OECD report shows France surpasses Canada in international-student numbers

The OECD’s annual International Migration Outlook, released on 12 November, paints a nuanced picture of global mobility flows in 2025. While permanent immigration across the 38-member bloc dipped 1.6 %, student mobility remained resilient—especially into Southern Europe. France recorded a 9 % increase in total inflows and, for the first time, overtook Canada as the world’s fourth-largest host of international students, after the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. The finding is significant because Canada has long been France’s chief competitor for francophone and STEM talent. Ottawa’s recent cap on temporary permits, introduced amid housing-supply concerns, is already prompting education agents to redirect applicants toward French universities and grandes écoles. Unlike Canada, France imposes no federal cap on study permits and offers a comparatively low tuition structure, although living-cost thresholds were raised in August. For employers, the pipeline effect matters: more than 42 % of non-EU graduates already transition to a French work permit within two years, according to Interior-Ministry data. The latest ‘Passeport Talent–recherche d’emploi’ scheme further allows graduates of master’s programmes to remain for 12 months to look for work or create a company. Mobility managers should therefore expect a deeper local talent pool—but also tighter competition for housing around university hubs. Landlords in Paris, Lyon and Bordeaux report a 15-20 % surge in demand for furnished studios this academic year. Policy-wise, the government sees the numbers as validation of its “Choose France for Higher Education” plan, which sets a goal of 500,000 foreign students by 2027. Yet unions warn that prefecture backlogs for residence-permit renewals still average 117 days. The Ministry of the Interior says a decree published on 9 November will impose a 90-day processing deadline from 1 January 2027.