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Colorado CPA Requirements (Rules on Exam and Licensing)
Colorado used to be one of the few states that don’t require 150 credit hours to qualify for a CPA license. Since July 2015, Colorado has joined the rest of the states to follow the standard “3E”.
After this change, there is little reason why international candidates would register through CO state board.
Colorado CPA Requirements
1. Education Requirements to Sit for the Exam
- Bachelor degree or above.
- Accounting course:
- 27 credit hours.
- Must have 3 credit hours in auditing covering US GAAS.
- Duplicate courses do not count: if you take two financial accounting courses from two universities, you can only count 1.
- Business courses:
- 21 credit hours.
- No more than 6 hours for each subject.
- Duplicate courses do not count.
- Please go to this page for detail of suggested accounting and business subjects.
Note to international candidates
New rules have been enacted to restrict the educational requirements in Colorado:
- The State Board is no longer accepting Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) certificates as evidence of having met educational requirement.
- Chartered Accountant (CA) qualifications from Australia, Canada, Ireland, Mexico and New Zealand (part of the U.S. International Qualifications Appraisal Board (IQAB) MRA agreement) is accepted; but those from other jurisdiction (e.g. India) is no longer accepted.
Education requirements must be met through academic coursework completed at an accredited institution. Professional training is not acceptable toward these requirements. Coursework completed as part of a Chartered Accountant program is considered professional training and is, therefore, not accepted toward the education requirements for the U.S. Uniform CPA Examination.” ~ NASBA Colorado page
- International applicants also need to get 2 credit hours of CO Rules and Regulations CR&R ethics before applying for licensure. US applicants can get this done after applying but within 6 months of licensing.
If this looks too confusing but you still want to give Colorado a try, you can sign up for their pre-evaluation service
2. Additional Colorado CPA Requirements for the License
There are currently two routes only one way to obtain the license in Colorado:
(a) Education with Experience (Rule 2.4 and 2.5)
- Education: 6 additional accounting credits and 6 additional business credits
- Experience:
- Must include 1 year (1,800 hours) in public or non-public accounting as well as in academia
- Must have been met within 5 years preceding date of application
- Part-time work is acceptable as long as you complete 1,800 hours within 1-3 years
- Must be under the supervision of an active CPA or Chartered Accountant from an IQAB MRA country in good standing. (IQAB MRA Countries include: Australia, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand and Hong Kong)
(b) Education In Lieu Of Experience (Rule 2.7)
Master’s degree, doctoral degree OR bachelor’s degree with 30 additional hours (i.e. 150 credit hour).45 semester hours in Accounting, including 6 hours in Audit with coverage of US GAAS.36 hours in General Business related subjects with no more than 9 hours in any subject.No experience is required.
*Launched in Apr 2016* The NASBA Experience Verification service is now available to those who do not have access to an active U.S. CPA for verification.
Ethics Requirement
- Pass the CPA ethics exam administered by the AICPA.
Summary of CO CPA Exam and Licensing Requirements Effective July 1, 2015
Source: CO State Board of Accountancy website – Latest Rules (PDF file p.17)
4. Colorado CPA Requirements and Residency & Age
- US citizenship not required.
- Colorado residency not required.
- Minimum age: none.
- Social security number is not required for those living and working outside the US, but you will need to complete a form called “Social Security Number Affidavit”.
5. Fees
- First-timers: $774 + application fee
5. Continuing Education
CPE is required for license holders. Please click here for Colorado CPA CPE requirements
6. Other Useful Information
- CO CPA exam application (NASBA — must read, very detailed)
- CO CPA licensing information (NASBA)
7. Contact
Colorado State Board of Accountancy
1560 Broadway-Suite 1340
Denver, CO 80202
- Email: accountancy@dora.state.co.us, cpaes-co@nasba.org
- Phone: 303-894-7800
- Fax:303-894-7692
What if the Colorado CPA Requirements Don’t Work for Me?
- CPA educational requirements: Rules, Obstacles and Solutions
- States with more flexible CPA experience requirements
- How to get extra credit hours for the 150-hour rule
If you have questions, feel free to drop a note in the comment section, or visit my Facebook page.
About the Author Stephanie Ng
I am the author of How to Pass The CPA Exam (published by Wiley) and the publisher of this and several accounting professional exam prep sites
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HI Stephanie
Your website seems to be very useful and informative. Can you also provide your expert opinion in my case. I am a Chartered Accountant from India and have also done a bachelor course in accounting. I have 7+ years of post qualification experience in a multinational company in the field of accounting. I am not sure which jurisdiction should I apply for, for my CPA course. Do I qualify to applying for CPA or will I have to do further study/ gain desired work experience? Also what are the documentation required and the procedure for the same.
Hi Suchita,
Is your bachelor degree in accounting a 3 year degree? From what I heard from my readers from India, CA should count something like 40 credit hours in CO (but just take this as an estimate because it could be different from different candidates), plus your 3-4 years of university… so I would think that you at least should qualify for Colorado.
For the working experience, unfortunately Colorado only counts public accounting experience, so you can either:
(1) take extra courses to get qualified for the “education in lieu of experience” in Colorado which doesn’t require working experience, but you need 150 credit hours
(2) join a CPA firm but has to work under an active license CPA in the US (or probably CA in Canada and Australia is ok, but have to double check)
(3) consider other states. This is possible only if your degree is 4 years in my opinion
For the documentations required, please click on the link above for the application form.
For CPA course, I assume you mean the extra course you would like to take to fulfill the requirements, if so you can take it from any accredited college (online or offline) — I plan to write someting on this so stay tuned.
If by CPA course you mean the CPA exam preparation course (known as the CPA exam review course), which is for the sole purpose of preparing you for the CPA exam with zero contribution to credit hours, then you can go to this link for a comparison:
https://ipassthecpaexam.com/cpa-exam-review-courses/
Cheers, Stephanie
Thanks Stephanie for the response. That indeed is helpful! There is one more question that I have. My bachelor degree in accounting is for 3 years and the CA degree is for another 3 years. Does that mean that there is a possibility that collectively I could get obtain 150 credits (for CO). Or will I only qualify to sit for the exam and after passing the exam I will have to get the desired work experience/ study to get my certificate as a CPA. I am NOT looking to obtain a license since I dont intend to practise in USA.
Hi Stephanie,
I have certain queries regarding CPA license.
1. If I apply for the exam from the Colorado Board and get the certificate and license from that Board, considering I satisfy 150 hours requirement, can I transfer the license to any other substantially equivalent states?
2. Would my certificate and license from Colorado Board be considered by other substantially equivalent states, Colorado State Board not being considered as the substantially equivalent state, as per NASBA? Or I have to apply for the CPA exam again from other substantially equivalent state?
3. After getting Colorado Board certificate and license, just by satisfying relevant experience requirements of substantially equivalent states, would I be able to get license from those states?
4. Generally, what additional requirements I would have to satisfy in order to get the license from other states?
Thanks.
Hi Stephanie,
I checked out the Colorado education requirement,I am in a fix as I dont have a SSN and Colorado has something called as ssn affidavit for person not physically present in US.But I am in US.
What to do?
Ur rply would be helpful to me.
Thanx
Hi Suchita,
By “CA” do you mean chartered accountant? I am afraid it isn’t easy summation like this, and in fact, if it is CA I think for CO it only counts for something like 40 credit hours (from what I heard from a few of my readers).
So you’ll quite possibly let you take the CPA exam as they see you having 120+ credit hours (90+40ish?) and I think with the CA they’ll see you as someone having 4-year equivalent degree in the US (again, works for a few of my readers only, not 100% certain).
If you don’t plan to gain the working experience, then after passing the CPA exam you may need to get that extra ~30 or so credit hours to get qualified for the education in lieu of experience requirement.
Cheers, Stephanie
Hi M,
I think I have responded your same question via email a few hours ago, please check.
But I will cut and paste it to here later on for everyone’s reference.
Stephanie
Hi Nisha,
One of my readers had exactly the same issue, but she called up the CO rep in NASBA, got lucky to reach a kind lady who told her that in this case simply filing the SSN Affidavit is ok.
I guess when they wrote the rules they forgot to cover candidates on dependent visas. Not a big deal, don’t worry.
You can double check by calling the CO Rep; but for my yet another reader with the same issue, she couldn’t get a definite answer (because depends if you get lucky and get hold of someone who is nice AND knowledgable). If it’s the same for you, just go ahead.
But if you do manage to confirm this is the way to go, I’d appreciate you let me know so I have two data points to show it works 🙂
Stephanie
Hey,
Thanx for the reply….I also called nasba couple of times as when I called the colorado board it told me that nasba handles the examination part.So i called nasba and the student representative was not sure so he transferred me to the colorado representative..but unluckily she was not on her desk
But not given hopes.. will surely be in touch of yours and I have realised by going thru all ur forums that may be the info that I am sharing myt be helpful to some one else…
Thanx & Regards,
Nisha
Yes please do let me know if you are able to get hold of the CO rep. Thanks! Stephanie
Hi,
Hey Stephanie was curious to know which form is to be filled up there are two forms
1)SSN AFFIDAVIT
2) AFFIDAVIT OF ELIGIBILTY
The second form affidavit of eligibility is for license requirement thats what it says on nasba website
I am looking just for the CPA certificate as I am in VA
Regards,
Nisha
Hi Stephanie,
Really need your advice…I spoke to the Colorado state rep,she told that I can give my cpa exams through CO board but to get the license I must have an ssn number.Now I am in VA and currrently I am not planning to publicly practice,I need a job here with H1 sponsorship.
I contacted VA board and they told me to apply for job you need VA license which is to be renewed every year plus cpe requirement.
Also CO board is not substantially equi state.
Please Stephanie I am almost on the verge of giving up CPA ..
Your reply would be helpful
Nishvik
Hi Nisha,
So now CO requires a SSN to get the license! Thanks for letting me know so I can alert the other readers. Let me do a bit of research and get back to you then. Hang in there… Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
I live in Canada, and I am also doing CGA from Canada. Currently I am registered with CPA Colorado. I have confusion regarding CPA certificate. Could you please tell me is there any difference between getting CPA certificate and membership. I mean that if I get CPA certificate from Colorado, will I automatically get membership with that state or it is something else.
Secondly with CPA certificate I would get designation as CPA?
Thanks
Aftab
Hi Aftab,
There isn’t really a “membership”… in Colorado (CO), once you pass the CPA exam, depending on the fulfillment of other requirements you can get the CPA certificate (or license — it’s the same in CO). You can choose to join AICPA as a member but it is no mandatory, especially if you are in Canada.
Yes if you get the CPA license you can call yourself a CPA.
By the way, I am still in the process of double checking whether candidates without social security number can actually get the CPA license from Colorado… if you know the answer please let me know. The Colorado rep at NASBA hasn’t been responding to my queries yet.
Regards, Stephanie
Hi Nisha,
I just called NASBA and spoke reg. Colarado (CO) licence requirement, they said one has to submit only SSN affidavit and other paper requirement which is generally required for licence. and not SSN No. is required for CO Licence.
i think somebody confirmed you that SSN is required for issuance of licence. i think it is bit confusing can Stephanie throw some light on to it.
if you have something new to add pl do so.
Regads
Rajesh.
Hi Stephanie,
would like to take your advice on the above
and guide us
Rajesh
Hi Rajesh,
I had called NASBA a couple of times spoke to NASBA rep and also twice to Colorado state rep, the lady told me that SSN affidavit is for giving exam ,n then to get license she told me u need SSN.I really dont know much other then that.But if the rep who spoke to you told u that u dnt need SSN for license ,hope it works for you..
Good Luck
Nisha
Hi Rajesh,
Check the first time application form of Colorado.
here is the link http://www.nasba.org/862571B900737CED/ENL/COInfApp/$file/COFTApplication.pdf
look in the document for licensure requirement.
Hope it helps,
Nisha
Hi Nisha,
thanks for the link. what are your planning? where frm ur r applying.
that means we are left with only IL, CO and Montana states for appearing or any other options are there for H4 candidates.
and in IL we have to send the originals certificates for evaluation thats also a worry. in one of ur post u said they told you that they normally return in 10 weeks is it right.
pl comment.
Regards
Rajesh
Hi Rajesh,
I am planning to work in US but as I am on H4 i cant work ,need an H1 sponsorship which currently is very debatable,so I am planning to pursue CPA.
I have still not applied,I think IL,CO, and MT are the three states which will allow to appear for exam without SSN,this is what I have found out till now.
Yes IL does its own evaluation and they need originals .it takes some 9 weeks for evaluation and they will send back originals within 10 weeks and the state rep said that they track the documents so no need to worry about the documents.
You can check NASBA site and check the states you are planning to apply for and just go through first time application form,will really help.I did so and this forum also helped me too much,Thanks Stephanie.
Hope for the best,
Nisha
Hi Nisha,
my position is exactly similar like you, really thanks to Stephani for so much updates. if IL sends back the originals then it is ok, i am thinking to get it evaluated becoz i hv alredy hv spent 5+ months here doing nothing.
and any new updates at ur front just post n if u want u can directly reach me too.
regards
Rajesh
Rajesh
Hi Rajesh,
I am 3 months young here in USA.Actually I dont even have prior work experience so difficult for me .Have you started with studies?
Nisha
Hi Nisha,
oh really not yet. prior work experience is not an issue, am yet to start studies, first figuring out which state wl be good, very worried and confused too….my id mutchina@gmail.com, write there ok
Regards
Rajesh
Hi Nisha,
jst now i contacted IL board & got confirmd that they’ll return the originals aftr evaluation. hv u gone thru rev courses and whts ur input/opinion.
once u get CPA and get sponsor u wl get work experience rather in more firm footing here dnt worry.
Rajesh
Dear Nisha and Rajesh,
On Colorado: I am quite sure that in terms of sitting for the CPA exam, you can totally do it without SSN. But my concern is more on ultimately getting the license — for example, in California, you can sit for the exam without SSN in CA but you CANNOT get the license without SSN at the end. So what’s the point, you know.
I am still chasing for a (black-and-white) answer from the CO rep…
On Illinois: Yes I also heard from a few readers that they promise to mail the original back. Looks like they will do it but if it is absolutely impossible for you to get another marksheets from your school then you’ll have to evaluate the risk.
On H4 Visa candidates: I have just set up a page/forum just for you guys so you can share info specific to dependent visa holders, and chat/support each other. (This is also become necessary because the comment section on this page is getting too long…) Feel free to exchange emails over there so you can keep in touch privately.
https://ipassthecpaexam.com/cpa-study-for-h4-visa-holders/
Just let me know if this page is useful for you or if there is anything I can do to improve it. Thanks!
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
thanks for your update on CO, in fact today i spoke to CO CPA Exam rep.she said exactly like u explained that without SSN we can sit for exam but for licence we need to have SSN at all cost. becoz the SSN affidavit is valid for candidates who do not live in US but for H4 candidates who live they ought to have SSN for obtaining licence.
Just now i got call frm IL Board admn.supervisor reg. evaluation, i said i have B.Com.(Hons.) + M.Com. but it seems she took it as B.Com.+M.Com n said it will be 120 semester hours which is short of 150 hours and asked me to send docs for evaluation. I am bit surprised becoz am having B.Com(Hons.)(3yrs)+M.Com.(2yrs) is it not equal to 150 semester hours.
Stephanie, can you please advice me whether she took it wrong as B.Com instead of B.Com(Hons.) and if in any case they found me short of 150 hours then what is the option to cover the gap. pl advice.
Regards
Rajesh
Hi Rajesh,
If you go through IL, IL State Board has the ultimate decision on the evaluation… and I have no idea how they do the evaluation you know. But if this is the case you can fill in the gaps by taking some online courses in any accredited colleges. In terms of exactly where you can do that, this is the #1 priority on my plate… so hopefully I will finish doing my research and recommend a few places where you can take the classes. Stephanie
Hey Stephanie,
Thanks so much for providing the information on CO and IL board.Are there reallly any cases of losing documents from IL board.because the rep told they dont get lost if they get lost it comes back to them.
Really appreciate your gesture for specially startin a forum on H$ visa holders ,will surely try to help someone aspiring to be a CPA and I hope it helps all of us.
Regards,
Nisha
Thank you Nisha! I hope you guys will stop by once in a while — the forum is nothing without participants!
On IL, I haven’t heard of any caes of things getting lost. I guess if it is inconvenient but possible for you to get the extra marksheets from your university, you can give it a try. Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
thanks for your update on CO, in fact today i spoke to CO CPA Exam rep.she said exactly like u explained that without SSN we can sit for exam but for licence we need to have SSN at all cost. becoz the SSN affidavit is valid for candidates who do not live in US but for H4 candidates who live they ought to have SSN for obtaining licence.
Just now i got call frm IL Board admn.supervisor reg. evaluation, i said i have B.Com.(Hons.) + M.Com. but it seems she took it as B.Com.+M.Com n said it will be 120 semester hours which is short of 150 hours and asked me to send docs for evaluation. I am bit surprised becoz am having B.Com(Hons.)(3yrs)+M.Com.(2yrs) is it not equal to 150 semester hours.
Stephanie, can you please advice me whether she took it wrong as B.Com instead of B.Com(Hons.) and if in any case they found me short of 150 hours then what is the option to cover the gap. pl advice.
n thanks for dedicating spl forum for H4 holders (wife/husbands) gr8 Cheers!
Regards
Rajesh
Hi Stephanie
Your website is very informative and useful and i can see you have been very helpful to solve almost every query. I would like your expert opinion in my case. I am planning to choose the state of Colorado for my CPA. I am an international student studying third semester in M.B.A. in New Jersey and i have completed my Bachelors in Commerce (B.Com) (3 years) and Masters in Commerce (M.Com) (2 years) from India. I do not have SSN but i have applied in my University but chances are I might get SSN in my next semester. Would i be eligible for CPA exam in Colorado and able to sit for exam in New Jersey? My plan is successfully pass out CPA exam along with my M.B.A. After completing M.B.A. in May 2011 I am also planning to apply for M.S. in Taxation. would it help in the category of “education in lieu of experience” for acquiring my CPA license.
Regards
Siddharth
Hi Siddharth,
First of all, thanks for your kind note! May I ask…
Do you absolutely want a full CPA license or a CPA certificate is enough? (see difference between CPA certificate vs license here)
If not, then I would think Illinois is easier for you because
(1) they allow non-SSN holder to sit for AND obtain the CPA certificate
(2) And let’s say if you want a full CPA license from IL down the read you can fulfill that by 1 year of working experience, which isn’t too bad. And given IL is a substantially equivalent state you can work as a licensed CPA anywhere across the country. For CO (non substantially equivalent) it will be more paperwork and hassle.
Having said that, CO’s education in lieu of experience route should work for you too if you are certain that you can get the SSN eventually.
Regards, Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you Stephanie, i want full CPA license and does the “education in lieu of experience” work out for Illinois.
May i ask the difference between the full CPA license and CPA certificate ?
Regards
Siddharth
Hi Siddharth,
For Illinois, I am afraid you will only get a CPA certificate vs license. Please click the link to find out more.
but if you get 1 year of working experience you can get the full license.
Stephanie
Addy,
Hi Stephanie, what a wonderful website you have created…! I am sure your website is going to be so successful because the enormous effort you have been putting it, i will suggest this website to all my friends who have interests in CPA programs. Unbelievable..!
I have a question regarding the State of Colorado in terms of reciprocity equivalent to UAA. I am aware that Colorado is not considered to be the equivalent state to UAA. Additionally, you mentioned somewhere in your website that Colorado might, in the future 2015, raise their standard in order to participate in UAA. My question is that, for instance, let’s say one passed all four examinations and one got a wall certificate and/or license based on in lieu of experience in 2011. Assuming in 2015, the new law comes into effective. How does it affect to CPA holders or licensees who fufilled their studies based on the old law? Will the old law candidates automaticallybecome equivalent to UAA? or they have to do further study in addition to meet the new requirements?
Addy,
Hi Stephanie,
I wonder if Colorado is a two-tier state?
Thanks,
Addy
Hi Stephanie,
I found you website extremely informative and helpful. Can you please provide me your opinion in my case. I have done my MBA in Finance from India and have work experience of 10 months with deutsche bank in India. Currently, I am in US on H4 visa and planning to pursue CPA. But the NASBA site i found totally confusing. Can you please provide me some information on the states where i can apply. Waiting for your reply.
Thanks,
Savita
Hi Savita,
Thanks for your note! I wonder if you have checked out this page popular to H4 and international candidates that suggests the 5 popular states for them.
Since you have a MBA (assuming it’s NOT correspondence classes) you have a good chance to be evaluated as 150 credit hour. As you will read from that page I would recommend Illinois because it is easiest for those without Social security number and has a hard time getting working experience in the states.
Cheers, Stephanie
Hi Savita,
Even I am in the same case as yours….you can also check H4 lounge on Stephanie’s blog .Its a bit difficult for us to plan as in which state to apply for.Hope you find your way.
Yes please check out the H4 visa lounge so you guys can help each other. Thanks Nisha for the reminder. Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
You have a great website. Keep up the good work.
@Savitha, Nisha : I am also a CA from India and have a bachelor’s in business management. I am glad to tell I completed my CPA(got the last paper result y’day). I am also on H4 and applied to Colorado Board. They recognize CA for 150 hours requirement. You have to get your credentials evaluated and then you are approved. When I started CPA, I did not have to fulfill this 150 hours requirement, but later on the rules changed and I did get it evaluated. Check this website for credential evaluation http://www.naces.org or there are plenty other websites.
Hope this helps. All the best.
Hi Roopashree,
First of all many congrats on completing your CPA..really glad to know that..but my problem is i am not a CA…i gave done my B.Sc. (bachelors) in biotechnology and then MBA (masters) in finance..so not sure whether my B.Sc. credits are going to be accepted since i did not study accounts in my bachelors…so only i have to get my masters degree evaluated…and also since colorado board has stopped issuing licence to H4 visa holders, i am not sure if its feasible in my case…
can anyone suggest if Illinois is suitable in my case since after going through illinois website i think it has to be a close fit (except the 150 hours requirement which i need to get evaluated) in my case..
Thanks,
Savita
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for the information provided..need your help again for illinois board..i just came across that to obtain CPA license from illinois board, 1-2 years work experience is required..can you please tell me if i have completed 150 semester hours of education, do i still require 1-2 years work experience for the license..and since i dont have ssn, how is it possible to get the work experience required for licensing..
Thanks,
Savita
Hi Stephanie,
I am qualified ACA from india working in uk since last six years, would like to know the details about the CPA exam registration and exemptions availabe to indian chartered accountants from CPA exams! thanks,
hi roopashree,
congrats on completing ur CPA, can u plz guide me as to what to do to get all registration formalities completed?, I am ACA from india and now in UK since 6 years. I did looked in to the link provided in ur post but did not find any form etc.. plz guide as to which board do i go for my registration, forms ,documents and fees to be payable.. further how do i apply to naces plz! thx in advance
I appeared for 3 papers in CPA exams in November 2010 window. My scores showed that I failed in two papers and passed in one. As I planned to retake exams in the month of January 2011 window, I visited NASBA site to my surprise I am unable to select one subject where my scores showed that I failed in. When I approached the co-ordinator who returned back to work today after New Year leave, said that we will rectify the site to allow you to select the one you failed. Can any one explain how can this happen? When results of 2 subjects has been updated, how come one paper was not updated. Please explain how this system works.
To add on to my earlier comments, the NASBA Colorado Co-ordinator replied that we have not received your scores to update NASBA site on January 4, 2011. The results were out sometime before December 18th. Its amazing that till January 4, 2011, if NASBA who is also connected with CPA examination services has not received scores, how can students who want to retake in the January window apply?? Is it funny?? It makes me wonder how far is manual intervention in the results.
Hi Stephanie
Thanks for your superb support!!
I am a Chartered Accountant (ICAI) & Company Secretary (ICSI) and B.com(H) from Delhi University.Around a year experience as an auditor in Ernst & Young India seeking to apply for CPA exam from Colorado state.
As B.com(H) 3 year degree+CA 4 year Degree+CS 4 year Degree.
1) Is there still need to go for evaluation?If yes, from where to go so that i can sit in the exam at the earliest.
2) I am on H4 visa,Am i supposed to give SSN Affidavit? If yes What is that and from where to get it attest and all?
3) In case i just got certificate of CPA from CO state,Would i be able to work in Big 4 as auditor again?
Will be eagerly waiting for your valuable responses
Thanks in advance
Nidhi Mittal
Hi Stephanie,
I am a Company Secretary from ICSI and B.com (H) from Delhi University. I have also passed LL.B. (Bachelor of Law ) from Delhi university and also hold a one year Diploma in Finance (correspondence). I have 6 years of experience in Accounting and Corporate secretarial field in India. Now i am on H4 in Colorado.
I have passed 3 exams of cpa and plan to give the last by end of January 2011. I intend to obtain a CPA certificate for applying for H1B. Do you think my qualification suffies for the certificate.
Further that, i have received the scores letter from cpa which states that my scores hold credit till 2012, each exam score valid for different months of 2012. Does that mean that if i fail to get my H1b and SSN by that time, my scores shall expire and that i will have to retake the exams.
I know that i cant get licence on H4. But does NASBA issue any passing certificate after clearing the exams, which i could use for applying H1 visa; OR there is one single certificate / license issued once all experience or qualification requirements are fulfilled.
Pl advise
Regards
Deepti
Hi Stephanie,
A wonderful job indeed you are doing.
Would appreciate it if you could reply to my query:
1. I passed my CPA exam in 2007 from Colorado. I have not done anything thereafter to receive my certificate or license. How can now I obtain my certificate.
2. I have two years of big4 experience in US
3. Presently I am in India working in a bank
4. This certificate is required to add to my CV only.
Thanks so much in advance
Hi Stephanie
I found something on Colorado website that says if you are foreign student, not physically present in US, you can fill out the form for SSN Affidavit to get your CPA certificate/license. Could you please confirm if this is correct.
http://www.dora.state.co.us/accountants/licensing.htm
Regarding the experience requirements, I am aware that I only need 1 year experience in order for me to apply for a license, but it has to be in public accounting firm. I wonder if I work for private industry as an accountant under a supervision of an active CPA, how many year do i have to have ?
Below is an excerpt from NASBA about the education requirement that is necessary to be eligible to sit for the CPA exam in Colorado. I was wondering what they mean by “Advanced Accounting and Accounting Theory?” In other words, what do they consider a course in Advanced Accounting and Accounting Theory?
Here are the List of Accounting courses I have taken:
1. Financial Accounting
2. Managerial Accounting
3. Intermediate Financial Accounting I
4. Intermediate Financial Accounting II
5. Accounting System Data Processing
6. Intermediate Cost Accounting
7. Income Tax Accounting
8. Auditing
9. International Accounting
Do I meet the education requirement for the State of Colorado?
Thanks
2. Received baccalaureate degree after June 30, 1993 by one of the six (6) U.S. regional accrediting bodies, are required to complete;
• At least twenty-seven (27) semester (or 40.5 quarter) hours in accounting, of which twenty-one (21) semester (or 31.5 quarter) hours must be cost accounting, tax, intermediate accounting, accounting theory and advanced accounting. At least three (3) of the 27 semester hours must be in auditing;
Hi
i m doing my ca final in india,want to know the scope of cpa for me .?
Hi sir,
Can any one provide me the CD for the cpa course.
Hi Stephanie,
I am resident of India and am willing to apply for the CPA exam for the Colorado board.
Currently I am in the U.S for next few months during which I would like to appear for the exam. As a first time applicant, I came across the SSN requirement and affidavit of eligibilty criteria. I talked with the service agent and could not get sufficient details regarding the same and hence thought of asking to you.
I have few questions regarding these 2 requirements:
Q1. I am currently in U.S. for few months (on L2 dependent VISA with valid I94 form and am not employed). The clause for SSN affidavit states that I should not be physically present in the U.S. So
a. Do I need to have a SSN to apply for the exam ?
or
b. Can I fill out the SSN affidavit along with the first time application form?
Q2. Do I need to fill in the affidavit of eligibility
Q3. If I have to fill the affidavit of eligibity, then it has a section (A) that has questions related to physical presence in U.S. for non-residents. Considering my case (L2 dependent visa with valid I94 and am not employed), do I need to select the option (2) of section A.
a. If yes then could you please tell me which sub-option should I select. All the sub-option details about the legal section which I am not aware of.
or
b. If no, then since I am not employed shall I select option 3.b
Q3. The confusion increases more if I sign the SSN affidavit and in the affidavit of eligibility I select the option 3.b
Any help in this would be deeply appreciated.
Regards,
Priya
Hi Stephanie,
I have a BBA – Finance and an MS – Finance, do I need to take any more courses to complete the educational requirement? I would like to just take the tests in Colorado.
Thanks,
Erin
Hi Stephanie,
Could you please tell me more about the CR&R requirement for initial licensing of CPA in the state of colorado for international applicant? (ie. minimum number of hours etc)
Thanks
hi stephanie,
i passed my CPA examination in feb 2009 from delaware state. I did my Bachelors in accounting (3years) and Chartered Accountancy (intermediate)-FACS granted me a associates degree for my qualification. i am currently not working and have not gathered any work experience for my license so far. What is the fastest way to get my CPA license? even if that meant to transfer my scores to colorado…Do you think if I send my transcripts to WES and get my education re evaluated today and end up getting 150 credit hours, I will be qualified under Colorado state to apply for my license? I would appreciate your help.
Hi Stephanie,
Please let me know whether i am eligible for CPA. I did my B.Com and LLB from Osmania University, India.
Best regards,
Abid Shareef
Hi Stephanie,
I am a Chartered Accountant in India and presently working with an MNC bank. I have sent my CPA eligibility documents to FACS and the same got approved as well. Can you please guide me about the documents reqd for CPA exam application to Colorado? Whether the CPA exam application is an online application only? casue I tried to fill the info, but in the application it asks for no. of hours earned in graduation/under graduation in accountancy etccc……… From where i’ll come to know about these credit hours? Am i supposed to put the hours mentioned by FACS in their communication letter to me?
Really don’t have any idea about the examination process. Can you pls help me in this matter urgently?
Hi Srilakshmi,
May I ask you ..after passing the CPA exams did Delaware gave you CPA Certification ? Now are you looking for license so that you could be in public accounting ?
Thanks,
SJC
Hi Stephanie,
Really need your advice. I am currently living in India and i just wanna clear CPA. I don’t have interest in applying for the licence and practicing in India. Do i need to submit both the affidavit for SSN and affidavit for eligibility?
Desperately waiting for your guidance.
Regards,
Ritesh Jain
hello deepti
i also have passed ICSI my mail id is geetanjali.m.sharma[@]gmail.com pls give me ur mail id if possible ….
Hi Stephanie,
I must appreciate the way you are helping out CPA students.
I am a B.Com Graduate (3 yrs)+ Chartered Accountant from India(residing in India).
I sent all of my documents to FACS for evaluation to get registered under CO.
But unfortunately i came to know that CO doesn’t recognize CA’s from India anymore.
I intend to work in public accounting in US.
So please suggest a state where i can get registered with minimal licensure requirements.
Hi Milind,
If you intend to work in public accounting in US, then you can apply to Michigan because they allow Indian CA cert holders to take the CPA exam.
But then you will have to accumulate at least one experience of a financial audit in order to get the license. Since you plan to work in public accounting anyway, this should work. Good luck! Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
I am confused with CPA requirements of different states.
Can please advise me on the basis of my education and experience.
I did my B.Com (3 years) Graduate and Chartered Accountant from India.
I moved in Canada seven years ago and I finished CGA designation from Certified General Accountants of Ontario, Canada.
Presently I am working in public practice (C.A. Firm) in Toronto last 5 years under Supervision of Canadian C.A.
I also heard that now a days Colorado doesn’t accepting CA’s designation from Indian or non-participating countries.
Should I eligible for Colorado for CPA exam requirement and later on licensing requirement on the basis of my education and experiences?
If not please also suggest me other states with minimal education requirement for CPA Exam and later on licensing.
Thanks
Hi Ritesh,
Yes, since you get everything approved you can simply fill in the credit hours as evaluated by FACS. From now on the application should be easy! Stephanie
On your second question… do you have a SSN? If yes, then put in the SSN number; if not, fill in the affidavit for eligibility.
Looks like you may have the SSN — please note that I *think* Colorado allows you to sit for the exam without a SSN but will grant you a license with a SSN. This is one of the few points that my readers and I get conflicting advice… but looks like for the majority of us, the version stated above (i.e. SSN required for the ultimate license) is correct.
Please call in and check for yourself as well. Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for the suggestion.
I have heard that Maine also recognizes Indian Chartered Accountants.
Is it true??
Which is preferable Michigan or Maine in terms of eligibility for CPA exams for Indian CA’s??
Milind
Hi Trushar,
I think you can try checking with Michigan state board and see if they accept working experience that is supervised and verified by Canadian CAs. If it does, then you are all set because (1) they allow Indian CA holders to sit for the exam; and (2) they need public accounting experience that you have. Again, the next thing to check is to make sure your Canadian experience is verifiable.
Good luck! Let me know how it goes.
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for putting up all the useful information. i have an unusual situation, I am a Chartered Accountant from India with Bachelors of Commerce (Accounting) Degree. I already passed the CPA Exam from Colorado in 2006, however never applied for a CPA Licence, in absence of Public Accounting Experience. I do have 20+ years of working experience in industry. I want get a CPA Certificate or an Inactive Licence. What are my options from Colorado or any other states for this?.
Hi Stephanie
I want to thank you for sharing such useful information about CPA.
Yordanos
Sure Yordanos, you are most welcome! Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
I am a chartered accountant from India. I have 20+ years of experience. I am now working in US and have an SSN. I would like to appear for CPA examination. Please advise me whether I am eligible to write the CPA examination and if so, which state examination. I would like to have a licence.
Hi,
I passed all my four papers of the CPA exam, with the last one back in 2008. However I did not take the ethics exam and applied for a licence. I am working with one of the big fours with their backend teams. Please advise if I can still apply and if my qualification holds good
I should have mentioned I am an international student from India
Hi Alka, did you register through Colorado? From what I remember, CO may have a deadline in terms of getting the license. Hope I am wrong. It is best to check CO state board directly. Regards, Stephanie
Colorado Exam Scores do not expire!
Hi Sam, let me check again now 🙂 Stephanie
Update: Sam, I can’t find the clause anymore, so yes likely no such deadline now. There has been a substantial change in rules in 2015.
Did you see it mentioned on my site (other than the comments)? If so please let me know so I can delete it. But if it is in the comments, I can’t really do that. Rules keep changing and hopefully readers can see the (old) dates on the comments and realize those may not be up-to-date. Thanks.
Hi Stephanie,
I called and confirmed with the Colorado State Board.
That’s great Sam. I should have updated the info on my site. If I see it popping up later, will make sure I change that too. Thanks again, Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
My name is Priya and I am a Chartered Accountant from India with a BComm Degree. I moved to the United States a couple of years ago and would like to pursue CPA in the future. Could you guide me regarding my eligibility in different states as I want to be sure before paying fees with evaluation agencies.
Hi Priya, I would need to write pages of info to list out the difference in eligibility… in fact, you can get all the information from this page and click on the info for each state: https://ipassthecpaexam.com/cpa-exam-requirements/
I guess it’s better for you to start by reading this page first. I wrote it with BCOM + CA candidates in mind: https://ipassthecpaexam.com/indian-bcom-ca-holders-for-us-cpa-exam/
Hi Stephanie,
My name is John and I cleared the CPA exam in 2010 and initiated the licensing process a month back, after which, CO Licensing reverted with deficiencies in education mainly in 3 hours of Accounting ethics, 3 hours of accounting or business communication. Can you suggest any university that offers online non-degree courses for the mentioned topics. Thanks and appreciate your valuable feedback.
Hi John, maybe you can try the UNA course? Check out my suggestions here: https://ipassthecpaexam.com/extra-credits-for-cpa-exam-requirements/
Hi Stephanie,
I passed my CPA exam from Colorado State Board of Accountancy in 2009. I wish to apply for CPA license from CO. Could you please guide me on the same? I have completed my 3 years Bachelors degree in Accountancy from India and am also a Chartered Accountant from India . I have 5+ years of work experience in USA.
Thanks
SSP
Hi SSP, I am not sure how to proceed to be honest… unless you are willing to take a 2-year MCOM to fulfill the degree requirements (as well as for the 150-hour requirements). The rule has been changed and it is quite hard to work backwards…
Hi!
Can you explain me about pre-evaluation service. Can I send my international evaluated report from http://www.ece.org (course-by-course) to Compliance Services Department with money order 50$ for pre-evaluation (Colorado state) for 2017 year.
Thanks.
Zita.
Hi-
I am not currentlyt physically present in the United Staes and unless I asnwer that I am, the online renewal process does no let me continue.
Please explain why this is required by the online process and how I can renew in my circumstancxe.
Thanks very much