Once you have received your official admission letter, you must apply for a Québec Acceptance Certificate for studies from the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) du Québec.

Apply online for a CAQ

Make sure to have the following documents available:

• Your passport
• Your official admission letter from Québec métiers d’avenir (indicating the name and address of the educational institution and information about your training and tuition fees)
• A valid credit card (fees of C$111 are required)

Following your online application, MIDI will provide you with a personalized checklist of documents that you must submit to it by mail. To avoid delays in processing your file, please send these documents as soon as possible.

You must obtain your CAQ prior to applying for a study permit.

Please visit the MIDI website for more information on:

• Prerequisites for obtaining a CAQ
• Proof of financial capacity for obtaining a CAQ (certain countries only)

Expect to wait about one month to obtain your CAQ. Use this time to prepare for your arrival in Québec. To facilitate your integration into Québec society, the Learning About Québec guide offers you information on all aspects of life in Québec!

Once the CAQ is obtained, we will guide you through the second step: your study permit application.

After obtaining a CAQ for studies, you need to apply online for a study permit from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). A C$150 fee will be charged. This study permit should give you the right to complete an internship placement during your studies (co-op student work permit), to work off-campus part-time (while pursuing your studies full-time) and to work full-time during school holidays.

The application for a co-op student work permit is usually automatically done along with the application for a study permit. Simply mention on the study permit application form that work is a key component of your studies.

Expect to wait about three months to obtain your study permit or check the study permit processing times by country. Use this time to prepare your arrival in Québec with help from our team. To whet your appetite, check out the Living in Québec section.

Since 2018, people who apply for a study permit must provide their biometrics (fingerprints and photo).

How much it costs

• Individual applicants: CAD $85

• Families applying together at the same time: maximum total fee CAD $170

What is the procedure?

Applicants for online or paper applications for study permits will receive an e-mail or letter of instruction for the collection of biometrics.

Processing time

It is important to know that the time it takes you to provide your biometrics is not included in the application processing time of the study permit.

For more information on biometrics, visit https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/campaigns/biometrics.html

During your vocational training, you will have to complete an internship placement, which is a requirement for graduation (certain training programs make exceptions to this rule). As such, you will need a co-op student work permit.

There are two possible approaches to obtaining your co-op student work permit. You can either submit an application before your arrival, at the same time as you apply for your study permit, or after you arrive in Canada. It is strongly recommended that you apply at the same as you apply for your study permit to avoid any delays in your training.

Applying before your arrival in Canada (recommended)

Applying for a co-op student work permit is usually done automatically when applying for a study permit. Simply mention on the study permit application form that work is a key component of your studies.

You may not receive the approval letter for your study permit at the same time as the approval letter for your co-op student work permit (they could arrive within a few days of each other).

If you do not receive the co-op student work permit at the same time as your study permit (sometimes they are not issued automatically), you will need to apply separately within your first few days of arriving in Canada as this permit is mandatory in order to do the internship placement required to complete your training.

Applying after your arrival in Canada

If you do not have your co-op student work permit when you arrive in Canada, you will need to apply within the first few days of arriving.

You may complete an application form online, free of charge, to obtain this permit.

You will have to fill out the form according to the following template:

• Work permit type: Work permit under the co-op internship program
• Employer’s name: Name of the school board
• Employer’s address: Address of the school board
• Job title: Student-intern
• Type of position: Mandatory internship during vocational training
• Expected duration of employment: Start and end dates of the training
• Notice number: N/A

For more information about work permits available to students.

As an international student, you have the opportunity to work during your study stay by obtaining an off-campus work permit.

Normally, the Study permits automatically authorizes the incumbent to work off-campus for up to 20 hours per week during classes and full-time during scheduled school holidays, without having to apply for a work permit. separate. The holder of a study permit must undergo a general, theoretical or professional training course of at least six months leading to a diploma or certificate in a designated institution.

• For more details on off-campus work as a foreign student, please visit  Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Attention: despite this off-campus work permit, students must obtain a Co-op student work permit to complete the compulsory internship as part of their studies. It is recommended to apply for it at the same time as the study permit.

If your spouse or common-law partner is accompanying you during your vocational studies in Québec, he or she may apply for an open work permit. This allows your spouse or common-law partner to work full-time while you are studying.

The application must be submitted at the same time as your study permit application, or after you have obtained your study permit. Supporting documents will be requested, such as:

• Your vocational training admission letter
• Evidence of your conjugal relationship
• Your CAQ (Québec Acceptance Certificate)
• Your study permit (if the application is submitted after obtaining the study permit)

To find out more about the measures to take with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for spouse or common-law partner work permits, click here.

If your family is accompanying you, visit this page.

International students who have completed their vocational training in Québec are eligible for a post-graduation work permit issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. This work permit may be issued depending on the duration of the study program, and for a minimum period of 8 months up to a maximum of 3 years.

Examples:

• For programs with a duration of at least 8 months and less than 2 years: The duration of the work permit should be consistent with the duration of the program.
• For programs with a duration of 1 800 hours or more: The duration of the work permit should be 3 years.

For further information about this permit, visit the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada site.

If you would like to extend your stay, more information is available on the Immigration, Diversité et Inclusion Québec site.