Office
C-240 (pavillon principal)
- Welcome!
- Calendar of International Activities
- Preparing for your stay
- In-coming Exchange Students
- Immigration
- Work and Interships
- Financial Questions
- Housing
- Health & Insurance
- Day-to-day Living in Quebec
- Meet an Advisor
- Contact Information and Directories
International Students
Québec Certificate of Acceptance for Studies (CAQ)

International Students
Québec Certificate of Acceptance for Studies (CAQ)
- Welcome!
- Calendar of International Activities
- Preparing for your stay
- In-coming Exchange Students
- Immigration
- Work and Interships
- Financial Questions
- Housing
- Health & Insurance
- Day-to-day Living in Quebec
- Meet an Advisor
- Contact Information and Directories
Contact Us
Phone
514-340-4711 ext. 4853
Students (Undergraduate, Graduate and DESS)
sep-international@polymtl.ca
Exchange program
etudiant.echange@polymtl.ca
Admission Inquiries and Double Degree Program
futur@polymtl.ca
Québec Certificate of Acceptance for Studies (CAQ)
Update: 10/24/2023
International students whose program in Québec lasts more than six months must be authorized to study by the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI). This authorization takes the form of a CAQ Certificate for Studies and is a prerequisite for obtaining a Study Permit.
In order to comply with CAQ conditions, you need to make studying your main activity. This means that you must be enrolled as a full-time student in the mandatory enrollment terms in your program and pass the majority of your courses. You also need to maintain valid health and hospitalization insurance for you and members of your family accompanying you for the duration of your stay. Not complying with these rules could jeopardize the renewal of your CAQ and consequently, prevent you from completing your program. Note that some categories of CAQ holders do not need to comply with the condition of making studies their principal activity. For more details on the conditions to observe during your stay in Québec.
The CAQ for Studies is issued for a level of education (or "cycle") and for a set period. If you are admitted to a Master's program, you need to request a CAQ for 2nd cycle and for a PhD, you need a CAQ for 3rd cycle.
Some students are not required to obtain a CAQ, like students on a one-term exchange program. Consult the CAQ exemption list to find out more, and see our section Studying without CAQ or Study Permit.
You need to apply for a CAQ by completing an online form and by paying processing fees with a credit card (Visa, Mastercard or American Express; yours or a card belonging to someone you know). You must also have an email address.
Once you have paid for your application and submitted your online form, you will need to send supporting documents for your application via the Arrima platform. The MIFI provides videos (in French) to assist students in navigating the system. It is essential that you send all documents required by MIFI in a single transmission. In the event that you are unable to do so, you must wait for MIFI to process your application and send you a letter of intention of refusal before you can send any missing documents.
Some forms require a signature. Please note that only handwritten signatures (in pen) are accepted; documents with an electronic signature will result in a letter of intent to refuse.
At the end of the process, you will receive a CAQ for Studies letter in your online file.
You generally need to wait to receive your CAQ approval letter before applying for a Study Permit. However, some Canadian visa offices (CVO) allow future students to apply before receiving a response about their CAQ certificate. If you believe that you are running out of time to obtain all the necessary documents prior to the beginning of the term, find out if you can contact a Canadian visa office, as mentioned above. For more information, please refer to our page about Study Permits.
Depending on your nationality, you may be asked to demonstrate proof of sufficient financial resources to pay for tuition fees, living expenses, and other expenses for your stay (and proof of financial resources for those accompanying you) when applying for the CAQ . For more information about the type of proof and minimal monetary amounts needed, see the MIFI website under Financial Capacity. Note you will also need to present proof of financial capacity when applying for a Study Permit.
Note that as of your first year, you are not required to demonstrate that you have sufficient financial capacity for the entire length of your studies. Instead, the MIFI will ask you to prove financial capacity for the first year. However, for CAQ issuance purposes, the agent who processes your application will need to be able to conclude that it is likely that funds will remain available for the duration of your studies.
Your tuition fees are normally indicated on your letter of admission. If you are an exchange student, immigration authorities will understand that your tuition will be paid in your home country educational institution, thus, tuition fees won’t factor into the calculation of your financial capacity.
If you are a French national, a French-speaking Belgian national, or have obtained an International student exemption of differential fees, immigration will calculate your fees accordingly, upon presentation of your French or Belgian passport, confirmation of your exemption, or confirmation of scholarship.
Each individual that finances your studies and who present proofs of financial capacity on your behalf will need to fill out and sign a "Declaration of Financial Support." This form is automatically generated when you indicate in the online application that someone else will be supporting you financially during your stay in Québec. Only one person can fill out and sign the form, therefore other indiviaduals who support you will have to use separate forms. The form can be downloaded here, and you will need to add it to the documents to be uploaded on the Arrima platform.
If you are a graduate student whose supervisor is able to provide financial support, ensure the letter confirming the annual amount granted is included in your documents. You supervisor does not need to fill out a declaration of financial support.
Note that bank letters and statements presented as proofs of financial capacity must come from personal accounts. Proofs from business accounts or land or property ownership documents are not accepted as financial proof for a CAQ.
To find out more about possible financial assistance during your studies, consult our website.
The fee required to process your application is $124CND (Canadian dollars) as of January 1st 2023. You must pay this fee via credit card, whether Mastercard, Visa or American Express. The card can be someone else's who is willing to pay for your application fees.
Application processing time take a maximum of 20 working days when the application is complete (i.e. once the MIFI has received your online application AND your accompanying documentation uploaded on Arrima). During the Spring peak season (April to June), processing times can sometimes be longer.
- A CAQ Certificate is issued according to the level (cycle) in which your are studying. Upon receiving your CAQ Certificate, verify that the cycle mentioned is correct, and that there are no other mistakes. The cycle indicated on the certificate must be that which is indicated in your letter of admission to Polytechnique. Should you find a mistake on your CAQ Certificate, please see: Immigration paper loss and/or errors.
- Each time you change your level of study, you are required to apply for a new CAQ Certificate - including paying processing fees and providing all supporting documents. For example, if you change from a language school to university, from an undergraduate to a Master's program, or from a Master's to a PhD. For more information, consult the following page: Renewing your authorizations to study in Québec.
- If you have already obtained your CAQ and you need to postpone your admission to Polytechnique Montréal by one term (e.g. from fall to winter or from winter to summer), you can continue to use the same CAQ. If you postpone your studies by more than one term (e.g. from winter to the following fall), you will need to obtain a new CAQ. You will have to apply again, provide all the required documents and pay the processing fee again.