Current Students

• Yes. Given the long processing times for CAQ and study permit renewals, you should start the CAQ renewal process before registration opens for the 2026-2027 academic year.
• The processing time for:
  • CAQ renewals is generally longer than 25 business days
  • Study permit renewals from inside Canada (study permit extension) is between 4-6 months
• Normally, we suggest that you include proof of registration for a future term(s) with your CAQ renewal application. However, to increase the chances of obtaining your renewed CAQ and study permit before your current documents expire, you may wish to start the renewal process before course registration opens for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Documents to include if you apply to renew your CAQ before Fall 2026/Winter 2027 registration opens (i.e., before May 27th, 2026):

• Undergraduate students:
  • Proof of Credits Completed To-Date letter from Minerva for Winter 2026. If this letter is not accurate (e.g. does not correctly show the number of credits remaining), contact Service Point to request a revised letter.
  • Registration Dates Letter Fall 2026-Winter 2027.
  • Your official etranscript
  • Cover letter (signed by hand and dated) that explains why you are applying to renew your CAQ, why you are applying before obtaining proof of registration for the 2026-2027 academic year and when you expect to graduate based on the number of credits you have left to complete.
  • If possible, a letter from your academic advisor confirming your expected graduation date
• Graduate students:
  • Proof of Enrolment letter from Minerva for the Winter 2026 term and, if applicable, Summer 2026 term. *Note that Summer 2026 course registration will open in early March.
  • A letter from your department confirming your expected graduation date. The letter should also include your registration status in all terms and, if applicable, information about your tuition and any funding you will be receiving.
  • Your official etranscript
  • Registration Dates Letter Fall 2026-Winter 2027.
  • Cover letter (signed by hand and dated) that explains why you are applying to renew your CAQ, why you are applying before obtaining proof of registration for the 2026-2027 academic year and when expect to graduate.

• NOTE FOR CAQ:
  • If you receive an Intention of refusal notice from Immigration Quebec requesting additional documents for your CAQ application, contact our office right away.
• NOTE FOR STUDY PERMIT:
  • See our Study Permit FAQ’s (under Current Students) for more information on how to renew your study permit without proof of registration for Fall 2026/Winter 2027.
  • Applying before Fall 2026/Winter 2027 registration: When applying to renew your study permit, follow the instructions mentioned above. Then, once you are registered for Fall 2026/Winter 2027, make sure to submit your proof of enrolment letter(s) via the IRCC Web Form and request that it be added to your pending study permit application.
  • If you do not submit proof of enrolment to IRCC for the Fall 2026/Winter 2027 term(s), your study permit application may be refused.

• Applying to extend your study permit without your CAQ should only be done in exceptional circumstances. Students should apply for their new CAQ at least three months prior to the expiration of their study permit to ensure it is issued with ample time to submit their study permit extension application. That said, should you find yourself in a situation that requires you to apply to extend your study permit without yet having your CAQ, please read the below information carefully.
• IMPORTANT: If you submit an application to extend your stay in Canada as a student without a valid CAQ, your application may be refused or rejected as incomplete*, as having a valid CAQ is a required document when applying for your study permit. The decision to keep your application open until you have submitted your CAQ will be at the discretion of the Immigration Agent processing your file. For this reason, we suggest that you wait as close to the expiry date of your study permit (i.e. 2-3 days before your study permit expires) to submit your application with proof of your CAQ.
• *If your application is rejected as incomplete, it is as if the application was never submitted and you would not have maintained status after your study permit expires.
• The deadline to submit an application to extend your study permit is 11:59pm Coordinated Universal Time (or UTC) on the last day of your study permit’s validity. For example, if your study permit is valid until August 31, 2025, you would have until 11:59pm (UTC) on August 31, 2025 to submit your study permit extension.
• You must submit an application to extend your study permit using the IRCC secure account before your current study permit expires to maintain your status in Canada as a student. If you do not apply to extend your study permit from inside Canada before it expires, you will lose your status as a student and cannot study until you obtain a new study permit.
• NOTE: If you lose your status as a student, you have 90 days from the day your study permit expired (or was refused, if applicable) to apply to restore your status as a student. Please see our Maintained Status vs Out Of Status information page for more details.
• The following are the instructions you should follow in order to apply to extend your study permit if you have not yet obtained your CAQ, and which documents to include in lieu of your CAQ with your online application.

Instructions:

1. In the field requesting your new CAQ, upload a Cover Letter explaining when you applied for your CAQ, why you are applying without your CAQ and request that the Immigration Officer holds off on processing your study permit application until you have uploaded your new CAQ via the IRCC web form.
2. Your Cover Letter (Sample draft):

   To whom it may concern,

   I am a returning student at McGill University pursuing a degree in [PROGRAM]. As you can see from my attached documents, I applied for my new Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ) on [DATE] and it is currently being processed.

   OPTIONAL: Include reasons why you have not yet obtained your CAQ.

   Because I would like to ensure that I obtain maintained status, I am applying for a Study Permit without my new CAQ approval letter. As soon as I receive my CAQ approval letter, I will upload it via the IRCC Web Form. I am requesting that you allow my file to remain open until I submit my CAQ.

   If you need to contact me, you can reach me at [YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS] and/or [YOUR PHONE NUMBER].

3. You also need to include:
   1. a screenshot of your online application summary for a new CAQ that shows all of the relevant dates for your application including the date you applied, the date you paid and any other milestones such as the dates your documents were received by Immigration Quebec; and
   2. CAQ - Document checklist; and
   3. CAQ – Application Summary and Arrima Account Summary; and
   4. Proof of payment for your new CAQ; and (if applicable);
   5. If you have received an Intention to Refuse letter, you can include this as well.
4. All the above documents can be merged into one PDF and uploaded in the field for your CAQ.
5. Once you submit your study permit application, it will be pending until an officer opens the application.

What to do once your CAQ has been approved

1. As soon as your new CAQ has been approved, you must send your CAQ Approval Letter to Immigration Canada so that they may add it to your pending study permit application via the IRCC Web Form. You should not wait for Immigration Canada to request your CAQ as they do not always do so.
   1. If Immigration Canada sends a Request Letter asking for your new CAQ and you still do not have it, follow the instructions in that letter to request an extension to the deadline to provide your new CAQ.
   2. If Immigration Canada sends a Request Letter asking for your new CAQ and you have already submitted it via the IRCC Web Form, follow the instructions in the letter and submit your new CAQ again.
2. If your study permit application is refused, please book an appointment with an ISS advisor as soon as possible.

What are the Application Management Rules?

• The Government of Quebec has set a cap on the amount of CAQ’s that can be issued each year to each institution.
• The Application Management Rules determine if you are exempt from the CAQ cap or not.

Are you exempt?

• In the CAQ application, you will be asked “Are you eligible for an exemption set out in the application management rules indicated in the Table of exemptions from management of requests?”
• If you are extending your CAQ for the same program, same level of studies and same institution (McGill),
• Answer YES and select the following from the drop-down menu: I am applying to continue my current program of studies at the same institution and level of studies.
• You will need to upload a letter of explanation explaining how you meet an exemption from the application management rules. In your letter refer to your official e-transcript and Proof of Enrolment letters for all your terms of study (past and present) as proof that you are extending your CAQ for the same program, level of study and institution. You will upload your official e-transcripts and proof of enrolment letters in separate sections of the CAQ application. 
• If you are extending your CAQ for a different level of studies (e.g. you are going from Bachelor’s to Master’s, Master’s to PhD, etc.) or for a different institution, answer NO.
• For the list of exemptions, see the Immigration Quebec webpage.
• IMPORTANT:
  • Even if you are exempt from the Application Management rules, you are still required to obtain a CAQ. *NOTE: Exceptionally, students in very specific situations do not need a CAQ.
  • If you incorrectly answer the application management rules question, your CAQ application may be cancelled by Immigration Quebec (application fee will be refunded) and you will need to reapply.

Please consult the Arrima payment instructions prepared by the ISS immigration advising team.

• You can upload a copy of your official eTranscript (order an electronic official transcript) .
• For the official eTranscript, please ensure that you view/save your eTranscript according to the instructions provided by MyCreds when ordering. It is possible that a "COPY" watermark will appear on the eTranscript when you combine the eTranscript with other documents into one PDF, when you save the eTranscript to your computer, and/or when the immigration agent opens the file. We therefore recommend that you include a signed cover letter with your official eTranscript that explains this possibility.
• NOTE: When submitting your documents to MIFI electronically through Arrima, you should combine and save your signed Cover Letter and official e-transcript into a single PDF and upload the PDF file in the transcript section of the checklist. 
• Please contact us if you receive an Intention of refusal letter from MIFI requesting that you provide them with additional documents.

• Under normal circumstances, the standard processing time for the CAQ is 25 business days from the day Immigration Quebec confirms in your online portal that they have received your supporting documents. 
• You should continue to monitor the information on your CAQ online portal to verify if any updates have been made in your file.
• If more than 8 weeks have passed, you may wish to contact Immigration Quebec to follow up on your application.

• Under the current conditions for CAQ holders, international students must make their studies their principal activity. This means that in order to respect your CAQ conditions, you must maintain full-time student status every term for the duration of your program, with the exception of your last term.
• Under the current eligibility requirements to work on-campus and off-campus, international students must maintain full-time student status every term for the duration of their program, with the exception of their last term.
• Under the current eligibility requirements for the post-graduation work permit (PGWP), international students must maintain full-time student status every term for the duration of their program, with the exception of their last term.
• We, therefore, recommend that all international students maintain full-time student status for the duration of their program with the exception of their last term, so as not to compromise their ability to extend their CAQ, maintain authorization to work on and off-campus or their eligibility for the PGWP.
• If you must be part-time due to extenuating circumstances such as health issues or a family emergency, please contact us so that we may best advise you. You may also wish to review our Immigration Obligations page.

• Your CAQ is level specific which means you will need a different CAQ for undergraduate, master and doctoral studies. You will therefore need to apply for and obtain a new CAQ before starting your graduate studies in the Fall. When applying for your new CAQ, please follow the CAQ renewal guide as your application will be considered an extension and not a first CAQ application.
• Your study permit on the other hand is not level specific. If it is valid, you may use it to begin your studies in the Fall, right up until its expiry. You will have to renew it before it expires as you must have a valid study permit for the entire duration of your studies in Canada.

• Your CAQ will remain valid until its expiry date.
• Your study permit will remain valid up until it’s expiry date or:
  • 90 days from the date you receive official proof of completion of studies from McGill (see PGWP cheat sheet for more information) OR
  • On the date in you are no longer enrolled at your university, besides due to completing your studies (see Study Permit FAQ’s for more information).
    Whichever comes first.
• If you were outside of Canada and not enrolled at McGill during an academic term, you may need to be readmitted and apply for a new study permit before resuming your studies. Contact ISS for more information.
• In order to enter Canada, you must have a valid CAQ, study permit and Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or eTA.
• Important: Please review our Travel FAQs page before making any plans to travel to Canada

• YES. If submitting financial capacity documents from a joint bank account, both account holders (in this case, your parents) each need to complete and sign a separate Declaration of Financial Supportletter.
• As a general rule, when submitting proof of financial capacity, each person who will be supporting you needs to individually sign and date a Declaration of financial support letter and provide supporting documents that clearly demonstrate their financial capacity to provide for you during your studies.
• NOTE: If you will be receiving funding from your department, you should indicate that you are supporting yourself; your department does not need to sign the Declaration of financial support form.

• You do not have to apply for a new CAQ if you change programs at McGill as long as you meet the following conditions:
  • Your program of studies is the same length as your original program;
  • Your original CAQ was issued for university studies;
  • You do not change the level of study (e.g. Bachelor to Masters).
• NOTE:  You can find information on when to submit a new application for a CAQ for studies on the MIFI website.
• Please note that the information is only available in French.

If your checklist includes a request for proof of financial capacity, you - or whoever is supporting you - should provide a confirmation that you/they can cover tuition and fees plus one year of living expenses.