Information and Orientation

No. Our services are free. The only fees that may apply are those required by immigration for submitting applications.

An Asylum Seeker is someone who has claimed refugee status in Canada, and who is waiting for a decision from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.

Someone who has been recognized as a Convention refugee or a person in similar circumstances by a Canadian visa officer abroad; someone who has been recognized by the Immigration and Refugee Board as a refugee or a person in need of protection in Canada; or someone who has received a positive Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (in most cases).

The term ‘family allowance’ refers to two types of financial support provided by both levels of government for eligible families with one or more dependent children under the age of 18. To be eligible, at least one parent must reside in Quebec and be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or recognized as a protected person. Asylum-seeking parents are not eligible, even for a child who is born in Quebec.  The Quebec family allowance is paid monthly or quarterly by Retraite Québec, and the Canada Child Tax Benefit is paid monthly by the Canada Revenue Agency. The amount of the allowance is calculated on the basis of the number of dependent children, family income and marital status.

The first step is to fill out the form to obtain the “Certificat de Sélection du Québec” (CSQ) for you and the family members listed on the Notice of Decision. Once you have received your CSQ, you can apply for health insurance from the Régie de l’Assurance-Maladie du Québec. We recommend that you quickly fill both of these applications, since the Interim Federal Health Program (IFH) medical coverage (brown paper) expires 90 days after the notice of decision. In addition, having a protected person status entitles you to apply for permanent residence in Canada as a refugee, for yourself and your immediate family members here or abroad. 

If you have a Protected Person status, you do not need to wait for a CSQ before submitting your application for permanent residence. However, the CSQ is required or those with a status of international students and temporary workers.

It is not always relevant or useful to obtain recognition for studies and diplomas completed outside Quebec. In short, this process is useful if you wish to practice a regulated profession or trade in Quebec, or if you wish to undertake studies related to your field of studies outside Quebec. Depending on your situation, there are several ways to get recognition for your studies. We recommend that you make sure you really need to get your studies recognized before incurring any costs. Several newcomer service organizations specialize in employment skills.

A Language Proof is used to confirm that you have reached a sufficient level of English or French. You must submit a Language Proof if you are 18 to 54 years old at the time of sending your application, even if your first language is English or French. 

Several documents are accepted:

• A diploma, certificate or transcript from a program of study proving that you have studied in English or French.
• Results of a third-party assessment test. More details on assessment tests.

Report cards from a government-funded linguistic program where you achieved 4 (CLB/NCLC) or higher. In Quebec, this program is called the Francization Program of the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI).

The expiry date on the brown paper does not impact your immigration status or your asylum seeker’s medical coverage IFH (Interim Federal Health Program). However, it can and should be renewed in the city of Montreal:  

Montreal Innovation Hub
Guy-Favreau Complex, Suite 10
200 René-Lévesque Blvd West
Montreal, Quebec  H2Z 1X4

1025 St-Jacques Street
Montreal, Quebec H3C 1G8

It may vary depending on your type of request as well as the time of year. To check processing time, CANA invites you to follow this link: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html or contact us (see Contact section).

• Canadian Citizenship application fees are $630 per adult and $100 per child
• Permanent Residence application fees are $550 per adult and $150 per child
• Permanent Residence renewal fees are $50 per adult or child

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 514-382-0735 or infocana@cana-monteral.org.