Blog
Making sense of Canadian and Quebec immigration, one question at a time.
Guides from a regulated immigration consultancy in Montreal. They explain how the process works and point to the official sources; for your own case, a consultation is still the right place to start.
Permanent residence
Quebec or the rest of Canada, economic selection or sponsorship: the routes to permanent residence follow different paths.
Main guideCanadian permanent residence: start with where you will liveQuebec selection, Express Entry, provincial nominees or sponsorship: how to find the right permanent residence path based on where you plan to settle.
Arrima explained: what happens after your PSTQ expression of interestFree to submit, 90 days to complete, valid one year, 30 days to accept an invitation: how Quebec's Arrima portal and the PSTQ invitation rounds work.
Bridging open work permit: how to keep working while your permanent residence is processedWho qualifies for a bridging open work permit, the conditions for Quebec-selected skilled workers, the timing that protects your status, and the fees.
Canadian Experience Class requirements: a checklist, and the Quebec rule1 year or 1,560 hours in 3 years, TEER 0 to 3, language minimums, no proof of funds: what does not count, and why Quebec residents need another route.
Express Entry draws: how to read a round of invitationsRound types, the cut-off score, the tie-breaking rule and a simple routine after each draw, based on what IRCC publishes for every round.
Express Entry invitation to apply: a practical 60-day planYou received an Express Entry ITA. What to check on day one, what to order first, and how to build a consistent permanent residence application in 60 days.
Express Entry or Quebec selection: an honest comparison if you already live in QuebecAlready studying or working in Montreal? How Express Entry and Quebec's PSTQ and PEQ compare, and why the province you will live in decides the route.
Express Entry proof of funds: five steps to get it rightWho needs proof of funds, how IRCC counts your family, the current minimums from $15,263, what money qualifies and what each bank letter must show.
Express Entry's three programs compared: Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class and Skilled TradesWork experience, language, education and proof of funds: how the Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class and Federal Skilled Trades programs differ.
French in Express Entry: what it really changes, and when it is worth itCRS points and the French-language category at NCLC 7 in all four skills: how French helps in Express Entry, and how to decide if learning it is worth it.
You have your CSQ: what happens next with IRCCThe Quebec Selection Certificate is the halfway point. How to prepare the federal permanent residence application, keep your status and avoid common mistakes.
How to improve your Express Entry CRS score: the factors that move it mostLanguage results, French points, education, Canadian experience, age and nomination: IRCC's CRS point values, and what to check before changing your profile.
PEQ eligibility in 2026: what to check before the October 31 deadlineThe PEQ intake closes October 31, 2026. Reference date, Graduates and Workers streams, French levels, fees: what to verify before you apply in Arrima.
PR card renewal and the residency obligation: what permanent residents should checkYour card expires, your status does not. The 730-day rule, when and how to renew (9 months, $50, in Canada), and why you should renew before you travel.
Provincial nominee program or Quebec selection: which path fits where you will live?Quebec has no provincial nominee program. How a nomination (600 CRS points) and Quebec selection each work, and the question that decides between them.
PSTQ or PEQ: which Quebec permanent selection pathway fits your experience?The PEQ rewards Quebec diplomas and work during intake periods; the PSTQ works by invitation through Arrima. The streams, French levels and how to choose.
Studying in Quebec
CAQ, study permit, renewals and what comes after graduation.
Main guideStudying in Quebec as an international student: the CAQ, the study permit and the right orderAdmission, CAQ, then study permit: the order of steps to study in Quebec, the fees, the caps on applications and what to plan for once you arrive.
CAQ for studies: the document checklist to finish before you applyOnce you pay for your Quebec CAQ application, you have 15 days to upload documents. The checklist, the steps and the financial proof that makes a file convincing.
CAQ or study permit in Quebec: which application comes first?If your studies require a CAQ, you get it before applying for the federal study permit. Why the order matters, CAQ vs CSQ, renewals and families.
Renewing your CAQ and study permit in Quebec: the order and a realistic timelinePassport first, then the CAQ, then the study permit extension at least 30 days before expiry: the order, a timeline, and what maintained status covers.
Post-graduation work permit
PGWP eligibility depends on the school, the program and your study history, not just the diploma.
Main guidePGWP eligibility: what to check before your last semesterSchool, program length, field of study, language level, in-class study and the 180-day window: a practical checklist for the post-graduation work permit.
Graduated in Quebec: your PGWP and your path to stayingThe 180-day PGWP window, how long the permit lasts, and the PEQ intake that closes October 31, 2026: a plan for the year after graduating in Quebec.
PGWP field of study requirement: does it apply to you, and how to check your CIP codeWho must meet the PGWP field of study requirement, how to find the six-digit CIP code of your program, and how to match it against IRCC's list for 2026.
Working in Quebec
Employer-specific permits, open permits, LMIA and hiring from abroad.
Main guideA Quebec job offer: what foreign workers should check before applying for a work permitIs the employer real, do the offer and contract match, which pathway applies? What to check before acting on a Quebec job offer, and the red flags.
Employer-specific work permit in Quebec: how to change jobs without losing your statusYou can leave a job on a closed work permit, but not start another the next day. The legal steps to change employers in Quebec, and your rights at work.
Hiring a foreign worker in Quebec: how the LMIA, the CAQ and the work permit fit togetherJoint LMIA and CAQ filing, simplified processing, low-wage limits in Montreal and Laval: a practical guide for Quebec employers hiring from abroad.
LMIA or LMIA-exempt work permit: how employers and workers tell the differenceTemporary Foreign Worker Program or International Mobility Program: how IRCC says to decide, the $230 compliance fee, and why IMP workers in Quebec need no CAQ.
Your permit expired: how to restore your status in Canada within 90 daysIf your permit expired and you did not extend it, you may restore your status within 90 days, from inside Canada. The steps, the conditions and the fees.
Open work permit in Canada: who actually qualifiesThere is no open work permit for everyone. The situations IRCC lists, the cases we see most in Montreal, and the $255 fee.
Quebec workers with a PSTQ application: the 12-month work permit, until December 31, 2026Submitted your PSTQ permanent selection application and your permit expires in 2026? You may get a 12-month employer-specific permit. Conditions, fees, deadline.
Can my spouse work in Canada? The spousal open work permit rules since 2025TEER 0 or 1, a permit valid 16 months, a 16-month master's or a PhD: who qualifies for a spousal open work permit since January 21, 2025, and the alternatives.
Visiting Canada
Visitor visa, super visa, invitation letters: building a consistent application.
Main guideCanada visitor visa documents: build a clear, consistent applicationWhich documents support a Canadian visitor visa application: purpose of the trip, funds, ties to your home country, and how to make the whole file agree.
Biometrics for a Canadian application: who needs them, what they cost, how long they lastWho has to give fingerprints and a photo, who is exempt, the $85 fee or $170 per family, and the 10-year validity of biometrics for Canadian applications.
Writing an invitation letter for a Canadian visitor visa: what to include, with a templateThe information IRCC asks for about the host and the guest, a template you can adapt, and how to keep the letter consistent with the visa application.
Super visa for your parents: a checklist for the host in CanadaStatus, minimum income and invitation letter for the host; insurance and medical exam for the parents: what a super visa application needs, side by side.
Visitor record: how to extend your stay as a visitor in CanadaApply at least 30 days before your stay ends, with a temporary reason and proof of funds. How the visitor record works, the $100 fee and what happens next.
Canadian visitor visa refused: reconsideration request, new application or judicial review?After a visitor visa refusal, read the officer's note, then choose: a new application, a reconsideration request or judicial review (15 or 60 days).
Family sponsorship
Sponsoring a spouse or partner in Quebec: the provincial step, the undertaking and the federal step.
Main guideSponsoring a spouse in Quebec: how the undertaking fits the federal processFederal approval, Quebec undertaking, then permanent residence: the steps, the 13,300 cap until June 2028, and what the three-year undertaking commits you to.
Sponsoring a spouse or partner to Quebec: who can sponsor, and who can be sponsoredSponsor requirements, the reasons you may be ineligible, and the spouse, common-law and conjugal partner categories, with what changes when you live in Quebec.
Sponsoring parents and grandparents when you live in Quebec: where things stand in 2026IRCC's parents and grandparents program is paused for new sponsors. What happens to files in process, Quebec's 2,400 cap, the fees, and the super visa option.
The Quebec sponsorship undertaking: what the sponsor is agreeing toThree years for a spouse, basic needs, integration help, repayment of social assistance, and why a separation does not end it: the Quebec undertaking explained.
Refusals and complex cases
Reading a decision, understanding inadmissibility and choosing the right next step.
Main guideRefused by IRCC? How to read the officer's decision note before you reapplyIRCC now sends the officer's decision note with most refusals. How to read it, and how to choose between reapplying and judicial review (15 or 60 days).
Criminal inadmissibility to Canada: why the record and the circumstances matterHow a foreign offence is compared with Canadian law, criminality versus serious criminality, and the options: rehabilitation and temporary resident permits.
How to check that an immigration consultant is authorized, and spot the fakesCICC register, law societies, Quebec notaries and, in Quebec, MIFI recognition: a five-minute check before you hire anyone for your immigration file.
Humanitarian and compassionate applications in Canada: who can apply, and when it makes senseWho is barred from an H&C application, the factors officers weigh, the evidence that matters, and the Quebec selection step after approval in principle.
Received an IRCC procedural fairness letter? How to structure your responseA procedural fairness letter is not a refusal. What to note in the first hour, a response structure that works, and how to handle a misrepresentation concern.
Medical inadmissibility to Canada: the questions IRCC actually asksThe three grounds of medical inadmissibility, the 2026 excessive demand threshold, who is exempt, and how to answer a procedural fairness letter in 90 days.
Misrepresentation in a Canadian immigration application: what counts, and the five-year banAn omission or an inaccurate answer can be misrepresentation. What counts, why materiality matters, the five-year ban, and how to respond to the concern.
Every file is different.
This guide covers the general rules. To find out what applies to you, talk to a regulated consultant.