Required authorizations

To follow a course of more than six months in Québec as a foreign student, you must obtain the following two documents:  

• Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) for studies, issued by the government of Québec; 
• Study permit, issued by the government of Canada. 

To obtain these documents:

1. You must be admitted to a designated learning institutiony  in Québec;
2. You must apply for temporary selection for studies as soon as you obtain your letter of admission from the learning institution;
3. You must file your application for a study permit with the Government of Canada. To do so, you will need the letter attesting to the issuance of your Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) for studies.

If your application is accepted, you will obtain an Attestation of issuance of your Certificat d’acceptation du Québec  (CAQ – Québec Acceptance Certificate) for studies from the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI).

Before starting, check if you are in one of the situations where you do not need the Québec Acceptance Certificate for studies. 

If you are postponing your studies for more than one semester, you will have to obtain a new CAQ for studies.

You do not need a Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) for studies if you are in one of the following situations:  

• You wish to study in a program of six months or less.
• You are participating in a federal assistance program for developing countries, for example if you have a scholarship from:
  • The Commonwealth;
  • Global Affairs Canada;
  • The Francophonie.
• You are a minor in one of the following situations:
  • You are asking for asylum;
  • You are a recognized refugee;
  • You are a recognized protected person in Canada.
• You are a refugee or protected person in Canada;
• You are staying in Québec and your spouse who has Canadian citizenship or permanent residence has applied for an undertaking on your behalf;
• You have a temporary residence permit with a view to obtaining your permanent residence;
• You are completing your entire online study program in Québec or abroad;
• You wish to take French courses offered by the Québec government;
• You are authorized to study without a study permit;
• You hold a valid work permit (or a work authorization while awaiting extension of your work permit) from the federal government, and the application associated with that permit was received by IRCC on or before June 7, 2023.

You can wait up to six weeks after your arrival in Canada to obtain your Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) if you are a legal resident of:

• United States;
• Greenland;
• Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon.

Your accompanying minor child does not have to obtain a Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) to study in Québec if you are in one of the following situations:  

• Yor child attends preschool;
• Your child is already in Québec, has the obligation to attend elementary or secondary school and you are staying in Québec: 
  • As a temporary foreign worker;
  • As a foreign student;
  • To receive medical treatment.
• You are a parent in one of the following situations:  
  • You are asking for asylum;
  • You are a recognized refugee;
  • You are a recognized protected person in Canada.