Lawyers who practice outside of Quebec need a special authorization to represent their clients in Quebec-related immigration matters. Many of my colleagues outside of la belle province are reluctant to take Quebec files because of this requirement, which is unique to practicing law in Quebec. Since I obtained my new special authorization last month, the purpose of this short article is to explain the process of obtaining special authorization. The process is not that complicated and does not take up a lot of time. I would, however, emphasize that it might be challenging to adequately represent clients if the lawyer does not have a good command of French, because a lot of immigration forms and guidelines are available in French only.
Required documents:
Lawyers who are licensed to practice outside of Quebec should have the following documents ready:
- a certificate of good standing from their law society; and
- a professional liability insurance certificate, confirming $1 million coverage.
The certificates should not be more than six months old. Electronic certificates are accepted.
Application forms:
For initial requests (for the first client in a year), the lawyer and their client(s) need to complete and sign the long form. For subsequent requests (for other clients in the same year), the short form will do. The form must be signed by before a Commissioner of Oaths. Virtual/remote commissioning is accepted.
I am not sure if Barreau du Quebec will accept digital signatures. The form can be signed by one client only. For example, in a spousal sponsorship file, two forms will be required (one to be signed by the sponsor and another by the applicant).
Filing fee:
Cheques are not accepted, and the filing fee should be paid online. The fee for up to 10 requests is $237.
Sending the application:
The application can be mailed or e-mailed to Barreau:
Secretariat of the Barreau du Quebec
Maison du Barreau
445 boulevard Saint-Laurent
Montreal, QC H2Y 3T8
Barreau is quick to process the special authorization requests, and it should not take more than two weeks to receive the authorization by e-mail. Once obtained, the special authorization is valid for twelve months.