In the latest French-language proficiency-based Express Entry draw held on May 28, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada issued 4,500 invitations for applying to permanent residency.
The Comprehensive Ranking System threshold for the lowest scoring candidate selected was 409 points.
The French draw follows right after the CEC draw held on May 27 issuing 3,000 invitations at CRS 518, bringing back the pattern of CEC-then-French that IRCC maintained all through 2026.
Prior to that, May had seen only two PNP-only draws on May 11 and May 25, with the general non-PNP cycle continuing from this week onwards.
The last French draw took place on April 29 with 4,000 invitations issued at CRS 400, indicating that French candidates waited for 29 days before receiving another invitation.
The number of invitations increased by 500, while the CRS threshold was increased by 9 points.
Overall, French draws continue to prove themselves as an easy option in the Express Entry system for qualifying candidates.
May 28, 2026 Express Entry Draw Details
| Detail | Information |
| Category | French-Language Proficiency 2026-Version 2 |
| Draw Date And Time | May 28, 2026 at 10:52:36 UTC |
| Number Of Invitations Issued | 4,500 |
| CRS Score Of the Lowest-Ranked Candidate | 409 |
| Rank Required | 4,500 or above |
| Tie-Breaking Rule | April 29, 2026 at 22:20:00 UTC |
This tie breaking rule decides who gets invited when there are several people having the same CRS score.
Those who had a CRS score equal to 409 had to submit their profile before 22:20:00 UTC on April 29, 2026.
All those who had a score of 409 and submitted later were not invited even though they met the CRS criteria.
How CRS 409 Compares To Previous French Draws
Cutoff points for the French-language draws have varied from a minimum of 393 in the March 18 draw to 419 in the April 15 draw, with most draws having cutoff points between 397 and 409.
The cutoff point of 409 for the May 28 draw falls in the middle of that range.
This 9-point increase in cutoff point from 400 in the April 29 draw is due to the same pressure pool dynamics that led to an increase in the CEC cutoff point from 514 to 518 after the break.
There was an accumulation of more candidates eligible for French Language in the pool over the 29-day period when there were no French-language draws, although IRCC increased the number of invites from 4,000 to 4,500.
This follows the same trend witnessed at CEC, where the cutoff point jumped to 518 in the May 27 draw compared to 514 in the April 28 draw.
2026 French-Language Express Entry Draw History
This table provides all French-language draws in 2026, demonstrating how invitation levels and CRS thresholds have shifted through the category-based draws.
| # | Date | Invitations issued | CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited |
| 418 | May 28, 2026 | 4,500 | 409 |
| 414 | April 29, 2026 | 4,000 | 400 |
| 411 | April 15, 2026 | 4,000 | 419 |
| 405 | March 18, 2026 | 4,000 | 393 |
| 401 | March 4, 2026 | 5,500 | 397 |
| 394 | February 6, 2026 | 8,500 | 400 |
A total of 30,500 French language invitations have been issued by IRCC across six draws for 2026.
In comparison, French has become the second most used Express Entry pathway after the Canadian Experience Class, issuing approximately 37,250 invitations across nine draws in 2026.
The average French draw CRS for 2026 stands at approximately 403, which is more than 100 points below the current CEC cut-off of 518.
What French Draws Mean For Candidates Below CRS 500
Around 75,000 candidates stuck in the 451 to 500 CRS range, based on the May 24 pool snapshot, will be unable to obtain CEC invites under present cut-off levels.
Draws for French speakers provide a second option, but at a cut-off well over 100 points below CEC for the whole year of 2026.
The candidate with a basic CRS score of 409, along with a strong French result, could have received an invitation today, but this exact candidate would require a CRS of at least 518 to meet the minimum requirement via the CEC.
But unlike CEC rounds, French draws will not take off pressure for CEC invites because French-eligible candidates are often found in different CRS ranges and with other types of profiles than those typical of CEC invitees.
As IRCC has continued to decrease the number of CEC invites per draw from 4,000 to 2,000 starting from the April 14 draw at CRS 515, cut-offs for CEC invitations have risen significantly.
Candidates without sufficient points to qualify for French draws can consider enhancing their French language skill to the level NCLC 7 or better.
How To Qualify For French-Language Express Entry Draws
In order to qualify for the drawing for language ability in French, individuals will need to have an active Express Entry profile and must qualify under any one of the Express Entry managed programs.
The French language requirement is based on a level NCLC 7 in all four areas: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Approved French language tests for this process are TEF Canada and TFC Canada tests, which are offered in testing centers all over Canada as well as abroad.
French language scores also contribute significantly to CRS points in a candidate’s Express Entry pool profile, even for candidates whose priority is CEC drawings.
Apart from meeting the language requirements, individuals will also need to satisfy the eligibility criteria for Federal Skilled Workers Program, Canadian Experience Class, or Federal Skilled Trades Program.
The candidate needs to ensure his occupation is associated with the right National Occupation Classification code in his Express Entry profile.
The candidate invited must file the application for permanent residency within 60 days after receiving the invite letter.
If you were a few points shy in this selection process, you need to watch out whether the immigration department continues to conduct draws of between 4,000 to 4,500 invites or switches back to higher numbers like the previous round of 8,500.
If you are a CEC candidate with a high French score, you may wish to keep watching out for both draws since 518 is much different from the 409 minimum qualifying score.
Individuals scoring less than 400 CRS can consider the province’s nomination programs, including the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program and BC PNP, where the additional CRS points of 600 mean there is no longer any need to rely on the base CRS score.
The upcoming change to the OINP program effective May 30 may bring about new ways of obtaining a provincial nomination.
Another draw type that applicants need to be aware of may include the occupations based draw expected shortly, completing the set of draw types in the current cluster.
