The Draft Regulation under the Act respecting the Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur, de la Recherche, de la Science et de la Technologie establishes the types of information that higher education institutions in Québec must collect and report to the Minister of Higher Education. The purpose of the regulation is to enable the Minister to properly exercise certain statutory functions related to monitoring, oversight, and policy development in the higher education sector, particularly regarding the enrolment and management of international students.

Under the proposed framework, all designated educational institutions that provide college- or university-level education are obligated to transmit specific data to the Ministry on an annual and trimester basis. The term “educational institution” is defined as any institution recognized under section 15.1 of the Québec Immigration Act or, until that section is in force, any institution referred to in the Québec Immigration Regulation. These institutions must provide detailed statistical information concerning applications and admissions of foreign nationals, ensuring that data collection is consistent and comparable across Québec’s higher education network.

By April 1 of every year, institutions are required to submit the total number of applications for admission received from foreign nationals and the total number of admission offers extended to them during the previous calendar year. This information must be broken down by program of study and by trimester, providing the Ministry with a clear view of recruitment and admission patterns. In addition, by July 1 each year, institutions must submit preliminary figures for applications and offers as of June 15 for the upcoming fall trimester, again disaggregated by study program. This second reporting cycle allows the Minister to assess short-term trends in international enrolment before the start of the academic year.

The regulation also imposes new requirements for the collection of personal and immigration-related information about each registered international student. Institutions must gather two key identifiers: the number and validity period of the student’s Québec Certificate of Acceptance (CAQ), issued under the Québec Immigration Regulation as part of the international student program, and the number and validity period of the student’s federal study permit issued under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (SOR/2002-227). These details are essential for verifying the immigration status of international students and for ensuring compliance with provincial and federal regulatory frameworks governing study permits and student admissions.

Institutions are further required to transmit this information to the Ministry before the end of each trimester. The data must include the identification number of each student to whom the information corresponds and must be entered in the appropriate electronic reporting system—either the college-level or university-level enrollment reporting system established by the Minister.

Quebec (Draft) October 14, 2025
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