Government-funded language classes are reserved for permanent residents and refugees. If you hold a work permit, a study permit, or you are waiting on permanent residence, you are not entitled to them — however motivated you are. This page explains who is entitled to what, and what is left for everyone else.
LINC is a free federal program with real teachers. Access depends solely on your immigration status.
| Your status | Free classes (LINC) | Prépara |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent resident | Eligible | Open |
| Refugee or protected person | Eligible | Open |
| Canadian citizen | Not eligible | Open |
| Work permit | Not eligible | Open |
| Study permit | Not eligible | Open |
| Spouse awaiting PR | Not eligible | Open |
| Visitor | Not eligible | Open |
Occasional exceptions exist depending on current measures, and some provinces fund courses with criteria that differ from the federal ones. Always check your own situation at the source.
If you are a permanent resident or a refugee, LINC is free, taught by teachers, and it works. We have no reason to steer you away from it and we will not. Contact your local settlement agency for your language assessment.
Prépara is private, in French, online, and open to everyone regardless of status. No eligibility conditions, no waiting list, no form to fill in to find out whether you are allowed to learn.
Work permit, study permit, spouse awaiting status, visitor, citizen: nobody will ask for your papers. You register and you start.
A placement assessment as soon as you register, a plan built on your results, and daily practice you do when you can — in the evening, between shifts, from abroad.
You only pay for the levels between you and your target, and the assessment is what sets them. Cancellable at any time, refunded in full as long as you have not started the assessment.
Federally funded language classes (LINC) are reserved for permanent residents and protected persons or refugees. People with temporary status — work permits, study permits, visitors — are not entitled to them. Occasional exceptions exist depending on current measures: check your own situation on the Government of Canada's official page.
No. A study permit is temporary status, and LINC is reserved for permanent residents and refugees. It is an eligibility rule, not a judgement about your level or your motivation. Your institution may offer paid English courses — start by asking them.
Not to LINC. Some provinces fund English-as-a-second-language courses with criteria that differ from the federal ones, and some community organisations run low-cost classes open to everyone. It is worth calling your local settlement agency before paying for anything.
Generally no: entitlement comes with permanent resident status, not with an application in progress. This is the most common situation we see — people who have lived in Canada for years, whose file is moving, and who have access to nothing while they wait.
Three avenues, in this order: call your local settlement agency to check provincial and community programs; ask your institution or employer whether they fund language training; and if none of that applies, a private program like Prépara exists for exactly this case. Do not pay before making the first two calls.
Registration is $500 CAD, then $450 per level you need to climb: one level is $950 in total; two levels, $1,400. The exact number is set by your placement assessment, which you take as soon as you register. It is more than a free class and far less than a year in an institution.
No, and we are not trying to. LINC is a good program, free, with real teachers. If you are entitled to it, that is where you should go. Prépara exists for the people those programs cannot serve, not for the ones they already serve.
Yes, at any time — write to us at bonjour@monprepara.ca, no explanation needed. As long as you have not started your assessment, the $500 is refunded in full. Once the assessment is done it stays yours: that is precisely what the $500 pays for. The per-level amount is refunded pro rata for the weeks you have left (amount ÷ 12 weeks × weeks not attended). We process all refunds within 10 days.
Create your account, pay your $500 deposit, and take your placement assessment right away. You get your level and your personalized plan. Classes start August 30, 2026.
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