As of July 2025, Quebec has officially reached its cap on family sponsorship undertakings for spouses, common-law and conjugal partners, and dependent children aged 18 or older. Effective immediately, the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) will no longer accept new applications for Quebec Selection Certificates (CSQ) in these categories.
What This Means for Quebec Sponsors
If you’re a resident of Quebec looking to sponsor a spouse or adult dependent child for permanent residence, you’ll now have to wait until June 26, 2026, when the cap resets. Any applications submitted after July 9, 2025, will be returned unprocessed, and application fees will be refunded.
This moratorium is part of the two-year cap introduced on June 26, 2024, limiting family sponsorship applications to:
- 10,400 applications for spouses, common-law partners, and adult dependent children (18 or older)
- 2,600 applications for parents, grandparents, and other eligible relatives
The cap for spouses and adult children has been reached. However, Quebec is still accepting applications for:
- Dependent children under 18
- Adult children who are dependent due to disability
- Parents, grandparents, and other eligible relatives (as this part of the cap has not yet been met)
Why Is Quebec Capping Sponsorship Applications?
The cap is part of Quebec’s broader immigration strategy, which aims to manage the volume of immigrants in alignment with provincial integration and capacity goals. Quebec has unique authority under the Canada–Quebec Accord to set its own immigration levels and processes, including additional requirements such as obtaining a CSQ for family sponsorship.
What Are Your Options?
While this pause may be frustrating, there may still be pathways for your loved ones:
- If your family member qualifies under another immigration stream (e.g., economic immigration, humanitarian grounds), explore those options.
- If your family is outside of Quebec, federal sponsorship rules apply, and may still allow sponsorship.
- For parents and grandparents, Quebec is still accepting applications.
However, if you’ve already submitted an application, you are still allowed to add dependents to it. The cap only affects new applications for sponsorship.
Final Thought
Quebec’s temporary pause on certain family sponsorship applications highlights the importance of planning ahead and staying informed. While this development may delay some reunification plans, it also presents an opportunity to explore alternative pathways or prepare for the next intake period in 2026.
At JIT Empirical Global Consult ltd, we remain committed to helping you navigate these changes with clarity and confidence. Whether you’re affected by the cap or exploring other immigration options, our team is here to guide you every step of the way.
📞 Contact us today to discuss your options and create a strategy tailored to your situation.
