Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants
The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) was created in 1902 by an Act of Parliament. It helped set accounting, auditing, and assurance standards in Canada, ran education programs, and issued the Chartered Accountant (CA) designation. It was a founding member of the International Federation of Accountants and the Global Accounting Alliance.
In 2014, CICA merged with Canada’s other major accounting bodies to form the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada). Today, CPAs are admitted to the profession through their provincial or territorial institutes, not directly by CICA.
Chartered Accountants are regulated by 10 provincial and two territorial institutes (plus the Bermuda Institute of Chartered Accountants). These bodies establish qualification and performance standards in their jurisdictions. Education for CA/CPA candidates is delivered regionally through four systems across Canada. CICA’s role was to create and maintain uniform standards so the CA designation would be portable across Canada and internationally.
To become a CA, individuals go through the process set by their provincial or territorial institute. The CICA itself does not admit members; its membership comes from those institutes (and Bermuda). Foreign-credential holders must apply to the institute in their jurisdiction for recognition.
The CICA works with the institutes to assess foreign credentials and to negotiate mutual recognition agreements. The International Qualifications Appraisal Board (IQAB) handles these assessments and agreements.
Headquarters: Toronto, Ontario. Membership: about 78,000. Official languages: English and French. Chair: Bill MacKinnon. President and CEO: Kevin Dancey. Website: cica.ca.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 15:34 (CET).