FAQs: Membership
- I am a candidate in the CFA Program. Am I also a member of CFA Institute?
- How can I apply for CFA Institute membership?
- I do not currently have 48 months of work experience. Can I still become a member of CFA Institute?
- What is the difference between affiliate and regular membership?
- How long will the membership application process take?
- I don’t have a supervisor, or do not wish to ask my supervisor to sponsor me. Can I still apply for CFA Institute membership?
- I don’t know any members of my preferred society. Can I still apply for CFA Institute membership?
- I do not live close to a member society. Can I apply to CFA Institute only without also applying to a member society?
- I am interested in applying for membership but am not sure I will qualify for regular membership. Can you pre-approve my work experience?
- I submitted a total of 56 months of work experience on my membership application, but I was only approved for affiliate membership. Why was I not made a regular member?
- I have learned that only a portion of my work experience was approved by CFA Institute for regular membership. I feel that my work experience does meet the regular membership guidelines. How should I proceed?
- My job title falls under those that are eligible for regular membership. However, when my work experience was reviewed, my job was not accepted. Is this a mistake?
I am a candidate in the CFA Program. Am I also a member of CFA Institute?
No. The CFA Institute membership process is separate from enrollment for the CFA Program.
How can I apply for CFA Institute membership?
Directions on the membership application process are available.
I do not currently have 48 months of work experience. Can I still become a member of CFA Institute?
Yes. If you do not have the necessary work experience for regular membership, you will be recommended for affiliate membership.
What is the difference between affiliate and regular membership?
The only difference in benefits between regular and affiliate membership is that only regular members are allowed to vote on CFA Institute proxies. Regular membership is a requirement for the award of the CFA charter.
How long will the membership application process take?
Processing may take up to eight weeks.
I don’t have a supervisor, or do not wish to ask my supervisor to sponsor me. Can I still apply for CFA Institute membership?
Yes, you will need to provide sponsor statements from two regular members of CFA Institute, one of whom must also be a member of your preferred society.
I don’t know any members of my preferred society. Can I still apply for CFA Institute membership?
Yes. You may contact your preferred society’s membership chair for assistance in locating sponsors. Also, a number of CFA Institute societies are willing to assist applicants in remote areas with locating society members to sponsor them. View further information on the Remote Sponsorship Program.
I do not live close to a member society. Can I apply to CFA Institute only without also applying to a member society?
You will still need to choose and apply to one of our member societies in order to apply for CFA Institute membership. A number of CFA Institute societies are willing to assist applicants in remote areas with locating society members to sponsor them. View further information on the Remote Sponsorship Program.
I am interested in applying for membership but am not sure I will qualify for regular membership. Can I you pre-approve my work experience ?
You must first submit your complete membership application, and we will review your work experience to determine the member type for which you qualify.
Sponsors
Someone I do not know well has asked me to sponsor her for CFA Institute membership. How should I proceed?
Please follow the guidelines for the Remote Sponsorship Program.
Work Experience
I submitted a total of 56 months of work experience on my membership application, but I was only approved for affiliate membership. Why was I not made a regular member?
Only a portion of your work experience was determined to meet the requirements for regular membership. You may view your application online to verify which position(s) did not meet the regular membership requirements.
I have learned that only a portion of my work experience was approved by CFA Institute for regular membership. I feel that my work experience does meet the regular membership guidelines. How should I proceed?
You may apply for an upgrade and provide further work history details. We will have these additional details re-reviewed to determine whether you will qualify for an upgrade to regular membership.
My job title falls under those that are eligible for regular membership. However, when my work experience was reviewed, my job was not accepted. Is this a mistake?
A job title alone cannot determine your qualifications for regular membership. The eligibility of your work is based on your detailed job description as well as your job titles and sponsor form narratives.If you still feel that your work experience should be acceptable for regular membership, you may apply again for an upgrade and provide further information.