Software Certifications like Qlikview, SAP HR and Finance, PeopleSoft ERP, and MS Excel are considered valuable in the job market in Canada. It includes tools for Report Writing like Power BI addition and Cognos. You can also start apart from the competition with knowledge of Accounting and Tax software like XERO and QuickBooks.

Design an accounting resume in Canadian-style

Functional, Reverse Chronological, and Hybrid are the 3 unusual formats of resumes in Canada. The suitable format for your CV will be based on the level of apt accounting experience you possess and if your work history has gaps.

Several employers in Canada apply ATS - Applicant Tracking System for filtering suitable applicants from the huge volume of applications. Customizing your CV for every role and the inclusion of keywords from the job description can enhance your chances of selection for interviews. You can avail the expertise of Professional Resume Writing Experts if you are unsure to achieve this independently.

Seek opportunities on employer websites and job portals

Indeed, Grab Jobs, Monster, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and Canada Job Bank are great job search platforms for seeking job openings. Further, you can even short-list preferred employers and remain updated with their career pages on the website and profile on LinkedIn.

Enhance your professional network

The professional culture in Canada holds networking in high esteem and value. The vast hidden job market in Canada can be accessed only through means of your network.

As a newly arrived accountant, you can learn more about the job market by connecting with professionals in LinkedIn in your field at networking events or provincial associations. After connecting with them, you can develop your network with face-to-face coffee chats or remain connected over social media or e-mails.

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Later, you can leverage your connections for receiving insights on employer-specific hiring practices, and referrals, and also learn about job openings that are not advertised publicly. 

Read More:- What are the requirements to become a chartered accountant or a cost accountant in Canada?

Process of Recruitment for Accounting Jobs in Canada

Several employers in Canada place open job ads on their job portals or websites. But around 65% to 80% of the job positions are closed through networks amongst the employers without any job ads.

After submission of your Resume, your CV and Cover Letter will be screened by your employers for assessing your aptness for the job role. The next step if your resume is shortlisted is usually an interview for screening. Here you will be asked questions by the recruiter for verification of your experience, qualifications, and interest in the job role.

Later, you have to pass several rounds of interviews inclusive of culture fit and skills tests for demonstrating your soft and technical skills. For job roles in Accounting, tests for skills can be through assignments based on a case or particular technical queries. You will get the employment offer if selected. This is often preceded by extensive reference and background check and the possibility of negotiating the terms also exist.

In order to Immigrate to Canada as an Accountant or apply for Canada PR Visa connect with ICCRC-accredited Nationwide Visa Immigration Consultants.