My CSQ was refused can I challenge the decision?
Short answer
In Quebec, a person whose application for selection (CSQ) or for acceptance (CAQ) has been refused may file a request for administrative review with the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (Quebec's immigration ministry) within a maximum of 90 calendar days after the date of the decision.
In detail
Administrative review is an internal ministry mechanism: the decision is looked at again, based on the file and the reasons put forward. It is not an appeal to a court, and it is not a new application.
The ministry indicates that review covers refusals in temporary immigration (studies, work, medical treatment) as well as permanent immigration (economic immigration, family reunification, humanitarian grounds). Some decisions are excluded, however: the ministry mentions in particular decisions based on knowledge of French or English, on the public interest, or on certain specific sections of the legislation.
The request must be made on the official “Demande de réexamen” (request for review) form, completed and signed, stating the decision being challenged, the reason, and what is being asked for. Once it is received, the ministry sends an acknowledgment of receipt, or a letter refusing to process the request, within 30 days.
Quebec decisions and federal decisions are not challenged in the same place or within the same deadlines. A refusal issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) falls under a different recourse.
What to document
The date shown on the decision letter, the date you received it, the letter itself in full (including the reasons), the file number, and the list of documents you had sent with the refused application. It is that letter, and its date, that starts the 90-day clock.
Put your facts in writing, free. Writing your version down early, keeping your documents dated and preparing your questions for a lawyer: the tool is there to document, never to advise.
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Official sources
- Gouvernement du Québec — Request for administrative review
- Official “Demande de réexamen” (request for review) form (A-5000-F0)
Related questions
- How long do I have to ask for a review from Quebec's immigration ministry?
- Can I send my request for review by email?
- Can I work while my refugee claim is being processed?
- What services can I get in Quebec while my refugee claim is being processed?
- Can I get legal aid for my refugee claim in Quebec?
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What this page is not
This is general legal information about the law of Quebec and Canada, dated and sourced. It is not legal advice, not a strategy, and not a prediction about the outcome of a case. In Quebec, only lawyers and notaries may give legal advice (Act respecting the Barreau du Québec, ss. 128 and 133). Laws and amounts change: the official source always prevails over us.