Submitting a request for an administrative review

If you disagree with the decision of the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI), you can submit a request for an administrative review of this decision.

Temporary immigration

International students

• Refusal or rejection of your application for temporary selection in the International Student Program.

Temporary residents for medical treatment

• Refusal or rejection of your application for temporary selection under the Temporary Resident Program for medical treatment.

Permanent immigration

Economic immigration

• Refusal or rejection of your application for permanent selection in one of the following programs:
  • Regular skilled worker program;
  • Québec experience program;
  • Self-employed workers program;
  • Entrepreneur Program;
  • Permanent immigration pilot program for orderlies;
  • Pilot program for permanent immigration of workers in the artificial intelligence, information technology and visual effects sectors;
  • Pilot program for permanent immigration of food processing workers;
• The refusal or rejection of your application for an undertaking as a legal person required under section 97 of the Québec Immigration Regulations (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") in an economic immigration program;
• The rejection of your application for an undertaking as a resident of Québec required under section 97 of the Regulations in an economic immigration program;
• Refusal or rejection of your request to validate a job offer.

Family reunification

• Rejection of your undertaking to participate in the family reunification program.

Humanitarian immigration

• Refusal or rejection of your undertaking as a legal entity in the Refugee Abroad Program (group sponsorship);
• Rejection of your undertaking as a group of two to five individuals in the Refugee Abroad Program (group sponsorship);
• Rejection of your application for permanent selection in the program for persons selected on humanitarian grounds;
• Refusal or rejection of your undertaking as a legal entity required under Article 9 of the Regulations in the Program for persons selected on the basis of humanitarian considerations;
• The rejection of your undertaking as a resident of Québec required under section 9 of the Regulation in the Program for persons selected on the basis of humanitarian considerations;
• Rejection of your application for permanent selection in the Special Program for Asylum Seekers during during COVID-19.

The following decisions are not subject to administrative review:

• Refusal or rejection of an application based on the condition or criterion relating to knowledge of French or English
  • Exception: you may, however, request a review of a rejection for missing English or French documents, i.e. under paragraph 2 of section 57 of the Act ;
• Refusal for reasons of public interest under section 37 or 38 of the Act;
• Rejection under paragraph 5 of section 57 of the Act.

We must receive your request for review within a maximum of 90 calendar days after the date of the contested decision.

The deadline starts the day after the decision is sent and ends on the 90^th day thereafter. If the 90^th day coincides with a non-working day in Québec, the deadline will be extended to the next working day.

Documents you submit after this deadline will not be reviewed.

If you submit a request after the deadline, for your request to be admissible, you must justify why you were late and demonstrate that it was not possible for you to act earlier.

A request for administrative review must be based on one of the following grounds:

• The person was unable, for reasons deemed sufficient, to be heard;
• a basic or procedural defect likely to invalidate the decision, i.e. there is a clear error of law or fact that has a decisive effect on the contested issue;
• A new element is found which, had it been previously known, could have justified a different decision, and which the person, for reasons beyond their control, was unable to provide at the time of submitting their request.

Complete and sign the form

You must make your request in writing by using the Request for review (PDF 227 Kb) form. Use of the form is mandatory. The form must be duly completed and signed. If not, we may refuse to process your request for review.

In order for your request for review to be admissible, you must:

• Specify the contested decision;
• Provide the reason why you are requesting a review. You must give reasons for your request and explain why you consider the decision to be incorrect;
• Describe the outcome you are seeking.

If necessary, you can attach other sheets of paper to the form in order to describe the reasons behind your request.

Attach the documents to support your request

You must include:

• A photocopy of the decision to refuse or reject; and
• Any other document that you consider relevant to support your request for review.

Only supporting documents that relate to a fact that existed at the time the initial decision was made can be considered.

Send your request by mail 

We do not accept any requests sent:

• By fax;
• By telephone; or
• By e-mail.

If your request is complete and meets all applicable requirements, you will receive an acknowledgment from the Service de réexamen administratif within 30 days of the date of receipt of your request.

Otherwise, you will receive a letter specifying the reasons why we have refused to process your request.

The processing times for administrative review requests vary based on:

• The program;
• The volume of applications;
• The complexity of the applications.