- French-language rounds in 2026
- 11
- Invitations in those rounds
- 55,500
- Range of CRS cut-offs
- 382–435
- Most recent French round (2026)
- 16 Oct
As of 20 October 2026, IRCC has held 11 French-language proficiency rounds in 2026, inviting 55,500 candidates. Cut-offs ranged from 382 to 435 CRS points. All numbers below come from IRCC's official rounds-of-invitations data.
What changed
French-language proficiency was renewed as an Express Entry category for 2026, announced on 18 February 2026. Eligibility is unchanged: NCLC 7 or higher in all four French abilities.
The year's rounds:
| Date | Round | Invitations | CRS cut-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 October 2026 | #450 | 5,000 | 435 |
| 19 August 2026 | #437 | 5,000 | 382 |
| 6 August 2026 | #433 | 5,000 | 391 |
| 22 July 2026 | #429 | 5,000 | 399 |
| 9 July 2026 | #425 | 5,000 | 420 |
| 28 May 2026 | #418 | 4,500 | 409 |
| 29 April 2026 | #414 | 4,000 | 400 |
| 15 April 2026 | #411 | 4,000 | 419 |
| 18 March 2026 | #405 | 4,000 | 393 |
| 4 March 2026 | #401 | 5,500 | 397 |
| 6 February 2026 | #394 | 8,500 | 400 |
The 6 February round (#394) was the largest French round in the 2025–2026 data. The average of the eleven cut-offs is 404. The 16 October round (#450), the first after a 58-day gap, had the highest cut-off of the year.
Compared with 2025 and other categories
- 2025: 9 French rounds, 48,000 invitations, cut-offs from 379 to 481.
- 2026, all rounds: 62 rounds and 143,467 invitations to 20 October. French rounds account for 55,500 of those, second only to the Canadian Experience Class (57,750 across 18 rounds).
- CEC cut-offs in 2026 ran from 507 to 523, roughly 100 points above most French rounds.
The latest pool distribution (12 October 2026) shows 47,167 candidates between 351 and 400 points and 63,528 between 401 and 450. Those totals cover the whole pool, not only French speakers.
Who it affects
- Anyone in the pool with NCLC 7 in all four French abilities. French rounds rank only eligible candidates, so the competition is far smaller than in CEC rounds.
- Candidates close to NCLC 7. Reaching NCLC 7 in your weakest skill is often worth more than any other single improvement, because it opens these rounds and adds the French bonus points.
What to do now
- See where you stand: check your CRS score and compare it with the 382–435 range.
- Confirm all four skills: use the NCLC score converter with your TCF Canada or TEF Canada results.
- Follow each round in the French-category draw history; we add each round after IRCC publishes it.
- Understand the rules in French for Express Entry, and read what NCLC 7 means on the TCF Canada.
The CRS French bonus itself is under review; see what we know about the French bonus. The French category is a separate tool and is not part of that proposal.