Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ): How It Works With Your Study Permit

What the CAQ is and why Quebec has one

The Quebec Acceptance Certificate — Certificat d'acceptation du Québec, or CAQ — is a provincial document that the Government of Quebec requires from most international students who plan to study in the province beyond a set short period. It is issued by Quebec's immigration ministry (the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration, MIFI), not by the federal government.

Quebec is the only Canadian province that runs its own selection step for international students on top of the federal system. A student heading to a Quebec university or CEGEP generally needs two approvals: the provincial CAQ first, and then the federal study permit from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Students going to other provinces do not deal with a CAQ at all.

This is general information, not immigration advice. The rules, the exemptions and the minimum study length that triggers a CAQ can change — confirm the current requirement on the official Quebec government and IRCC websites before you apply.

The two-step sequence: CAQ first, then study permit

The order matters in Quebec. You normally apply for and receive the CAQ from MIFI before you submit your federal study permit application, because IRCC asks for proof of your CAQ as part of the study permit process for Quebec-bound students.

In practice the journey looks like this: get a letter of admission from a Quebec institution, apply to MIFI for the CAQ (this is the application for temporary selection for studies), receive the attestation that your CAQ has been issued, and only then lodge your study permit application with IRCC, attaching that attestation. Building in time for both steps is important because each has its own processing window. Confirm the current sequence on the official sources.

• Step 1 — Receive an official letter of admission from a Quebec university or CEGEP
• Step 2 — Apply to MIFI for the CAQ (the application for temporary selection for studies)
• Step 3 — Receive the attestation that your CAQ for studies has been issued
• Step 4 — Apply for the federal study permit with IRCC, including your CAQ attestation
• Step 5 — Receive the study permit / port-of-entry letter and travel to Canada

What MIFI looks at for the CAQ

The CAQ application generally asks you to show that you have been admitted to a recognised Quebec institution, that you can support yourself financially during your studies, and that you meet Quebec's other student conditions. MIFI sets the exact documents and any financial-capacity amounts.

Because the required documents and financial-capacity figures are set by the province and updated periodically, do not rely on an amount you read elsewhere. Check the current required documents and the financial-capacity amount directly on the Quebec government's official study-in-Quebec pages before you submit, and verify on the official website before you act.

How the CAQ connects to the study-permit framework and the attestation letter

Canada introduced a cap on new study permits, and for many applicants a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) must accompany the federal study permit application. Quebec's arrangement works differently from other provinces: per IRCC's own guidance, students bound for Quebec submit the attestation of issuance of their CAQ in place of a separate PAL. In other words, your CAQ attestation is the document IRCC expects from Quebec students at the relevant study levels.

These rules have changed recently and continue to be administered by both Quebec and IRCC, including which study levels and programs are affected and any exemptions. Treat anything specific to your situation as something to confirm on the official IRCC and Quebec sources at the time you apply. This is general information, not immigration advice — verify on the official websites before relying on it.