Family Sponsorship in Quebec: Complete Application Reception Schedule (2026-2028)

The Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration (MIFI) has implemented new rules for receiving family sponsorship undertaking applications. Specifically, obtaining an eligibility letter from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is no longer sufficient to immediately submit your file in Quebec: the date on which an application becomes receivable now depends on a precise schedule, and an overall cap limits the number of files processed over the entire period. Here is what these rules change in practice, and how to check where you stand.

A cap of 15,700 applications until 2028

Between July 2, 2026 and June 30, 2028, MIFI will receive a maximum of 15,700 undertaking applications to sponsor a family member. This total is divided into two separate envelopes, each independently capped:

• 13,300 applications for a sponsor wishing to sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner

• 2,400 applications for a sponsor wishing to sponsor their father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, or another relative

If the maximum number of applications in one of these two categories is reached before the June 30, 2028 deadline, MIFI will stop receiving new applications in that category until the end of the period. Any application received after that point will be returned without processing, and any examination fees already paid will not be cashed. Affected individuals may submit their application again only when a new reception period opens.

The schedule: why a precise date determines everything

MIFI justifies this schedule with a principle of priority: it aims to give priority to those who have been waiting the longest to submit their undertaking application. The date from which an application can be sent therefore depends on the issuance date of one of the following two documents issued by IRCC:

• the sponsor's eligibility letter for sponsorship;

• or, only for applications in the "Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada" category, the IRCC acknowledgment of receipt.

Here is the complete schedule published by MIFI, which associates each document deadline with the first date on which the corresponding application becomes receivable:

• Document dated no later than July 31, 2024 → application receivable from July 2, 2026

• Document dated no later than January 31, 2025 → application receivable from September 1, 2026

• Document dated no later than June 30, 2025 → application receivable from November 1, 2026

• Document dated no later than August 31, 2025 → application receivable from January 1, 2027

• Document dated no later than October 31, 2025 → application receivable from March 1, 2027

• Document dated no later than November 30, 2025 → application receivable from May 1, 2027

• Document dated no later than December 31, 2025 → application receivable from July 1, 2027

• Document dated no later than February 28, 2026 → application receivable from September 1, 2027

• Document dated no later than May 31, 2026 → application receivable from November 1, 2027

• Document dated no later than August 31, 2026 → application receivable from January 1, 2028

• Document dated no later than December 31, 2026 → application receivable from March 1, 2028

• Document dated no later than December 31, 2026 → application receivable from May 1, 2028

MIFI is unambiguous on this point: any application submitted before the date it becomes receivable according to this schedule is deemed inadmissible and returned to the sponsor. Sending a file too early therefore does not save time — on the contrary, it forces you to start the process over.

Eligibility letter or acknowledgment of receipt: an important nuance

It is common to confuse the two documents, but the IRCC acknowledgment of receipt replaces the eligibility letter only in one specific case. It can be used to determine the receivability date only if it meets two conditions simultaneously: it must indicate that the application falls under the "Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class" — a category reserved for married or common-law couples who already live together in Canada at the time of their IRCC application — and it must be addressed to the sponsor themselves, not to the sponsored person.

If these two conditions are met, it is the issuance date of the acknowledgment of receipt, not that of the eligibility letter, that determines the first date on which the application can be submitted to MIFI — even if an eligibility letter was also received in the meantime. In this case, both documents must be attached to the file, but it is the acknowledgment of receipt that serves as the reference for receivability.

Receivability rules to follow

Beyond complying with the schedule, an undertaking application must meet several formal conditions to be accepted by MIFI:

• be submitted on the official forms available on Québec.ca (page "Submit an undertaking application"), accompanied by all required documents, including the IRCC eligibility letter or acknowledgment of receipt as applicable;

• respect the applicable reception schedule date, except for exempted applications;

• be sent only by mail, to the address indicated on the "Submit an undertaking application" page — it is not possible to submit an application in person at MIFI offices;

• contain only one application per envelope.

Any application that does not comply with one of these rules is deemed inadmissible and returned without examination, regardless of its substantive content.

Applications always receivable, regardless of the schedule

Certain situations are entirely exempt from the schedule and the 15,700 application cap: they can be submitted at any time, without waiting for a specific date.

• a dependent child (under 22 years old, or dependent on one of their parents due to a physical or mental condition beyond that age);

• a minor child that the sponsor wishes to adopt;

• an orphaned minor child who is their brother, sister, nephew, niece, grandson, or granddaughter — provided that person is neither married nor in a common-law relationship.

An additional exemption applies to adding a dependent (dependent child, spouse, common-law partner) to an undertaking application already submitted, or already concluded and awaiting admission as a permanent resident: this type of application is also exempt from the cap and schedule.

What to remember

These rules may be adjusted by MIFI based on the evolution of application volumes received — the official page indicates a last update on July 15, 2026. Before preparing or sending a file, it is recommended to check the current date directly on the official Québec.ca page, particularly which of the eligibility letter or acknowledgment of receipt applies to your situation, and to consult an immigration advisor or lawyer for any specific situation (mixed file, change in sponsor status, etc.).