A 25-year-old M.Sc (Mathematics) graduate with a 3-year gap since 2019 had a job offer with a binding 3-year contract, and asked: take the job and try Express Entry in 3 years, or go for the study route now?
- Members leaned clearly toward the study route now. The reasoning: with no valid skilled work experience in hand today, Express Entry is a bet placed 3 years out — draw cut-offs, category rules and your own circumstances can all shift in that time. "Play safe: go for the study visa, and pursue other goals after migrating."
- Don't underestimate the lock-in. The 3-year contract means no flexibility if immigration rules move against you mid-way — one member stressed how much can change in three years.
- Address the existing gap head-on. The 2019-to-now gap already needs explaining in a study permit application. Members suggested getting help from someone familiar with how visa officers read gaps — a well-documented account (what you did, why, and why studies now) matters more the longer the gap grows.
No one in the thread quantified study-visa success odds for this profile; the consensus was directional (study route, sooner rather than later) rather than statistical.