CAQ Quebec 2026: Quebec Acceptance Certificate for Students

As of July 24, 2026.

If you plan to study in Quebec, you need a document that students heading to any other province never encounter: the Certificat d'acceptation du Québec (CAQ), or Quebec Acceptance Certificate. Quebec selects its own temporary immigrants, so the province approves you first and the federal government approves you second. Miss this step and your study permit application goes nowhere.

One thing to clear up immediately: "CAQ" also stands for Coalition Avenir Québec, the provincial political party. This guide is about the immigration document.

What does CAQ mean in Quebec immigration?

Short answer: CAQ stands for Certificat d'acceptation du Québec, the Quebec Acceptance Certificate. It is a provincial document issued by the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI) confirming Quebec accepts you as a temporary resident to study or work there. You need it before Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will issue your study permit.

Quebec is the only province that runs its own selection process for temporary residents. Under the Canada-Quebec Accord, the province decides who it accepts, and Ottawa handles admissibility, security, and medical screening afterward. The practical effect is a two-stage approval: Quebec first, then the federal government.

You apply for the CAQ online through MIFI's portal. The province publishes the process on its temporary selection application page and a general overview at Studying in Québec. Note that Quebec's most detailed pages are published in French, which is worth knowing before you start.

How long is a CAQ valid?

Short answer: A CAQ for studies is generally issued to cover the length of your academic program, and it is commonly valid for up to 49 months. If your program runs longer, or if you change programs or institutions, you apply to renew or amend the certificate before it expires.

Validity is tied to your program, not to a fixed calendar period. A two-year college diploma typically receives a CAQ covering that program plus a short buffer. Because your study permit cannot extend beyond the validity of your provincial certificate, an expiring CAQ effectively caps your permit.

Confirm current validity periods on the province's official pages before you rely on any figure, since Quebec has adjusted its temporary immigration rules repeatedly through 2025 and 2026.

What documents do you need to obtain a CAQ?

Short answer: You generally need a letter of admission from a Quebec institution, a valid passport, proof you can cover tuition and living costs, and a completed online application. MIFI sends you a personalized document checklist after you pay, because required documents vary by applicant.

The core set is predictable:

1. Letter of admission from a recognized Quebec educational institution
2. Valid passport for you, and identity documents for any accompanying family
3. Proof of financial capacity covering tuition, living expenses, and return transport
4. Completed online application submitted through MIFI's portal
5. Payment of the processing fee

MIFI generates a personalized checklist in your online file once payment clears, which is the list that actually governs your file. Documents in a language other than English or French usually require a certified translation. Do not assemble your package from a third-party checklist alone, since the province adjusts requirements without much notice.

How much does a CAQ cost in 2026?

Short answer: The CAQ processing fee rose to CA$135 effective January 1, 2026, according to figures reported for the current schedule. You pay online by credit card, and the fee is charged per applicant rather than per family.

The fee is separate from, and additional to, the federal study permit fee you pay IRCC later. Budget for both.

Fee schedules change at the start of the calendar year, so verify the current amount on Quebec's official application page before paying. Quebec has raised immigration-related fees more than once in recent years, and a stale figure repeated on a third-party site is a common source of underpayment, which gets applications returned.

What is the difference between a CAQ and a CSQ?

Short answer: A CAQ is temporary and a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ) is permanent. The CAQ supports a study permit or work permit for a defined period. The CSQ is Quebec's selection certificate for permanent residence, and it is the document you need before applying to IRCC for permanent resident status through a Quebec stream.

Students confuse these constantly, and the distinction matters because they sit at opposite ends of the immigration journey.

If your longer-term plan is to stay in Quebec permanently, the CSQ is what you eventually pursue, often through the Programme de l'expérience québécoise (PEQ) or the skilled worker stream. We cover both in our guides to the Quebec Experience Program and the Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés, and the Arrima portal is where skilled worker profiles are submitted.

Can you study in Canada without a CAQ?

Short answer: Yes, in two situations. If your program in Quebec lasts six months or less and you will finish within your authorized stay, you generally need neither a CAQ nor a study permit. And if you study anywhere in Canada outside Quebec, the CAQ does not apply to you at all.

The six-month exemption is the one most people ask about. Quebec institutions including Polytechnique Montréal confirm that foreign nationals taking a program of six months or less, completed inside their authorized period of stay, can study without a CAQ or a study permit. The exemption is narrower than it sounds: if you intend to extend, transfer into a longer program, or work on campus, you will need the full documentation.

Studying outside Quebec removes the question entirely. A student heading to Ontario, British Columbia, or Alberta deals only with IRCC and applies directly for a study permit without any provincial certificate.

How do you apply for a CAQ, step by step?

Short answer: Accept your admission offer, apply online through MIFI's portal, pay the fee within one hour of submitting, upload the personalized document list MIFI generates, then wait for your attestation before you apply to IRCC for the study permit.

The sequence matters, because each step gates the next:

1. Receive and accept your letter of admission from a Quebec institution
2. Submit the online temporary selection application through MIFI
3. Pay the processing fee online by credit card, generally within one hour of submitting the form
4. Upload the personalized document list that appears in your file, typically within about 48 hours of payment
5. Receive your CAQ attestation in your online file
6. Apply to IRCC for your study permit, attaching the CAQ

Processing times vary. HEC Montréal advises students to expect the attestation in roughly 25 business days, though this fluctuates with volume and time of year. Apply as early as your admission letter allows, because the federal study permit stage still lies ahead of you and IRCC processing for the study permit adds further weeks.

What happens if your CAQ is refused or expires?

Short answer: A refusal usually reflects incomplete documents, insufficient proof of funds, or doubts about your intent to study. You can correct and reapply. If a valid CAQ expires while you are still studying, apply to renew it before the expiry date, since your study permit cannot outlast it.

Quebec does not run a formal appeal process for a refused CAQ in the way a court would. In practice the route forward is a stronger reapplication that addresses whatever the province flagged. Financial capacity is the most common weak point, particularly where funds arrived recently or come from a third party without clear documentation.

Timing is the other frequent failure. Because the CAQ gates the study permit, and the study permit gates your arrival, a late renewal cascades into a loss of status. Diarize the expiry date the day you receive the certificate.

Should you get help with a Quebec student application?

Most students complete the CAQ themselves, and for a straightforward file that is reasonable. The cases worth a second opinion are the ones where something is unusual: funds held by a relative, a previous refusal from any country, a program change mid-study, or an accompanying spouse who wants to work.

A licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) can tell you honestly whether your file needs help or whether you are fine on your own. If you want that review before you submit, book a consultation and we will go through your situation.

Sources

• Gouvernement du Québec, Demande de sélection temporaire pour études
• Gouvernement du Québec, Studying in Québec
• Government of Canada, Study permit (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada)