ok thanks for ur advise and from where r u taking cpa classes and if any further details u get plz let me knw

Hi Ashish

Thanks for the reply would like to know in which earliest possible window would i be able to appear in and also the course duration offered by New Horizons for preparationfor cpa and cost of the total course...?

Sriji

Hi Sriji,

Well, cost I was informed is 2.10 lakhs as given in my original post. Then the duration of the course is about 5 months. I maybe able to appear in the December window but it all depends on the visa problems and others. Also studies have to be completed by then. Classes for December window have started here. But I guess it is better you contact your local New Horizon (name now changed to Orbit Institutes Pvt Ltd) office. I have heard that there are other cheaper options also. But this seemed to be the only reliable institute around my place.

Hope this will help you,

Regards,

Ashish

hi

can u plz tell me whether getting visa a very difficult thing for going and giving exams

Hi Prerna,

Visa is something which one can never be sure of. As there are changes in the U.S economy, the visa procedures keep changing. Also it has happend that in certain cases people with nearly matching characteristics are treated differently. New Horizon office provides advice (as per what they have said) on how to go about with the Visa procedure.They say that CA/ inter is a good addition as a question generally arises as there is already a professional accounting profession in India why opt for CPA. When you prove that you are actually doing the course or are already qualified, their that question is answered for. Also what one has to prove is that after getting an educational visa you will not go there and abscond. They don't want you to be another burden on their economy. How well you prove that to them generally decides your visa chances. These info are based on the experiences of people I know directly or indirectly.

Regards,

Ashish

hi

dats means dey wil question us as to y we are doing cpa since we are pursuing ca but y do dey a problem

Their problem is justified as there are many who take students visa and abscond in their country putting unnecessary pressure on their economy. So it is normal that they interview us before they make up their mind if to issue the visa. Today I met a person who is also doing the CPA course. She attempted two subs this month. She received the students visa for 10 years. What she says is that in the interview you have to be confident. Everything you say should tally with the details provided. If they find anything to the contrary they can reject you at any time. She also said that they ask you where you are working now. Maybe they are of the opinion that if you have a job here the chances of you coming back are more. So they might be impressed and issue the visa. If you are doing CA they will ask why CPA too? A good answer might be that you want to do it parallely as it adds as an additional qualification.

Then she concluded the whole visa process in one word- Luck.

So you need not just confidence and preparation, you really need luck too or in other words- God's grace.

Regards,

Ashish

hey Ashish .... i was just reading all the above posts and just realised that u happend to b the one posting the question ... and ended up answering everyone .... ne ways ..... i too m thinking of CPA as an add on the my CA degree (i m a Final Student now ) ... i visited the site ....and understood the following from the site .... * CPA has 4 subjects ..... the exam is mostly objectives .... and the fees in bout  $1200 without coaching ... and travelling expenses .... also there was some news bout being able to give the cpa exam in some other countries .... just check the site u will know what i m talking bout .. the changes took place from aug 2011 .... ok now .... coming back to the eligibility for the exams requires 15 yrs of education .... so if u cleared ur ca inter u r eligible for the exam .... the thing that i m confused bout is the whole Licensure thingy .... i just finished my articleship and i m in no mood to do ne more articleship .... so i just wanted to know if clearing the exam is ne good if i dont do the internship thingy .... and secondly what i wanted to know is if coaching is a must .... :-) ... waiting for ur reply ..... 

HEY ASHISH , 

I HAD BEEN GREAT SEEING THE KIND OF INTREST U HAVE IN THE CPA , I MA A C.A  I M PLANNING FOR THE EXAM IN MAY 2012, FROM NEW HORIZIONS (HYD), THERE ARE FEW ISSUES I NEED TO CLEAR

1. THERE WILL BE NO NEED TO WORRY FOR THE VISA AS U ARE NOT GOING TO STAY THERE FOR YEARS JUST LIKE OTHER GRADUATES, ITS JUST FOR ONLY THE EXAM MOSTLY FOR 1 MONTH, SO NO PBLM FOR VISA 

2. THE OTHER THING THAT I HAVE ENQUIRED FROM THE CONSULTANTS IN US , THEY SAY THAT THE KIND OF DEMAND FOR CPA IN US IS AT AN AVERAGE , TO SPEAK FRANKLY IF U WANNA BE IN US THEN ITS A KIND OF KNIFE PLAY , BUT THE DEMAND IN  INDIA AND UAE , AUS IS AT AGOOD STRETCH,

I HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE ON THE EXAM, WHAT EVER MAY BE THE RESULT, I SUGGEST U TO MOVE ON.

DONT LEAVE C.A IN INDIA U WILL BE GLOBALLY RENOWED FOR THE DEGREE U POCESS 

SO ALL THE BEST BRO

Hi Amit,

I think your decision for pursuing US CPA is great.

Just to share my experience with you,  I am a part of BIG FOUR in Kolkata(offshore division).  Hence, I am lucky to work with lot  of CA  and US CPA'S.  Based on the interection with them I understand-

1) you are correct. Majority time CPA' s are overpaid than CA and other qualificatied persons at least for BIG FOUR( exception- if you are CA rankholder or you are a part of Indian Audit, Assurance and Taxes (i.e not part of any offshore activities ), or US CPA engage any offshore activities other than US).  However , there may be some exceptions.

2) The reason is there are lot more offshore activities where CPA'S opinion/ signature ( ex-US individual & Corporate taxes) is much valuable than CA'S signature.

3) As per discussion with  some CA' S who did there US CPA's also, there is no exemption for CA 's for CPA.  However, they usually get some state wise benefit.

4) After clearing your CPA, always try to enter any BIG FOUR to get the maximum benefit of it.  And definately any relevant department (like US taxes, US audit etc.). The reason is, definately CPA is a good course but remember it is not CA. Hence you will be valued by your company if you have relevent experience.

Hope these information will help you .

Best of luck for your CPA.

Hi all,

It feels great to see so many responses to my query and replies. Thanks to all who took the pain to enlighten me.

Now with regard to individual responses:

@ Navin Ninan

Well, I am still pretty much confused if New Horizon is a good option, as you can buy the same study material online at a much lower price. Also in the CD given to us, the lecture classes are disabled. We have to go and attend the video classes from their office. While if you buy CD online you can attend the classes when you feel like and there is no restriction for you using it for 6 months. My main attraction to New Horizon was that they provide facililty for getting the required educational requirement and the so called help for getting the Visa and other requirements. But right now I feel that anyone with a degree in Commerce and CA inter might be eligible for the course. Regarding the other services, I guess they are just advisory in nature and more of a general advices kind. I mean like they are somewhat and vague and not something which you can't get from someone who already has some experience with the visa process. I haven't yet used those services. So maybe I am wrong. I hope to be able to give a more clear response in the coming days.

@ sydlima

Yes it is true that I started this thread asking questions but ended up answering queries of many. It is because that when I started this thread I didnt have a clue about CPA. As time passes I am gaining knowledge about the whole stuff which I find my responsibility to share with all those who might find it useful. Also your query with regard to the licensure procedure is confusing to me too. There are certain states which require the work experience (ranging from 1 to 2 years). Also in some states there are states where the work experience is to be done under close guidance and in some just under any CPA is fine. But as far as I am aware of, the CPA to be actually able to work as a CPA has to complete the work experience requirement. He can work in any of the Big Four with his CPA certification and obtain the required work experience. Unlike the articleship of CA, this is pretty much different and you will be paid more or less like salary unlike stipend of CA articles. And anyways take the work experience period as gaining experience. In any field for you to get better jobs you need experience. So this is just like that.

Then about coaching, I think it is needed, as the course is vast and applying for the exam is expensive. So one has to be prepared well. Then since there is no actual course material given by the exam body one has to get course review material from one of the many choices such as Becker, Yaeger, etc. There is already a thread with regard to evaluation and comparison of different review courses.

@ Santosh

Thanks bro for all the info and guidance. But I am thinking about chances in Australia and UAE. Since there is already a specific CPA program for Australia is CPA US of much demand? Also for UAE, under the current situations, is there much scope?

Hope to hearing from you soon and thanks again. By the way best wishes with you course. Do well.

@ Kaustav

Thanks a lot for the all the info.

1. & 2. really didnt have a clue. Thanks for the info.

3. Under the new regulations there are no exemptions for CA's even state wise. All the facilities have been withdrawn.

4. With regard to training in Big Four, do you suggest in India or in some other country. Also can you please clarify if it is too difficult to get into a Big Four with CPA? I know it won't be that easy but yet, for clarification.

and one more thing, no offence but my name is Ashish and not Amit. ;-)

Hope to be hearing from you all.

Regards,

Ashish

Thanks a ton Ashish for shaingyour thoughts..... It really helps.....

One more Question ( again ;-) )...  Do CA's have to write Fed Tx Course for eligibility or is the Qualification considered for Score credits during evaluation ?

Cheers,

Navin

Hey Ashish its really nice to see some good information and queries on CPA. I've been thinking of pursuing CPA too for quite some time now..and seeing these posts gives me some assurance that it is a good degree cause many others are also planning to pursue it.

Do you have any idea if its possible to first secure a US Visa and then apply for CPA ?..cause i've heard that some people have been rejected by the visa officers in the past.

Also i know what im gonna ask next will really sound negative, but i just wanna see what idea or thoughts people can give on it. As we all know, very few people clear all 4 CPA papers in the first attempt. Many have to re-appear for maybe 1-2 or more in the next testing window. As an Indian appearing for the test in USA, what does one do if they also need to re-appear again ? Are we supposed to come back and go again or is there a possiblity of finding some job in the mean time and also simultaneously study ? Just wondering what must be done in such a situation cause coming back and forth will really involve a lot of travelling, money and frustration at times too

And finally replying to Navin's question, CA's are mostly not required to appear for the Federal Taxation Course. But it really depends on the Evaluating Agency and the US State you choose. Some of them give full credit for CA, while some give less hours credit for it. The best way is to try and find out some past evaluations by 1-2 agencies and see the pattern they've been following to evaluate degrees and then choose one which fits best for your qualifications.

Regards,

Utsav.

Some students come to the USA on a students visa for completing Master's degree in Accounting or MBA and take the CPA exam. There are various affordable and recognized university providing scholarship/loan options.  After or during the course they work in the USA in CPT (cirrricular practical training) or OPT (optional practical training). They earn a good amount of money during the practical training to pay for all the expenes for Master's degree and CPA.  I know students who took this alternative path and are very successful.

Please visit www.cpachamps.com and feel free to contact me if you are interested.