You have your CSQ: what happens next with IRCC

You have your CSQ: what happens next with IRCC? A Québec Selection Certificate confirms that Québec has selected you, but it is not permanent residence. Many people treat it as the end of the road; it is the middle. Your next major step is a separate permanent residence application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which makes its own decision. This guide is based on IRCC pages checked on October 17, 2026.

Key takeaways

Question	Short answer
What does a CSQ give me?	It confirms Québec’s selection decision. It does not grant permanent resident status or replace the federal application.
What should I do next?	Use IRCC’s instructions for Québec-selected skilled workers to prepare and submit your federal permanent residence application.
Does IRCC automatically approve me because I have a CSQ?	No. IRCC assesses the federal application separately, including medical, security and criminality checks.
What about biometrics?	Between 14 and 79, you give them for every permanent residence application, within 30 days of the date on IRCC’s letter.
Can I keep working or studying while I wait?	Only under a valid permit or status: the CSQ and the permanent residence application do not replace it.

Understand what your CSQ does, and what it does not do

The CSQ is Québec’s selection decision in a specific category. The federal stage comes after that selection: you apply to IRCC for permanent residence in the matching Québec-selected class, and IRCC considers the application under its own rules. IRCC’s instructions for Québec-selected skilled workers explain the steps after you apply.

In practical terms, the CSQ does not itself give you permanent resident status, a work permit or a study permit, and it does not let you extend your stay in Canada. Keep the distinction clear as you plan: Québec selected you, and IRCC still has to process the federal application.

If you received your CSQ through the Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ) or the Québec Experience Program (PEQ), the selection route explains how you reached this stage; it does not remove the federal step. Our Québec selection page explains how the provincial and federal stages fit together.

Prepare the federal application using current IRCC instructions

Use the current IRCC instructions and forms available when you are ready to submit. Start from the IRCC page for your category and download the document checklist it gives you. That checklist, not a friend’s list or a forum post, tells you which forms, signatures and documents you need.

For Québec-selected skilled workers, the package usually includes the Generic Application Form for Canada, Schedule A (Background/Declaration), the Additional Family Information form and the Supplementary Information form on your travels. Your family situation and your checklist may add others. The official application guide for Québec-selected skilled workers sets out the process.

• Organize your identity and civil documents. Sort them by person and by type: identity and travel documents, police certificates for the countries and periods your checklist requires, family documents, and your CSQ.
• Review every form against your current information. Names, dates, addresses, family details and travel history should be consistent across your forms and documents.
• Disclose relevant information accurately. Answer the questions fully and give explanations or documents where the instructions call for them.
• Keep a complete copy. Save the forms, documents, submission confirmation and any correspondence.

Make the federal file agree with the Québec file

IRCC sees what you declare, and inconsistencies raise questions. Before filling in anything, put your Québec application next to the federal forms and check:

• names, dates of birth and passport numbers;
• work and study history, with the same dates;
• addresses and travel history;
• every family member, whether or not they are coming with you.

If something changed since your Québec application, such as a new job, a marriage or a birth, declare it and explain it. A difference you explain is a detail; a difference you leave unexplained can become a concern.

Know what IRCC reviews after you apply

Québec’s selection and IRCC’s federal review are separate decisions. At the federal stage, IRCC assesses admissibility, including medical, security and criminality checks. A CSQ is important evidence of Québec selection, but it does not settle every question IRCC may examine.

If your circumstances change after submission, IRCC asks you to use its web form to report important changes: contact details, births and deaths, marriage or divorce, and adoptions. Keep the submission confirmation, the payment receipt, your application number and your unique client identifier (UCI), and watch your IRCC account for the acknowledgement of receipt and any request.

Biometrics, medical exam and other requests

After submission, watch your email and application account for IRCC messages. Some steps come on instruction only, by letter: wait for it, then follow it exactly, including which family members are concerned and the deadline.

• Biometrics: IRCC says that if you’re between 14 and 79 years old, you give your fingerprints and photo for every permanent residence application, even if earlier biometrics are still valid. You have 30 days from the date on the letter. See our guide on biometrics.
• Medical exam: you must have a medical exam before you come to Canada; IRCC sends a letter explaining how once the application reaches the processing office. See our guide on the immigration medical exam.
• Other requests: when IRCC asks for more information, answer in the format and within the deadline it sets, and keep a copy.

Fees change, so check them on IRCC’s fee page when you submit. A posted processing estimate is not a personal decision date; see how to read IRCC processing times.

A worked example

Daniela, a nurse in Sherbrooke, receives her CSQ under the PSTQ in May. She lives with her husband and their daughter; her son, 19, studies in Lisbon and is still a dependent child. Her plan:

1. Week 1: she opens IRCC’s page for Québec-selected skilled workers, generates the checklist and makes a list per person: her, her husband, her daughter and her son, who is declared even though he stays in Portugal for now.
2. Weeks 1 to 6: police certificates for the countries and periods the checklist requires, which often take the longest, then civil documents and translations.
3. Week 7: she compares every date in the federal forms with her Québec application, pays the fees and submits, then keeps the confirmation and the receipt.
4. After that: biometrics and medical exams for each family member when IRCC’s letters arrive, within their deadlines, and in parallel, the renewal of her own work permit, which expires next spring.

Nothing in this plan is complicated. What makes it work is doing each step in order and not treating the CSQ as permanent residence.

Keep your temporary status separate from your PR application

This is the mistake with the heaviest consequences. A pending permanent residence application does not extend a work or study permit, and it does not authorize you to work. If you live in Québec on a temporary permit, renew it on its own schedule, before it expires where the rules require it; see our guide on maintained status.

Some applicants may qualify for a bridging open work permit while they wait, but it has its own conditions: filing for permanent residence does not, on its own, make you eligible.

Our pages on the study permit, the work permit and the post-graduation work permit cover those separate processes. For an employer-supported job, an LMIA in Québec may be part of a separate temporary work process.

What if your CSQ is about to expire?

There is no single answer that fits every file: it depends on your category, where your federal application stands and the instructions that apply. If the date is close or has passed, read the guidance from Québec and IRCC and get advice before acting. Do not assume either that it cancels your federal application or that it has no effect.

Choose the right help if your circumstances are complicated

Some people receive a CSQ while managing another immigration process, a previous refusal or a change in family circumstances. A CSQ does not place you in Express Entry, and a relationship may open a separate route such as spousal sponsorship; review the rules for that situation rather than assuming it replaces your Québec file.

A refusal letter needs careful reading because it gives IRCC’s reasons. Our pages on refusals, complex cases and inadmissibility address issues that may require a tailored review. You can describe your situation or book a consultation.

Common mistakes to avoid after receiving a CSQ

• Waiting for IRCC to act without submitting an application. A CSQ is a selection document, not the federal application.
• Using forms or checklists from an old file. Start with the current IRCC instructions for your class.
• Assuming your temporary status is covered. Keep work, study and visitor status on a separate timeline.
• Missing a request from IRCC. Monitor your account and email, and follow the deadline in each letter.
• Leaving inconsistent details unexplained. Review your forms and documents together before submission.

Once IRCC approves

Approval is followed by a confirmation of permanent residence step. Follow IRCC’s instructions, and check the name, date of birth and family details on every document you receive. Report errors right away using the process IRCC indicates.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the federal stage take after the CSQ?

IRCC publishes an estimated processing time for Québec-selected applicants in its online tool. It changes over time and is not a personal deadline; your account messages are the reliable way to follow your own file.

Can I travel while my application is in process?

A pending application does not stop you from travelling, but it does not give you a way back in either. You need a valid travel document and the right authorization to return to Canada.

What should I do if I renew my passport after submitting?

Tell IRCC about the new passport through its web form for applications in process, and keep a copy of the new document.

I made a mistake in my forms after submitting. What now?

Send a clear explanation and the corrected information through IRCC’s official channel for applications in process, and keep proof that you sent it.

Does a CSQ mean IRCC won’t review my medical or criminality information?

No. IRCC checks admissibility, including medical and criminality, at the federal stage.

Conclusion

After a CSQ comes a federal permanent residence application, followed by IRCC’s review of your file. Prepare it with the current official instructions, keep it consistent with your Québec file, respond to requests on time and manage any temporary status separately. Permanent residence comes only after IRCC completes its process and makes a decision.

Official sources

Official pages consulted on October 17, 2026:

• IRCC — Quebec-selected skilled workers
• Québec — Immigrate permanently (French)