Starting March 2012, the Quebec government made various changes in the regulations for the submission of an Application for a Quebec Selection Certificate, one being the requirement to present most documents only in certified copies (or originals). Obtaining a certified copy is not easy at all, as most of the institutions are not familiar with the process of certifying copies, and in most countries notaries are the ones who do that. Many candidates were not able to send their files because of this requirement, or got their documents returned.
In order to make the process more flexible, Quebec accepts copies certified by various institutions, based on the norms established for each country (the institutions that delivered the original, notaries, embassies, consulates etc.). It is a great news for the interested candidates, that will ease their efforts to prepare the file considerably.
The government always prefers the copies issued by the same institution that delivered the original, and processing times may be faster for those who present such copies. For now there are clear instructions for few countries, but the government plans to give precision for 25 countries, which will cover some 85% of the interested candidates. Those who do not find their country on the list, should look at the category “Autres pays”.
