Completing immigration procedures
Are you an international student who wants to study or do research in Québec? You must meet certain requirements of the governments of Québec and Canada.
If you want to study at Université de Montréal in a regular program, verify the eligibility conditions.
Useful links :
Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI)
IMPORTANT
Please note that the laws and regulations in force in Québec and Canada concerning immigration, as well as the websites of the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), take precedence over the information contained on this website.
Also note that the information presented here does not constitute legal advice and is not binding on Université de Montréal or its employees.
Newly admitted students: applying for a study permit, CAQ, temporary resident visa and electronic travel authorization
It is important to start the immigration process as soon as you receive your letters of admission and acceptance.
Follow each step explained in this capsule to obtain the required authorization (CAQ, study permit, eTA, TRV, biometrics) to study at Université de Montréal as an international student.
Refer to the section on study duration below that applies to you to learn about the official documents needed for your immigration process. The documents that you will need depend on the duration of your study or exchange program, not the duration of your stay in Québec.
Study program of more than six months
You will need to obtain a CAQ and a study permit. Depending on your country of citizenship, you will also need a temporary resident visa and an electronic travel authorization.
1. Admission at UdeM
Have you received an offer of admission to an undergraduate or graduate program at Université de Montréal? The first thing to do is accept your offer of admission.
It is important to start the immigration process as soon as you receive your letter of admission, even if it is conditionnal.
If you are on an exchange program, it is not necessary for you to accept your offer of admisssion.
2. Applying for a CAQ
You will need to apply for a CAQ as you receive your letters of admission and acceptance from UdeM.
If you have any questions, contact the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI).
The processing time is 25 working days once your documents have been submitted.
Important: Processing times for the CAQ may be longer during busy periods.
Once you receive your letter attesting to the issuance of the Certificat d'acceptation du Québec, you can proceed to the next step: applying for your study permit.
3. Applying for a study permit
The application for a study permit is done online and from outside Canada (with some exceptions). The application will be processed by the Canadian visa office in your country of citizenship, your country of residence or the country to which you have been legally admitted (other than Canada).
Processing times will vary depending on when you submit your application.
If your application is approved, you will receive a letter of introduction.
Required internship
If your study program includes one or more required internships, you will need to obtain a co-op work permit. You can apply for this permit at the same time as you apply for your study permit before you come to Canada. If you have recently been admitted to study at UdeM and your program includes a required internship, your letter of acceptance will indicate this. Attach the letter of acceptance to your online study permit application, in the Preuve d'exigence de travail à l'étude section of your document checklist.
Note: You must have responded "yes" to the question Le travail est-il une composante essentielle de vos études? for the Preuve d’exigence de travail à l’étude to appear in your document checklist.
Common-law partners and accompanying spouses
Is your spouse accompanying you while you study in Canada and they want to work during your program? They may be eligible for a work permit. The work permit will be valid for the same period as your study permit.
4. Obtaining a TRV or eTA
Depending on your country of citizenship, you will need either a temporary resident visa or an electronic travel authorization to enter Canada.
Temporary resident visa (TRV)
If your application for a study permit is accepted, you will be issued a TRV. Normally, the expiry date of your TRV is the same as that of your study permit.
Once you are in Canada and after you have renewed your study permit, you can apply for a TRV.
Note: If you wish to leave and then return to Canada after you obtain a new study permit, it is very important to obtain a TRV before you leave Canada. You will not be allowed to re-enter Canada without a valid TRV.
Electronic travel authorization (eTA)
If your application for a study permit is approved, you will be issued an eTA. The eTA is normally valid for five years.
Once you are in Canada, you will be issued an eTA when you renew your study permit. You do not need to take any further steps.
You can also check the validity of your eTA at any time.
5. Entering in Canada
Once you receive the letter of introduction approving your study permit application, you are allowed to enter Canada.
You will be issued the study permit itself upon your arrival in Canada, when you give the immigration officer your letter of introduction and the other documents you submitted online to confirm that you will be coming to study in Canada (for example, the CAQ and the letter of admission from UdeM).
Please note: Without the letter of introduction approving your study permit, the immigration officer will not be able to issue your study permit and may refuse you entry to Canada. It is therefore very important that you wait until you receive this letter BEFORE you arrive in Canada.
Once you receive this letter, we recommend that you do not enter Canada more than one month before the start of your university studies.
Useful link: Prepare for your arrival
Study program of six months or less
You are exempt from needing a CAQ or study permit.
However, depending on your country of citizenship, you will need either a temporary resident visa or an electronic travel authorization.
Temporary resident visa (TRV)
Start the process to obtain your TRV as soon as you receive your letters of admission and acceptance from UdeM.
Electronic travel authorization (eTA)
If you are exempt from needing a TRV and you are arriving in Canada by air, you will need an eTA to enter Canada (with some exceptions). Start the application process as soon as you receive your letter of admission and acceptance.
Research stays or clinical internship the exchange program
If you have been admitted for a research stay or clinical internship through the exchange program, follow these steps.
Students already studying at UdeM: renewing your CAQ and study permit
You will probably need to renew your CAQ and your study permit while you are studying at UdeM. We recommend that you start the process of renewing your immigration documents at least four months before they expire.
Renewing the CAQ
You will need to renew your CAQ if the end of your studies is extended or your study level changes (for example, from bachelor’s to master’s).
Steps to apply for a renewal
1. Fill out the Online application for temporary selection for studies form.
2. Gather your documents:
The academic documents you will need to apply for a CAQ renewal are your official transcript and an attestation of registration, which you can request online or in person from the Registrar’s Office. You can request the official version of these documents from the Registrar's Office.
The other documents you will need to submit are listed in the document checklist that you received after submitting your application online. You can also find more information on the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website.
3. Submit your documents through the Arrima platform.
The official processing time is 25 working days. Note that this period starts only after the MIFI has received all the documents required to process your application.
If your application is accepted, you will receive approval. You can then apply to renew your study permit.
For more information, visit the MIFI website.
Note: You will not receive any other notice or document from the MIFI confirming that your application has been approved.
Renewing a study permit
It is imperative that you apply to renew your study permit BEFORE it expires. The application to renew your study permit must be submitted online (with some exceptions) from within Canada. If your application is accepted, you will receive your new study permit at your Canadian address.
Note: Your study permit normally expires on the same date as your CAQ, unless your passport expires before that date. If your passport is expiring soon, you will need to renew your passport before applying to renew your study permit.
Submit your application via your IRCC secure account. Depending on your situation, the documents you will need to submit with your application will be more or less the same as those you submitted with your CAQ application.
One of these documents is an attestation of registration. You can order this document online or in person from the Registrar's Office. You can also request the official version of this document from the Registrar's Office.
Processing times vary and depend on when you submit your application.
For more information, visit the IRCC website.
Maintained status
If you submitted a renewal application before your study permit expired, but your permit has now expired, you have maintained status. This status allows you to continue your studies while your application is being processed, as long as you remain in Canada. It also authorizes you to work under the same conditions as your expired permit.
Note: If you leave Canada while your application to renew your study permit is still being processed, you will lose your maintained status.
Restoring your status
Did you apply for renewal of your study permit after it expired? You can apply to restore your status after your permit has expired; however, you cannot study or work while your application is being processed.
Note: If you end up in this situation, you will be unregistered from your term.
Lost or stolen study permit
You will need to apply for an immigration document replacement.
Request to amend your study permit
Did immigration officers make a mistake when issuing your study permit? You can request an amendment.
Note: If you are responsible for the error or if a change has occurred since your permit was issued, you must apply for a renewal instead.
Upload your documents
Regardless of the length of your stay, you must complete your student file by uploading your valid immigration documents (CAQ, study permit, etc., according to your situation) directly in your Student Centre (Centre étudiant), under the Certificat d’acceptation du Québec and Permis de séjour tasks.
If you are renewing your study authorizations while your program is underway, don’t forget to upload your new CAQ and study permit to your Student Centre (Centre étudiant).
Note: You must have valid study authorizations for the whole term in which you are registered (with some exceptions). If you do not, you will be unregistered from your semester. Be sure to check the deadlines for uploading your documents to the Registrar’s Office.
Insurance
All international students attending Université de Montréal are enrolled in a group health insurance plan (with some exceptions) and also have the option of taking out complementary voluntary health insurance. It is important that you know the costs and understand the terms and conditions before you enroll in complementary insurance.
Under intergovernmental agreements, nationals of certain countries may receive free coverage from the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ). In this case, and if they provide proof of RAMQ membership before the deadline set by UdeM international, they can be exempted from the UdeM group health insurance plan and the fees associated with it.
Paying tuition fees
Once you register at the beginning of the semester, you can access your student fee account in your Centre étudiant at any time. Make sure to respect the payment deadlines to avoid being charged interest or having your file blocked from registering for and unregistering from courses.
Various methods of payment for student fees are accepted.
Scams that promise school admission and scholarships in exchange for payment are widespread. The only way to officially apply for admission to UdeM is through the Office of Admission and Recruitment, and the only way to apply for short-stay admission is through UdeM international.