Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ): What It Is and What Comes Next

Quebec chooses its own economic immigrants under the Canada-Quebec Accord. When Quebec approves your application for permanent selection, it issues a CSQ. The certificate confirms that Quebec has selected you (and any family members included in your application) to settle in Quebec.

You can get a CSQ through several Quebec programs:

• the Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ),
• the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ),
• the Investor Program, Entrepreneur Program, and Self-Employed Worker Program.

A CSQ does not let you enter or live in Canada by itself. Only IRCC can grant permanent residence.

People often mix up these two Quebec documents.

LMIA stands for Labour Market Impact Assessment. Some work permits that are LMIA-exempt do not need a CAQ.

The steps depend on the program:

• PSTQ: file a free expression of interest in Arrima, receive an invitation, accept it within 30 days, and submit your application within 60 days (one year in the regulated professions stream).
• PEQ: apply in Arrima during an open intake period. The current period runs to October 31, 2026.
• Business programs: send a paper application by mail. In the Investor Program, for example, Quebec first issues a notice of intention to select. You then get a work permit, stay in Quebec for at least 12 months within two years, and send proof of your stay.

In every case you must meet the program's French, education, and experience rules, sign any required financial self-sufficiency contract, and obtain the attestation of learning about democratic and Quebec values.

Quebec says your next step is to apply to the federal government for permanent residence.

1. Apply for permanent residence with IRCC. Include your CSQ, pay federal fees, give biometrics, and complete a medical exam and police certificates. See biometrics, medical exam, and police certificates.
2. Keep your status if you are in Quebec. If you have not yet applied for permanent residence, you may be able to get an employer-specific, LMIA-exempt work permit, with no new CAQ. If IRCC has sent an acknowledgment of receipt, you can apply for a bridging open work permit.
3. Consider IMP+ if you live abroad. If your CSQ is 24 months old or less, or you are waiting for a permanent residence decision and live abroad, you may qualify for an open work permit under the International Mobility Program Plus (IMP+). It lets you start working in Quebec sooner.
4. Report family changes. To add or remove a spouse or dependent child, mail Quebec's form (without fees) and wait for instructions.

When IRCC approves you, you complete landing and become a permanent resident. See landing as a permanent resident.

A few Quebec-specific tasks follow:

• Health card: apply for a new card from the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ). Coverage may not start for up to three months, so keep private insurance for that gap if you have no group plan.
• Driver's license: Quebec says you can drive with your home-country license for up to six months after you get permanent status. After that, you need a Quebec license from the SAAQ.
• Social Insurance Number: get a permanent SIN to replace a temporary one.
• Integration help: sign up for Accompagnement Québec, Quebec's free settlement service, and free French courses.

Quebec's MIFI also runs a welcome desk at Montréal-Trudeau airport for new arrivals.

Once you are a permanent resident, Canada's Charter gives you the right to live and work anywhere in Canada. However, every Quebec program requires that you intend to settle in Quebec when you apply. Declaring an intention you do not really have can be treated as misrepresentation, which can lead to refusal or a ban.

If your plans change before you land, speak with a lawyer or a licensed immigration consultant. If you want to live in another province, apply through federal or provincial programs such as Express Entry or the Provincial Nominee Program instead.