Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has invited another 5,000 French-speaking candidates to apply for permanent residence through Express Entry. The draw, held October 27,
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has invited another 5,000 French-speaking candidates to apply for permanent residence through Express Entry.
The draw, held October 27, 2026, required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 407 and an Express Entry profile created before 7:22 p.m. UTC on July 13, 2026. The cutoff dropped 28 points from the previous French-language draw on October 16, which invited 5,000 candidates at a CRS of 435.
French remains the biggest draw category of 2026
French-language proficiency draws have issued 60,000 invitations so far in 2026 — the largest share of any draw type — across 12 rounds. In total, IRCC had issued 149,259 invitations through 64 draws this year at the time of this round, and selection continues to favour candidates with ties to Canada, including provincial nominees and those with Canadian work experience.
Candidates in Canada who receive an invitation and submit their PR application may qualify for a bridging open work permit. Applying for that permit before your current one expires preserves your ability to work under maintained status while IRCC processes your applications. Eligible family members may also qualify for open work permits.
Coming change: high-wage occupation points
From November 3, 2026, Express Entry candidates can earn extra CRS points for Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation (national median wage at least 1.3 times the Canadian average; 186 occupations qualify). Job offers will be worth 50, 70 or 100 points depending on the wage tier, and no LMIA will be needed to claim those points. IRCC will pause draws for up to two weeks to recalculate scores.
French ability is one of the most reliable routes to an invitation right now. If you speak French — or are close to test-ready — NewSteps Immigration can map out your best route to PR.
Disclaimer: This post is general information only, published by NewSteps Immigration. We accept no liability for this post, as the information in it may be incorrect or may change without notice. Please refer to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the final and official information.
