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.

You can submit a request for an administrative review if you received one of the decisions below following the review of your application:

• Refusal of your application for temporary selection under the Foreign Student Program;
• Refusal of your application for temporary selection under the Temporary Stay for Medical Treatment Program;
• Refusal for your undertaking application as a legal person to sponsor a refugee under the Program for Refugees Abroad (Collective Sponsorship);
• Refusal of your application for validation of a job offer under the Regular Skilled Worker Program;
• Refusal of your application for permanent selection under one of the following immigration programs:
  • Regular Skilled Worker Program;
  • Permanent immigration pilot programs;
  • Investor Program;
  • Self-Employed Worker Program;
  • Entrepreneur Program;
  • Programme de l’expérience québécoise (Québec Experience Program);
• Rejection of your immigration application (regardless of the program) for one of the following reasons:
  • You did not demonstrate the veracity of your statements;
  • You did not provide requested information or a requested document;
  • The application contains false or misleading information;
  • In the five years preceding the examination, you allegedly gave false or misleading information.

The following situations are not subject to a request for administrative review:

• You received a decision to refuse your undertaking application as a natural person to sponsor a refugee under the Program for Refugees Abroad (Collective Sponsorship);
• You received a decision to refuse your selection request under one of the following programs:
  • Program for Refugees Abroad;
  • Program for Persons Selected on the Basis of Humanitarian Considerations;
• You received a decision to refuse your temporary selection request under a Temporary Foreign Worker Program;
• We refused to examine your immigration request;
• We refused, suspended, did not renew or revoked your recognition as an immigration consultant;
• We cancelled the decision for your temporary or permanent selection;
• We cancelled your undertaking application to sponsor a refugee under the Program for Refugees Abroad (Collective Sponsorship);
• We cancelled your undertaking application to sponsor a member of your family;
• We negatively evaluated the impact of your job offer on the labour market;
• We imposed a monetary administrative sanction;
• We made a decision for a reason in the public interest;
• You submitted your request for administrative review after a deadline of 90 calendar days. This deadline was indicated in the letter of intent to refuse that you received from us.

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.

Complete and sign the form

You must make your request in writing by using the Request for review (PDF 216 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.

You must:

• Specify the contested decision;
• Provide the reason why you are requesting a review;
• 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 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.