Quebec has hit cap for spousal sponsorship undertakings

Quebeckers will no longer be able to obtain Quebec Selection Certificates (CSQ) to sponsor certain family members for permanent residency.

Effective immediately, the province of Quebec will not accept applications for undertakings to sponsor spouses, common-law partners, conjugal partners, or dependent children aged 18 or older.

Book a free consultation on options to get your family members legal status in Quebec

Any applications received will be returned without processing and the application fees refunded.

The moratorium is set to remain in place until 25 June, 2026.

Applications for undertakings to sponsor dependent children under the age of 18 are not affected, nor are applications to sponsor adult children who are dependent on account of disability.

Applications are no longer being accepted because the government’s cap on applications has been reached.

On June 26, 2024, the Quebec government established a cap of 13,000 applications for undertakings for family sponsorship from the period of June 26, 2024, to June 25, 2026:

• 10,400 for spouses, common-law partners, and dependent children aged 18 or older; and
• 2,600 for parents, grandparents, and other relatives.

The cap on spouses and adult dependent children has been hit, as of 9 July, 2025.

The government is still accepting applications for undertakings for parents, grandparents, and other relatives, as that cap has not yet been reached.

This cap does not prevent adding dependents to existing applications.

To sponsor family members, residents of Quebec must follow a different process than residents elsewhere in Canada.

Quebec's process involves signing a Quebec-specific undertaking and obtaining approval from Quebec’s immigration ministry in order to obtain a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ).

Book a free consultation on options to get your family members legal status in Quebec