Min Peng: A AICLF Success Story

My name is Min Peng. I am a newcomer from China. Before moving to Canada, my occupation was an auditor. I worked as an external auditor, also called accountant, with KPMG for more than two years and worked as an internal auditor for a bank for more than six years.

I moved to Canada in 2019 and I started working for JDI Logistics, a J.D. Irving company, as an Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable Associate.

Before moving to New Brunswick, I learned from Internet research there was a loan program organized by the New Brunswick Multicultural Council, Inc. that could support newcomers in becoming licensed to practice and or work in their specialized fields. However, when I contacted the New Brunswick Multicultural Council Inc., they said that this program has stopped for a while and there would be another program replace it. Then the AICLF came into place. I was the first applicant in New Brunswick for AICLF.

I was a CPA in China before moving to New Brunswick, and I want to become licensed to practice and or work in the accounting field again in Canada. To become a licensed CPA is quite expensive. If all goes smoothly, the total expense to get through CPA PEP should be CAD 13,386.

Also as the CPA Atlantic School of Business is not an educational institution designated for the purposes of student loans, so I could not apply for the student loan for my CPA PEP. It is lucky that after I moved to Saint John, YMCA offered the AICLF program.

It is my honor that I could start my career in Canada as an Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable Associate in JDI Logistics, beginning in June 2020. My daily responsibilities include preparation of accounts receivable & accounts payable invoices, verification & reconciliation of payments, review vendor accounts and process for payment.

With the help of AICLF, I can have the financial support to start studying in the CPA PEP immediately after moving to Canada. It’s allowing me to become more skillful in the accounting field and get well prepared for the Canadian job market.

I would highly recommend AICLF to other internationally trained immigrants. As you know, credential recognition can be a major barrier for immigrants to enter the labor market. The cost associated with getting credentials recognized is often prohibitive and can affect newcomers eventual inclusion in their chosen field.

AICLF is a community-based micro-loan program that assists internationally trained immigrants throughout Atlantic Canada in overcoming those financial barriers and to practice and/or enter the workforce in their field or a related field.

My advice is other internationally trained newcomers is we need to be well prepared if we still want to work in the same field as what we used to do before we moved to Canada.

We need to dig in and do the research to understand how can we get the certificate or credential recognized in Canada. As you know, different occupations have different rules. We may be able to transfer some credits form previous working experience or education. Find out all the related information about our own field before applying for the AICLF.