If you are coming to Quebec to work or to study, the Quebec CAQ is the step that catches people out — not because it is complicated, but because it comes in an order most people do not expect.
Canada decides who is admitted. Quebec decides who is selected. And for temporary stays, Quebec goes first.
What is the CAQ?
It is the document Quebec issues to confirm that the province accepts your temporary arrival — to work or to study.
The CAQ, or Certificat d’acceptation du Québec, is issued by the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration. It is the provincial layer that sits on top of the federal process with IRCC.
What it is not: the CAQ on its own gives you no legal status and no permission to stay. It is a selection decision, not a permit. You still need the federal document, and that is the part that comes afterwards.
Who needs a CAQ, and who needs something else?
Temporary workers and students need a CAQ. Permanent residence uses a different certificate entirely.
| Your situation | The Quebec document | Who files it |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary worker | CAQ — temporary selection | You prepare it, but your employer submits it, together with the LMIA |
| Student | CAQ for studies | You file it yourself, before the federal study permit |
| Permanent residence | CSQ, not CAQ | You, as the first step toward permanent residence |
That last row is where most of the confusion lives. The CAQ and the CSQ are two different certificates for two different things. The CAQ is temporary selection. The CSQ — Certificat de sélection du Québec — is permanent selection, and it is the first step toward permanent residence rather than a permit to arrive.
There are exceptions to needing a CAQ at all: stays of 30 days or less, and unpaid work.
In what order does this actually happen?
Quebec first, Ottawa second — in all three cases. This is the part worth memorising.
If you are a temporary worker:
- Your employer obtains the LMIA from Service Canada.
- You prepare the application for temporary selection, and your employer submits it to Quebec.
- With the LMIA and the CAQ in hand, you apply to IRCC for your work permit.
In Quebec’s own words, you need all of those documents in order to apply for a work permit from IRCC. The federal step is the last one, not the first.
If you are a student:
- You receive your letter of admission from the institution.
- You apply to Quebec for the CAQ for studies.
- With the CAQ approved, you apply to IRCC for your study permit.
The CAQ doubles as the provincial attestation letter that IRCC requires for the federal application, so it is not an extra hoop — it is the document that unlocks the next step.
If you are applying for permanent residence: Quebec selects you first, with the CSQ. Then you apply to IRCC for permanent residence.
The pattern is the same every time. The provincial step is the condition of entry to the federal one. Doing it the other way round does not shorten anything; it means doing it twice.
What does it cost, and how long does it take?
The fees are set by Quebec and they are not refundable, even if your application is refused.
Fees in effect since January 1, 2026:
| Application | Fee |
|---|---|
| CAQ, temporary foreign worker | $233 |
| CAQ, international student | $135 |
On timing, Quebec publishes a figure for one of them and not the other. For the student CAQ, a decision is rendered within 25 business days of a complete application, in 80% of cases. For the worker CAQ, the application page does not publish a processing time. If you need a current figure for that one, the ministry’s service statement is where it would be, and it is worth checking on the day you are planning rather than relying on what someone was told last year.
Note also that the fee paid to Quebec is separate from the federal fee. The provincial step has its own cost, and it is not a deposit against the federal one.
What if your CAQ is about to expire?
Start six months before, not one month before.
Quebec is direct about this: you must allow for processing times and begin the process at least six months before your current work permit expires. Renewing is not a single form. It means a new LMIA from your employer, a new application for temporary selection, and a new work permit from IRCC — the same three steps, in the same order, again.
If you have already begun a permanent residence application, other options exist for renewing your permit. That is a different conversation and it depends on where your file stands.
The questions Quebec’s own pages do not answer
Three, and we would rather tell you they are open than guess.
The official pages cover renewal when you act before expiry. They do not set out what happens if your CAQ has already expired, and they do not cover the situation of someone who arrived in Quebec without a CAQ when one was required.
The page on staying after your studies points you to the federal Post-Graduation Work Permit, but it does not say whether you need to do anything with your CAQ when you make that transition.
We are not going to fill those gaps with something that sounds plausible. If you are in one of those three situations, it is a question worth asking before you act, not after.
Before you start
- Work out which document you need — CAQ for a temporary stay, CSQ for permanent residence. They are not interchangeable.
- If you are a worker, talk to your employer first. They submit your application, and they need the LMIA before that.
- Budget for both layers. The Quebec fee is separate from the federal one and it is not refundable.
- If your permit expires within a year, start now. Six months is the minimum Quebec itself recommends.
Where we come in
Castle & Co. works with people on the part of this that goes wrong most often: the sequence.
- Establishing which Quebec document applies to your situation
- Coordinating the employer’s side so the LMIA and the CAQ line up
- Planning a renewal with enough time that it does not become a status problem
- Telling you honestly when a question does not have a published answer
If you are not sure where your case sits, start your process now and we will tell you which step comes first.
