Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has made another big Express Entry draw, and the aggressive rate of invitations is changing the prospects of the applicants as Canada enters 2026.
The most recent Express Entry draw took place on December 17, 2025, and focused on applicants in the French language proficiency category and issued an enormous 6, 000 invitations to apply to be granted permanent residency.
This is not only a big draw by itself, it is also important because the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cutoff score is lowered to below 400.
Full Details Of The December 17 Express Entry Draw
Category: French language proficiency Version 1
Date: December 17, 2025
CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 399
Number of invitations issued: 6,000
Rank required: 6,000 or above
Tie-breaking rule: August 24, 2025 at 23:43:05 UTC
In case there were two more candidates who scored the lowest, the date and time on which their Express Entry profile has been submitted was used as the cut-off, as per standard IRCC practice.
With a cut-off of 400 to the Comprehensive Ranking System, this draw is one of the most available category-based rounds in recent times, particularly to those candidates who have invested in enhancing their language proficiency in French.
December Becomes The Biggest Express Entry Month Of 2025
The figures now speak very eloquently with the December 17 draw now in.
IRCC has given out a total of 19, 522 invitations already in December alone, and even those in consecutive weeks.
This is already way more than the whole month of November, when 12,991 invitations in all the Express Entry categories occurred within IRCC.
Still more impressive is the weekly rate. IRCC has issued 11,399 invitations to apply in this week alone which is a very strong indication of a rapid increase in processing and selection activity.
That causes December to be the only month with the most invitations to Express Entry in 2025 a feat that highlights an apparent shift in course following the comparatively subdued invitations of the previous months in the year.
The number of invitations released this week and their rate of release are indicative that IRCC believes in its ability to process and its new target admissions.
The rush has followed right on the heels of the introduction of the new Immigration Levels Plan in November 2025, meaning that draw volumes are currently being adjusted to new federal priorities.
This has changed the expectations of the candidates in the pool drastically.
An initial character of hesitation and lumpy drawing has now been replaced by a significant sequence of big rounds in a variety of lines.
Or as we said yesterday, IRCC may be in a mood to take a Christmas/New Year holiday by performing the kind of work that should be done within such a period.
All Express Entry Draws In December So Far
In December there has been a wide variety of general and category based rounds which include Canadian Experience Class, Provincial Nominee Program, healthcare occupations and currently French language proficiency.
Healthcare and social services occupations (Version 2)
1,000
476
384
December 10, 2025
Canadian Experience Class
6,000
520
383
December 8, 2025
Provincial Nominee Program
1,123
729
This combination demonstrates that IRCC is not using a single channel.
It is instead spreading invitations in a strategically done way among in-Canada applicants, provincial nominees, high-demand jobs, and Francophone applicants.
Why French Language Proficiency Draws Matter More Than Ever
The skills of receiving on the level of French language have become one of the most effective mechanisms of the Canadian immigration system.
Applicants with good French proficiency can receive category based invitations, which are frequently associated with much lower CRS cut-offs than general draws.
The federal government has indicated clearly that the majority of its representatives will back the Francophone minority people who are not located in Quebec.
By sending high volumes of invitations in terms of the French language category, IRCC is directly fostering the growth of population, labor force and cultural enrichment in the provinces like Ontario, New Brunswick, Manitoba, and Alberta.
Lower CRS Thresholds Create New Opportunities
A CRS cut-off of 399 is well below the levels (515) typically seen in the Canadian Experience Class draws.
This creates opportunities for candidates who may not possess exceptionally high scores, but bring valuable linguistic and cultural assets to Canada.
For many applicants, investing in French language testing has become a decisive strategy for securing permanent residency faster.
As Canada enters 2026, Express Entry candidates can expect continued emphasis on category-based selection.
French language proficiency, healthcare occupations, and in-Canada experience are all likely to remain focal points.
If December’s momentum carries forward, early 2026 could see additional large draws, especially as IRCC works to meet annual targets efficiently rather than backloading admissions later in the year.
The December 17 Express Entry draw marks a pivotal moment in Canada’s immigration landscape.
With 6,000 invitations issued in a single French language proficiency round, IRCC has demonstrated both capacity and intent to scale up permanent resident admissions.
The clear message is that 11,399 invitations were issued this week alone, and 19,522 have already been issued in December.
December is now the most active Express Entry month of 2025, surpassing November by a wide margin.
For candidates, especially those with French language skills or recent Canadian work experience, the current environment presents some of the strongest opportunities seen all year.
The shift following the November Immigration Levels Plan announcement suggests that this renewed momentum is part of a broader strategy rather than a temporary adjustment.
As the year closes, Express Entry is ending 2025 not with restraint, but with renewed intensity and clear direction.
Latest Express Entry Draw on December 17 Issues 6,000 ITAs
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has made another big Express Entry draw, and the aggressive rate of invitations is changing the prospects of the applicants as Canada enters 2026.
The most recent Express Entry draw took place on December 17, 2025, and focused on applicants in the French language proficiency category and issued an enormous 6, 000 invitations to apply to be granted permanent residency.
This is not only a big draw by itself, it is also important because the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cutoff score is lowered to below 400.
Full Details Of The December 17 Express Entry Draw
In case there were two more candidates who scored the lowest, the date and time on which their Express Entry profile has been submitted was used as the cut-off, as per standard IRCC practice.
With a cut-off of 400 to the Comprehensive Ranking System, this draw is one of the most available category-based rounds in recent times, particularly to those candidates who have invested in enhancing their language proficiency in French.
December Becomes The Biggest Express Entry Month Of 2025
The figures now speak very eloquently with the December 17 draw now in.
IRCC has given out a total of 19, 522 invitations already in December alone, and even those in consecutive weeks.
This is already way more than the whole month of November, when 12,991 invitations in all the Express Entry categories occurred within IRCC.
Still more impressive is the weekly rate. IRCC has issued 11,399 invitations to apply in this week alone which is a very strong indication of a rapid increase in processing and selection activity.
That causes December to be the only month with the most invitations to Express Entry in 2025 a feat that highlights an apparent shift in course following the comparatively subdued invitations of the previous months in the year.
The number of invitations released this week and their rate of release are indicative that IRCC believes in its ability to process and its new target admissions.
The rush has followed right on the heels of the introduction of the new Immigration Levels Plan in November 2025, meaning that draw volumes are currently being adjusted to new federal priorities.
This has changed the expectations of the candidates in the pool drastically.
An initial character of hesitation and lumpy drawing has now been replaced by a significant sequence of big rounds in a variety of lines.
Or as we said yesterday, IRCC may be in a mood to take a Christmas/New Year holiday by performing the kind of work that should be done within such a period.
All Express Entry Draws In December So Far
In December there has been a wide variety of general and category based rounds which include Canadian Experience Class, Provincial Nominee Program, healthcare occupations and currently French language proficiency.
This combination demonstrates that IRCC is not using a single channel.
It is instead spreading invitations in a strategically done way among in-Canada applicants, provincial nominees, high-demand jobs, and Francophone applicants.
Why French Language Proficiency Draws Matter More Than Ever
The skills of receiving on the level of French language have become one of the most effective mechanisms of the Canadian immigration system.
Applicants with good French proficiency can receive category based invitations, which are frequently associated with much lower CRS cut-offs than general draws.
Strengthening Francophone Communities Outside Quebec
The federal government has indicated clearly that the majority of its representatives will back the Francophone minority people who are not located in Quebec.
By sending high volumes of invitations in terms of the French language category, IRCC is directly fostering the growth of population, labor force and cultural enrichment in the provinces like Ontario, New Brunswick, Manitoba, and Alberta.
Lower CRS Thresholds Create New Opportunities
A CRS cut-off of 399 is well below the levels (515) typically seen in the Canadian Experience Class draws.
This creates opportunities for candidates who may not possess exceptionally high scores, but bring valuable linguistic and cultural assets to Canada.
For many applicants, investing in French language testing has become a decisive strategy for securing permanent residency faster.
As Canada enters 2026, Express Entry candidates can expect continued emphasis on category-based selection.
French language proficiency, healthcare occupations, and in-Canada experience are all likely to remain focal points.
If December’s momentum carries forward, early 2026 could see additional large draws, especially as IRCC works to meet annual targets efficiently rather than backloading admissions later in the year.
The December 17 Express Entry draw marks a pivotal moment in Canada’s immigration landscape.
With 6,000 invitations issued in a single French language proficiency round, IRCC has demonstrated both capacity and intent to scale up permanent resident admissions.
The clear message is that 11,399 invitations were issued this week alone, and 19,522 have already been issued in December.
December is now the most active Express Entry month of 2025, surpassing November by a wide margin.
For candidates, especially those with French language skills or recent Canadian work experience, the current environment presents some of the strongest opportunities seen all year.
The shift following the November Immigration Levels Plan announcement suggests that this renewed momentum is part of a broader strategy rather than a temporary adjustment.
As the year closes, Express Entry is ending 2025 not with restraint, but with renewed intensity and clear direction.
Author: Shubham
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