US, Canada, Mexico extend CPA mobility agreement through 2028

An agreement between professional accounting bodies in North America’s three largest countries will extend cross-border practice mobility for CPAs through the end of 2028.

Officials from the United States, Canada, and Mexico signed an extension of the tripartite Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA).

“This agreement protects the cross-border practice of U.S. CPAs and their counterparts in Canada and Mexico, and it ensures businesses across North America can tap the broadest range of qualified accounting professionals and specialists,” Jim Knafo, CPA, the AICPA’s director–Global Alliances and CEO of the Global Accounting Alliance, said in a news release.

The MRA was signed by officials from the U.S. International Qualifications Appraisal Board, representing the AICPA and National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA); CPA Canada; and Mexico’s Instituto Mexicano de Contadores Públicos and Comité Mexicano para la Práctica Internacional de la Contaduría.

According to the news release, the agreement creates a streamlined path for cross-border professionals to work internationally with fewer administrative hurdles. In general, CPAs in the United States and Canada and CPCs in Mexico can obtain professional mobility to work across North America if they meet certain eligibility requirements and remain in good standing in their home jurisdictions.

“This agreement reflects decades of collaboration among our organizations,” Daniel J. Dustin, NASBA’s president and CEO, said in the release. “It supports qualified professionals who want to practice across borders while reinforcing the strong standards that define the CPA license. Just as important, it preserves the authority of state boards and our shared commitment to protecting the public.”

Find more information about this MRA and others on NASBA’s resource page.

— To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Bryan Strickland at Bryan.Strickland@aicpa-cima.com.