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Get your free Roadmap SnapshotQuebec's anti-corruption commissioner says a former acting PEQ coordinator is charged over 100+ allegedly false CSQs issued 2016-2019. Court date Dec 10.
On November 4, 2026, Quebec's anti-corruption commissioner (Commissaire à la lutte contre la corruption, CLCC) announced that a former employee of Quebec's immigration ministry has been charged with breach of trust and making false documents. The CLCC alleges that, while serving as acting coordinator of the Programme de l'expérience québécoise (PEQ), the employee issued more than 100 false Quebec selection certificates (CSQs) to candidates who did not meet the eligibility criteria between August 22, 2016 and February 3, 2019. These are criminal charges, not findings: the accused is presumed innocent, and the first court appearance is set for December 10, 2026 in Montreal.
What is confirmed
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Investigating body | Commissaire à la lutte contre la corruption (CLCC), which leads Quebec's permanent anti-corruption unit (UPAC) |
| Charges | Breach of trust; making false documents |
| Program | Programme de l'expérience québécoise (PEQ) |
| Alleged conduct | More than 100 CSQs issued to candidates who did not meet the criteria |
| Period | August 22, 2016 to February 3, 2019 |
| Next step | Court appearance, December 10, 2026, Montreal courthouse |
The ministry concerned is now called the Ministère de l'Immigration et de l'Intégration (MII), formerly the MIFI. A CSQ is the Quebec document confirming a person was selected to settle in Quebec; it comes before the federal permanent residence application.
What it does not tell us
The CLCC release does not say what will happen to the certificates in question, or to the people who received them, and it does not suggest that other PEQ or CSQ holders are affected. CBC News reported that the immigration minister said she would check whether the case was isolated. No rule, program requirement or processing step has changed because of these charges.
Who should pay attention
- People who obtained a CSQ through the PEQ between 2016 and 2019 and want to follow the case. If you met the criteria and your file was genuine, nothing in the release points to you.
- Anyone applying to a Quebec program now: the case is a reminder that a CSQ can be reviewed long after it was issued.
- Anyone offered a shortcut. No one inside or outside a ministry can lawfully sell a selection certificate, and paying for one puts the applicant's own status at risk.
What to do next
- Keep copies of the documents you submitted for your CSQ and PR applications, including proof of the work or study that made you eligible.
- Answer any letter from the MII or IRCC by its deadline, and get advice before you reply if a letter questions how your certificate was issued.
- Use only licensed representatives, and report suspected fraud to UPAC at 1-844-541-8722.
- For where the PEQ stands now, see our post on the October 31 PEQ intake closing and what the new Quebec government has confirmed.
We will update this story only if the CLCC, the courts or the MII publish new information. Read the CLCC release on Québec.ca (in French) for the official wording.
Not sure how this applies to your situation? A licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) can review your profile with you.
