Persons who wish to study or work temporarily in Quebec generally require a Quebec Certificate of Acceptance (Certificat d'acceptation du Québec — CAQ) in addition to the federal study permit or work permit issued by IRCC. The CAQ is a provincial document issued by the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI) — the Quebec government ministry responsible for provincial immigration. Quebec operates a distinct immigration regime under federal-provincial agreements that give the province significant authority over the selection and acceptance of temporary workers and students. The CAQ requirement means that a person studying or working in Quebec must satisfy both Quebec and federal admission requirements. The CAQ is separate from — and should not be confused with — the Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ), which is the selection document for permanent immigration to Quebec. This page explains when a CAQ is required, the application process, exemptions, and how the CAQ interacts with federal study and work permit applications.

For current CAQ requirements for students, refer to the IRCC study permit documents page. For the current CAQ application, refer to the MIFI website at immigration.quebec.gouv.qc.ca.

• Canada-Quebec Accord relating to Immigration and Temporary Admission of Aliens (1991) — the federal-provincial agreement that gives Quebec exclusive jurisdiction over the selection of economic immigrants and significant authority over temporary workers and students in Quebec; the basis for the CAQ requirement
• Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s 216(1)(b) — a study permit may be issued for study in Quebec only where the applicant holds a CAQ issued by the province of Quebec
• IRPR, s 200(1)(b) — a work permit may be issued for work in Quebec only where the applicant holds a CAQ, unless the worker is exempt from the LMIA requirement
• IRCC: Study permit documents — Quebec — canada.ca/study-permit-documents

CAQ for international students — study in Quebec

International students planning to study in Quebec at a designated learning institution (DLI) at the post-secondary level (and in most cases at the secondary level) must obtain a CAQ from MIFI. The CAQ confirms that Quebec has accepted the student for study in the province. Key points:

• The CAQ is institution-specific — it is issued in relation to a specific educational institution; if a student transfers to a different institution, they need to apply for a new CAQ
• Students must typically obtain the CAQ before or at the same time as applying for the federal study permit from IRCC — the IRCC study permit application for study in Quebec requires the CAQ attestation number
• An attestation of issuance from MIFI (confirming the CAQ has been approved and will be issued) is sufficient for the IRCC application — the applicant does not need to wait for the physical CAQ
• The CAQ for students is valid for the duration of the program of study plus a short additional period

Students applying to study in other Canadian provinces (outside Quebec) do not need a CAQ — this requirement is specific to Quebec.

CAQ for temporary foreign workers — LMIA-based work permits

Temporary foreign workers who require an LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment) to work in Quebec must also obtain a CAQ from MIFI. The sequence is:

1. The employer applies for and receives an approved LMIA from ESDC
2. The employer or worker applies to MIFI for a CAQ (using the approved LMIA as the basis)
3. Once MIFI issues the CAQ, the worker applies to IRCC for a work permit — the work permit application requires both the LMIA and the CAQ

The CAQ for workers is employer-specific and position-specific — it is tied to the particular job offer for which the LMIA was obtained.

When a CAQ is NOT required

A CAQ is not required in the following circumstances:

• LMIA-exempt work permit holders: persons applying for a work permit under an LMIA exemption (for example, intra-company transferees, CUSMA/USMCA professionals, open work permit holders, International Experience Canada participants, and other LMIA-exempt categories) do not need a CAQ to work in Quebec
• Certain study permit exemptions: persons who are exempt from the study permit requirement altogether (e.g., short courses of under 6 months, diplomats) do not need a CAQ for those studies
• Graduate-level master's and doctoral students from 1 January 2026: as of January 1, 2026, degree-granting graduate programs at the master's or doctoral level at public DLIs are exempt from the PAL/TAL federal requirement — this is a separate federal exemption and does not automatically remove the Quebec CAQ requirement; students in these programs should verify current CAQ requirements with MIFI
• Permanent residents and Canadian citizens: persons with permanent residence or citizenship in Canada do not need a CAQ to study or work in Quebec

CAQ versus CSQ — different documents, different purposes

Two Quebec certificates are commonly encountered in Quebec immigration:

• CAQ (Certificat d'acceptation du Québec): for temporary admission to study or work in Quebec — a short-term document linked to a specific program or employer
• CSQ (Certificat de sélection du Québec): for permanent immigration to Quebec — issued to persons selected by Quebec for permanent residence under programs such as the Quebec Skilled Worker (Programme régulier des travailleurs qualifiés) or Quebec Experience Program (PEQ); the CSQ must be submitted to IRCC as part of the permanent residence application

These are completely separate documents with different applications and issued under different Quebec immigration programs.

CAQ and the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL)

International students applying for a study permit in Quebec may need both:

• A PAL (Provincial Attestation Letter) — issued under the federal international student cap (required since January 22, 2025 for most new post-secondary study permit applications); this is a federal allocation document from the province confirming that the student counts within the province's allocated study permit cap
• A CAQ — the Quebec acceptance certificate from MIFI confirming Quebec's acceptance of the student at the specific institution

For international students planning to study in Quebec, both documents are generally required — the PAL addresses the federal cap allocation and the CAQ addresses Quebec's provincial acceptance. For details on the PAL, see the provincial attestation letter page.

The dual federal-provincial authorisation requirement for studying or working in Quebec adds a step and processing time to applications that is not present for other Canadian provinces. The Canada-Quebec Accord gives Quebec its distinct authority in this area — Quebec has used this authority to build a comprehensive temporary immigration regime through MIFI that runs in parallel with the federal IRCC system. Processing times for the CAQ can add weeks or months to the overall application timeline; prospective students and workers should apply for the CAQ as early as possible. The CAQ fee (set by Quebec) is payable to MIFI and is separate from the IRCC study or work permit fee. Changes to Quebec immigration policy — including CAQ quotas, fees, and eligibility criteria — are made by the Quebec government and may not always be immediately reflected in IRCC guidance. Applicants are advised to check the current MIFI website for the most up-to-date requirements before applying. For current study permit document requirements in Quebec, refer to the IRCC study permit documents page.