Information for foreign-trained financial managers
(0111) Verified: 2008 10 31
Information on requirements to practise
The occupations in this category include controller and treasurer as well as manager of the financial department in a business or industry. These senior occupations are not regulated in legislation in Canada. Therefore, employment is subject to demand, and requirements in education, training, and experience are set by individual employers.
However, most employers require that the managers, directors, or inspectors of their company's accounting or auditing functions have a recognized accounting designation (CA, CGA, or CMA), and these functions are regulated in most provinces and territories. For further information on the three major accounting organizations, consult CICIC's information sheet on Accountants and Auditors.
For other financial management roles, employers may require one or more postgraduate degrees in business administration, commerce/finance, or economics in addition to several years of management experience in a range of financial functions.
Information on assessment of qualifications
Most financial associations and institutes are not set up to assess foreign credentials before you arrive in Canada.
If you are asked or wish to have your credentials assessed before coming to Canada, you may contact an evaluation service and consult our Fact Sheet No. 2, "Assessment and recognition of credentials for the purpose of employment in Canada." Although the evaluation services offer expert advice on how qualifications obtained abroad compare with credentials obtained in a Canadian province or territory, the evaluation is advisory only and does not guarantee recognition of your qualifications for employment or certification purposes in Canada. Please note that they charge a fee for their services.
Other relevant information
For a general description of duties and employment requirements, you can refer to the information prepared by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada regarding:
Specific Provincial/Territorial Information
You may also be interested in the CICIC information pages for:
Finally, the following sites may be of interest: