Pathways & policy
Study in Canada first, or learn French at home and apply directly?
It looks unfair: an international graduate who has lived, worked and paid taxes in Canada for three years waits in the pool, while someone who has never visited is invited thanks to French. It isn't luck. They're competing in two different races.
Updated November 2026 · 3 min read
The short answer
- Most in-Canada graduates compete in English-only CEC and general rounds, where cut-offs have often been above 500. French speakers compete in French-category rounds, which cleared at about 382–435 in 2026.
- Studying in Canada typically costs CAD 60,000–150,000 in tuition and living costs and three or more years before you can apply, with no guarantee of an invitation.
- Learning French at home to NCLC 7 typically costs a few thousand dollars at most and 9–18 months, while you keep earning.
- For anyone already eligible for Express Entry from abroad (usually through FSW), French is usually the lower-risk route.
1Two different races
Express Entry runs several kinds of rounds. In CEC and general rounds, everyone in the pool competes on raw CRS score, and the pool is full of strong English-speaking profiles. In French-category rounds, only candidates with NCLC 7 in all four French skills compete. Fewer people qualify, so the cut-off is lower.
So the graduate in Toronto with 474 points and the engineer abroad with 420 points plus NCLC 7 French aren't in the same queue. The engineer is in the shorter one.
2Why so few students in Canada learn French
- No time. Coursework, part-time jobs and rent leave little room for 10 hours of French a week.
- Sunk cost. Having paid for a Canadian degree, people expect it to be enough and keep waiting for cut-offs to fall.
- English everywhere. Outside Quebec and a few regions, daily life gives little exposure to French.
This is changing: many PGWP holders now learn French in their final permit year. See why people already in Canada are learning French.
3The two plans compared
Plan A: study in Canada, then CEC
- Tuition and living: CAD 60,000–150,000+
- Time: 2–4 years of study + 1 year of work
- Lost income while studying
- Outcome depends on future CEC cut-offs
- Upside: Canadian credential, network, local experience
Plan B: French at home, then FSW + French draws
- Cost: materials, feedback, test fee
- Time: 9–18 months of study
- Keep your job and salary
- Outcome depends mainly on reaching NCLC 7
- Upside: PR first, then move with full rights
Plan B requires FSW eligibility
Applying from abroad usually means the Federal Skilled Worker Program: a year of skilled work, a credential with an ECA, CLB 7 in your first official language, 67 grid points and proof of funds. Check those first: FSW requirements.4How to choose
- If you already qualify for FSW: learn French to NCLC 7 first. It's faster, cheaper and less risky.
- If you don't qualify (no degree, little skilled experience): a Canadian program may be the way to build eligibility, but plan to learn French alongside it.
- If you want a Canadian degree for its own sake (career change, a specific profession): go, and treat French as your PR plan, not an afterthought.
For applying from abroad step by step, see learning French from home and applying from abroad and from zero to the Express Entry pool.
5Frequently asked questions
Do I need Canadian education to get PR?+
No. The Federal Skilled Worker Program accepts foreign education with an Educational Credential Assessment. Many French-category invitations go to candidates who have never studied in Canada.
Is a Canadian degree still worth it for immigration?+
It adds points (education, a 15–30 point Canadian study bonus, and later Canadian work experience), but at a high cost per point. It's worth it if you want the degree for your career, less so purely as an immigration strategy.
Keep reading
Turn the method into points
Practise with levelled TCF Canada questions and full mock exams built for NCLC 7, with an explanation for every answer.