Dear future neighbour,
Canada’s Express Entry system delivered good news for French-speaking candidates this week. On August 6, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 5,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence, and this time the bar to get in was lower than it has ever been for this draw type.
See below details of August 6 Express Entry draw:
- Draw type: French-Language Proficiency
- No. of Invitations: 5,000
- CRS Score: 391
- Tie-breaking Rule: March 18, 2026
This draw was part of a busy few days for Express Entry. It followed a Provincial Nominee Program draw on August 4 and a Canadian Experience Class draw on August 5, bringing the total for that three-day cluster to 8,507 invitations. It also marked the 45th Express Entry draw of 2026, pushing the year’s total invitations to 113,123, a number that is now closing in fast on the 113,988 ITAs issued across the whole of 2025.
See below every draw in 2026 so far:
| Date | Draw Type | CRS cut-off score | ITAs issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 6 | French-Language proficiency | 391 | 5,000 |
| August 5 | Canadian Experience Class | 516 | 3,000 |
| August 4 | Provincial Nominee Program | 768 | 507 |
| July 23 | Skilled Military Recruits | 368 | 4 |
| July 22 | French-Language proficiency | 399 | 5,000 |
| July 21 | Canadian Experience Class | 516 | 2,000 |
| July 20 | Provincial Nominee Program | 744 | 511 |
| July 10 | Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience | 392 | 500 |
| July 9 | French-Language proficiency | 420 | 5,000 |
| July 7 | Canadian Experience Class | 517 | 2,000 |
| July 6 | Provincial Nominee Program | 708 | 534 |
| June 25 | Healthcare and social services | 475 | 4,000 |
| June 24 | Physicians with Canadian Work Experience | 223 | 271 |
| June 23 | Canadian Experience Class | 516 | 4,000 |
| June 22 | Provincial Nominee Program | 730 | 955 |
| May 28 | French-Language proficiency | 409 | 4,500 |
| May 27 | Canadian Experience Class | 518 | 3,000 |
| May 25 | Provincial Nominee Program | 805 | 334 |
| May 11 | Provincial Nominee Program | 798 | 380 |
| April 29 | French-Language proficiency | 400 | 4,000 |
| April 28 | Canadian Experience Class | 514 | 2,000 |
| April 27 | Provincial Nominee Program | 795 | 473 |
| April 15 | French-Language proficiency | 419 | 4,000 |
| April 14 | Canadian Experience Class | 515 | 2,000 |
| April 13 | Provincial Nominee Program | 786 | 324 |
| April 2 | Trades | 477 | 3,000 |
| March 31 | Canadian Experience Class | 509 | 2,250 |
| March 30 | Provincial Nominee Program | 802 | 356 |
| March 18 | French-Language proficiency | 393 | 4,000 |
| March 17 | Canadian Experience Class | 507 | 4,000 |
| March 16 | Provincial Nominee Program | 742 | 362 |
| March 5 | Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience | 429 | 250 |
| March 4 | French-Language proficiency | 397 | 5,500 |
| March 3 | Canadian Experience Class | 508 | 4,000 |
| March 2 | Provincial Nominee Program | 710 | 264 |
| February 20 | Healthcare and social services | 467 | 4,000 |
| February 19 | Physicians with Canadian work experience | 169 | 391 |
| February 17 | Canadian Experience Class | 508 | 6,000 |
| February 16 | Provincial Nominee Program | 789 | 279 |
| February 6 | French-Language proficiency | 400 | 8,500 |
| February 3 | Provincial Nominee Program | 749 | 423 |
| January 21 | Canadian Experience Class | 509 | 6,000 |
| January 20 | Provincial Nominee Program | 746 | 681 |
| January 7 | Canadian Experience Class | 511 | 8,000 |
| January 5 | Provincial Nominee Program | 711 | 574 |
Why does the French cutoff keep sitting so much lower than the Canadian Experience Class cutoff? It comes down to pool size. French-language draws only pull from candidates who have proven French proficiency at NCLC 7 or higher across all four language skills (listening, reading, writing, speaking). That’s a much smaller group than the general CEC pool, so IRCC has to reach deeper into the score range to fill 5,000 spots, landing cutoffs between 390 and 420 instead of the 515 to 518 range typical of CEC draws.
Looking at the nine French draws held so far in 2026, cutoffs have ranged from 391 to 420, averaging around 403:
| Date | ITAs | CRS Cutoff |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 6 | 8,500 | 400 |
| Mar 4 | 5,500 | 397 |
| Mar 18 | 4,000 | 393 |
| Apr 15 | 4,000 | 419 |
| Apr 29 | 4,000 | 400 |
| May 28 | 4,500 | 409 |
| Jul 9 | 5,000 | 420 |
| Jul 22 | 5,000 | 399 |
| Aug 6 | 5,000 | 391 |
French-language draws have now delivered 45,500 invitations this year, second only to the Canadian Experience Class at 48,250, and they make up over 40% of all ITAs issued in 2026. This lines up with IRCC’s ongoing push to grow francophone immigration outside Quebec, a policy priority that shows no signs of slowing down.
The best part for candidates? You don’t need French as your first language to qualify. If you can hit NCLC 7 or higher on the TEF Canada or TCF Canada test across listening, reading, writing, and speaking, you’re eligible, regardless of your nationality or mother tongue. Plenty of successful candidates are simply bilingual English-French speakers who end up qualifying for both CEC and French category draws at the same time, effectively doubling their shot at an invitation. And even if you don’t hit NCLC 7 in every skill, a strong French test score can still boost your CRS through second-official-language points.
One thing worth planning around: test slots for TEF and TCF can book up two to three months in advance depending on your city, so if French draws are part of your strategy, it pays to book early rather than scrambling when the next cluster is announced.
Turn This Draw Into Your Pathway to Canada
Every Express Entry draw is a fresh reminder that timing and preparation matter just as much as your CRS score. Whether you’re weighing a French-language test to open up a second pathway, wondering if your current score is competitive enough for the next round, or ready to move forward with your Express Entry profile, provincial nomination, work permit, spousal sponsorship, or citizenship application, getting the right guidance early can save you months of uncertainty. Book a consultation with us at https://euiacademy.selar.com/60minutes and let’s discuss the fastest, most reliable route to your Canadian PR.