FAQ

Quebec Students

THE QSEP

Gathering the necessary documentation is a fairly long and involved process. Finding the institution that best fits your project will take time, as you will have to scour through the websites of all participating universities. Once you have made your selection, you will need to assemble all the required documentation, as well as renew your passport and apply for a student visa, all while meeting the deadlines for the various steps in the application process. Thankfully, you are not the first to go through this grueling endeavour, and based on the feedback of the vast majority of previous participants, it’s definitely worth the effort!

In principle, the answer to this question is “No”, since the courses followed abroad will be credited to you upon your return. Just make sure to get the authorization of your academic adviser for the courses you want to follow — and successfully complete them, of course!

After completing the BCI application form, you must submit your full application to the head of your home institution.

The deadline for this is normally between late January and mid-February. The specific date varies according to your home university. The officials responsible for the internal handling of your application will also vary according to your home institution. You should check with your university’s Exchange Program Manager to find out more details about this. We recommend starting your process at least a year in advance.

No *. Whoever is handling the application process at your university should be the one sending your application. Any application sent directly by a candidate will not be considered.

* Unless otherwise indicated by the host university.

In your application, you should sort your potential host institutions in descending order of priority.

We’ll make every effort to accommodate your first choice, but when that is not feasible given the number of applicants and the institution’s capacity, we’ll go down your list.

Seven universities participate to the QSEP: Université Laval, University of Sherbrooke, UQTR, UQAR, UQO, UQAT and ETS. If your institution is not part of this list, there are probably other exchange programs or bilateral agreements that may allow you to go to a host institution in which you are interested; check with the International Relations Department at your university for more information about this.

The complete list of foreign partners of the QSEP can be found at STEP 1 – SELECTING MY HOST INSTITUTION – of the Quebec Student page.

This depends on the conditions of participation established by your home institution. Check with the official responsible for the QSEP in your university for details.

It will be automatically rejected.

The blue fields on the application form are optional; the rest are mandatory.

You can access the online help located here, or by clicking the question mark (?) besides each question on the form.

There is no specific date. It depends on the universities, the program and the time period you applied. You can count on average 6 to 8 weeks after receiving your file from the host university before receiving an answer.

IMMIGRATION PROCEDURE

If you are a Quebec student studying abroad, please refer to the websites of the embassy or consulate of your host country.

You must have a valid passport before leaving.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

We do not offer any financial assistance to participants, but there are other programs that can fill this role. See the “scholarships” or “funding” section on your home university’s website for more information about these. You should also contact the QSEP official of your home university regarding these funding opportunities.

Also, Quebec students who wish to study abroad have access to a grant program (page in French only) for short-term stays.

You should also review the programs of the Offices jeunesse internationaux du Québec (LOJIQ, in French only). This organization supports students who want to study abroad for one or two consecutive semesters. If your project is accepted, LOJIQ offers fixed-rate financial support depending on the chosen destination. Consult this section to find out how much you could get https://www.lojiq.org/soutien-financier/ (in french). In addition, LOJIQ provides general liability coverage in the amount of $2,000,000 for the duration of your stay. Additional assistance is available to participants from remote areas. For more information, see this link (in French only).

You should also check this website from the Government of Canada.

Other useful links:
Department of Education and Higher Learning of Quebec (DEHLQ)

Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE).

The cost will vary according to your destination; check with your host university for more information.

WORKING

In general, your student visa will not authorize you to work in any capacity while you are participating in an exchange program. Remember also that you must prove that you have the financial resources necessary to support yourself for your whole stay before you leave.

Please refer to the consulate or embassy of your host country for any questions pertaining to your student or work visa.

This will vary depending on your home institution. In general, internships are not authorized, but there are exceptions like the UQTR.

The answer will vary depending on your home and host institutions, as well as the credit value of your project. Your QSEP official will be able to provide further details regarding this question.

HEALTH AND HOSPITALIZATION INSURANCE PLAN

Refer to your home institution and to the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) for temporary stays outside Quebec.

Yes. Based on a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Quebec and the Government of the French Republic, Quebec students who are studying in France or one of its overseas departments as part of an exchange program will be eligible to the full benefits of the Health and Maternity Leave insurance plan offered by the French government. To do so, before you leave, you should ask your home institution and the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) to fill out form SE 401-Q-104 (internship) or SE 401-Q-106. After your arrival in your host country, you should then submit this form to the primary reserve for health insurance of your local French department. You will find these forms at the following location on the RAMQ website: Citizens/Temporary stays outside Quebec/Agreements with other countries/Leaving Quebec for a signatory country/Temporary stay in France as a student, trainee or postdoctoral researcher.

However, medical care received in France, Reunion Island, Guadeloupe and Martinique is not always fully reimbursed. Some expenses remain the responsibility of the student. If the latter already benefits, through group or individual insurance, from supplementary health insurance coverage, it would be preferable to check with his insurer the nature of the protection offered. The additional protection must cover the excess of non-reimbursable expenses by the French scheme. Insurance covering only the excess of non-reimbursable expenses by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec may prove unnecessary.

It is therefore up to you to determine if you need additional health insurance coverage. You can do so before leaving Quebec, or after your arrival in a French territory by searching for a mutual insurance group (private insurance provider).

USEFUL LINKS

International Student Identity Card by the International Student Travel Confederation (ISTC).