Required Documents

Documents Required for All Students

• Declaration, Commitments and Authorization (DCA) form: Along with your document checklist, you will receive a Declaration, commitments and authorizations form that you must sign.
  • It is very important that you carefully read the form as it describes the obligations that you must respect as a student in Quebec.
  • Your name and signature must match the name and signature in your passport. For example, if the name in your passport is written in Chinese characters, you must sign your DCA form in Chinese characters as well.
• A photocopy of the identity pages of your passport. Make sure to include the page (or pages) that contain:
  • Your personal information;
  • Your picture;
  • Your passport expiry date
  • Your signature
• Official electronic transcript (eTranscript). When ordering your etranscripts on MyCreds, send them to your email and then save the etranscript (including the cover page) as a PDF. Upload the PDF on Arrima. It is not possible to send the etranscript directly to Immigration Quebec from the MyCreds website.
• If you are an undergraduate student include a Proof of Credits Completed To-Date letter that you can print from Minerva. If this letter does not accurately reflect the number of credits you have completed, or if you have already completed 120 or more credits, include a letter from your Academic Advisor indicating your expected graduation date.
• If you are a graduate student, include a letter from your department stating your expected graduation date and any other relevant information (e.g. funding, expected dates for initial and final thesis submission, etc.).
• Proof of Enrolment letter(s) that you can print from Minerva. Your Proof of Enrolment letters should be for your most recent academic term and any upcoming term(s) for which you are already registered. If you are applying for the CAQ renewal before you are able to register for future terms, refer to our CAQ FAQ’s under Current Students for instruction.
  • If you answered YES to the question in the online questionnaire that asks, "Does an exemption specified in the application management rules apply to you?” because you are continuing your current study program at the same educational institution (McGill) and at the same level of study, include Proof of Enrolment letters for all your terms of study for the duration of your last CAQ (in addition to Proof of Enrolment for your most recent and any upcoming academic term(s).
• Include a letter of explanation with your application. Your cover letter should indicate: (1) Your program name and program start date, (2) Your expected date of graduation – i.e., indicate your expected final semester of studies (Fall/Winter/Summer and Year) and the month/year your degree will be granted, (3) The amount of tuition and fees for your next year of studies, and (4) How you will be paying for your tuition and fees and living expenses for your next year of studies.
  • If you were not a full-time student in every academic semester (not including regularly scheduled breaks and your final semester of studies) explain your reason(s) for this in your letter of explanation. Where applicable, include supporting documents that help to confirm the explanations you have provided. Contact ISS if you have any questions about what documents to include. Examples of not maintaining a full-time student status include: taking less than 12 credits in a semester; starting off full-time but then withdrawing from a course (or courses) and attempting less than 12 credits; withdrawing from the university; being on a leave of absence (LOA); not being registered for a semester and then being re-admitted.
  • If your transcript includes semesters where you earned less than 12 credits due to failed or abandoned courses (e.g. Fs, Ws, Js, Us, Ks, etc.), explain your reason(s) for this in your letter of explanation. Where applicable, include supporting documents that help to confirm the explanations you have provided.

Proof of Exemption from the Application Management Measures (If applicable)

• If you answered YES to the question in the online questionnaire that asks, "Are you eligible for an exemption set out in the application management rules indicated in the Table of exemptions from management of requests ?" include proof that you meet the exemption.
• EXAMPLE: If you meet the exemption because you are continuing your current study program at the same educational institution (McGill) and at the same level of study, include a separate letter of explanation as proof of your exemption. See a sample letter below:

  To whom it may concern,
  I meet the following exemption from the application management rules:
  I am applying to extend my CAQ in order to continue my current program of study (PROGRAM NAME) at the same educational institution (McGill) at the same level of study (LEVEL OF STUDY – e.g., Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD). Please see my official e-transcript and current and former Proof of Enrolment letters as proof.

• If you have a supporting letter from your department confirming this information, you can refer to it as well.

Financial Documents

The Personalized Document Checklist includes a list of documents that you can provide as proof of financial capacity. You do not have to provide all of them.

• You must demonstrate to Immigration Quebec that you have sufficient funds to pay for the cost of your studies (tuition and fees and living expenses) for at least your next year of studies or until your final term (whichever comes first).
• See McGill’s Tuition Fee Calculator for the tuition and fees amount in undergraduate programs and in graduate programs.
• To determine how much money you need to show to cover living expenses, see Costs of studies and living on Immigration Quebec’s website. If you have accompanying dependents, the amount will be higher.
• If you are receiving U.S. government aid, a copy of your application for future aid will not be sufficient: the approval of aid awarded will be required.

Recommended Documents as Proof of Financial Capacity

• A cover letter briefly explaining how you will be paying for your next year of studies or until your final term (whichever comes first). The letter should clearly indicate the estimated cost of your studies, living expenses and the source and amount of funds available. We suggest putting some of this information in a table and/or using bullet points.
• If applicable, proof of financial aid, departmental funding, scholarship/award, or student loan. A document proving you have applied for financial aid or a scholarship is not sufficient. You must have proof that the funds have been awarded.
• The 6 most recent bank statements of the person(s) paying for the cost of studies – e.g. your own, parent(s), family member, etc. NOTE: A bank letter can help complement, but does not replace bank statements.
• Declaration (Statement) of financial support form. Required if someone other than yourself is paying for your studies – e.g. parent(s), family member, friend, etc. If you are providing bank statements with more than one account holder listed, all account holders named must sign a Declaration of financial support form. This form is not required for graduate students who are receiving departmental funding.
• A copy  of the identification page of the passport(s) of the person(s) other than yourself who is paying for your studies – e.g. parent(s), family member, friend, etc.
• If the above documents do not, on their own, demonstrate that you have sufficient financial capacity, you can try to supplement them with:
  • Proof of employment (e.g. parents’ employment contract)
  • Recent pay stubs (e.g. parents’ 3 most recent pay stubs)
  • Other documents indicated on Immigration Canada’s website or Immigration Quebec’s website.

Signatures

• We recommend that you sign all forms, documents and letters by hand in blue or black ink and then scan and upload these to Arrima.
• This is especially important for the Declaration, commitments and authorization (DCA) form and the Declaration of financial support form.
• Even though Immigration Quebec indicates that it will accept other types of signatures (e.g., a handwritten signature using a stylus, touch screen or mouse), we have seen Immigration Quebec reject signatures that have not been signed by hand in ink.

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