Overview and When to Apply

The CAQ

The Certificat d'acceptation du Québec (CAQ), issued by Immigration Quebec, is a mandatory immigration document for all international students at McGill.

If you do not obtain a CAQ before the start of your program, you may be deregistered from McGill.

In order to study in Quebec, you must:

1. Apply for a Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) for studies from Immigration Quebec (you must obtain your CAQ before you apply for your study permit).
2. Hold a valid CAQ for the entire duration of your studies (if your CAQ will expire before the end of your program, you must apply to renew it before it expires).
3. Meet the conditions of your CAQ for the duration of your studies.

Some students do not need a CAQ to study in Quebec. For example:

1. students studying in a program that is less than 6 months in total (e.g. one-term exchange students)
2. recognized refugees and protected persons

Refer to Immigration Quebec’s website for a full list of students who are exempt from the CAQ requirement.

​​CAQ Conditions:

You must respect the conditions of your CAQ during your studies. These conditions include:

1. Making your studies your main activity:
   1. You must be enrolled as a full-time student for the entire duration of your studies, with the exception of your final semester.
   2. International undergraduate and master's non-thesis students are considered full-time as long as they are registered for at least 12 credits.
   3. Thesis students (master's thesis and PhD students) are considered full-time in every term that they are registered in, regardless of the number of credits they are taking.
2. Receiving the level of education that appears on your CAQ:
   1. The CAQ is level specific – i.e., your CAQ is only valid to use in the same level of studies it was issued for.
   2. If you change level of studies (e.g. Bachelor's to Master's), you must obtain a new CAQ for your new level of studies, even if your current one has not yet expired.
3. Holding valid health insurance for the entire duration of your studies.

When to Apply:

You should apply for your CAQ as soon as you have been admitted to McGill.

1. You will have to access your official admission letter through the Applicant Portal. In general, you do not need to wait to meet the conditions listed in your official admission letter before applying for your CAQ.
2. The electronic version is the only version of the admission letter you will receive. You should download and save a copy of your admission letter, as you may be required to provide it in future immigration applications.
3. If you are an undergraduate student, you must first pay your confirmation deposit in order to access the “official” letter of acceptance you will need to apply for your CAQ.

Processing times:

1. 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.
2. Note that processing times may be longer.
3. If the estimated processing time has passed, you may wish to contact Immigration Quebec by telephone to follow up on your application. We do not recommend that you resubmit your supporting documents or start a new application.

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