Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 5,000 invitations to apply for permanent residency through a French language proficiency category draw on July 22, 2026.
The Comprehensive Ranking System threshold for this draw came down by a steep 21 points to 399 from 420 threshold in the French draw on July 9.
Threshold of 399 is the lowest seen for any French language draw after 393 cut-off in 4,000 invites issued draw on March 18.
It was the seventh draw of the month of July 2026, adding up to 15,545 confirmed invitations in the month.
It marks the conclusion of the second draw cluster in July, just like that seen in the first cluster in the month.
July 22, 2026 Express Entry Draw Details
The table below summarizes the official draw details for French language proficiency category round #429.
| Draw Detail | Information |
| Draw Number | #429 |
| Category | French-Language Proficiency 2026-Version 2 |
| Draw Date | July 22, 2026 |
| Draw Time (UTC) | 11:12:26 |
| CRS Cutoff Score | 399 |
| Invitations Issued | 5,000 |
| Rank Required | 5,000 or above |
| Tie-Breaking Timestamp | November 19, 2025, at 21:21:56 UTC |
All French Language Express Entry Draws in 2026
The table below tracks all eight French language proficiency draws IRCC has conducted in 2026, showing the CRS reversal from the July 9 peak.
| Draw # | Date | Invitations | CRS |
| 429 | July 22, 2026 | 5,000 | 399 |
| 425 | July 9, 2026 | 5,000 | 420 |
| 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 |
IRCC has issued a combined 40,500 French language proficiency invitations across eight draws in 2026.
All Express Entry Draws in July 2026
There were seven Express Entry draws in July 2026 in four different categories that saw the issuance of 15,545 invites for permanent residence.
| # | Date | Round Type | ITAs | CRS |
| 429 | July 22 | French-Language Proficiency | 5,000 | 399 |
| 428 | July 21 | Canadian Experience Class | 2,000 | 516 |
| 427 | July 20 | Provincial Nominee Program | 511 | 744 |
| 426 | July 10 | Senior Managers (Can. Work Exp.) | 500 | 392 |
| 425 | July 9 | French-Language Proficiency | 5,000 | 420 |
| 424 | July 7 | Canadian Experience Class | 2,000 | 517 |
| 423 | July 6 | Provincial Nominee Program | 534 | 708 |
| July 2026 Total | 15,545 |
July 2026 is a strong month in terms of Express Entry invites, owing to the bi-weekly two-cluster system.
Second Draw Cluster Completes the Biweekly Pattern
The French draw conducted on July 22 marks the end of the second draw cluster in the month of July, indicating the bi-weekly pattern of conducting draws.
The first cluster took place from July 6 to July 10 with draws for the PNP, CEC, French, and senior manager categories being conducted on five consecutive days.
The second cluster took place from July 20 to July 22 with draws for the PNP, CEC, and French being conducted on three consecutive days.
Both clusters followed the pattern of conducting the PNP draw first, CEC second, and French third in order.
This is a very positive change compared to the long breaks between draws seen in May and June.
What This Draw Means For Candidates
This is the most inclusive French threshold as of March since the threshold was raised as high as 420.
Individuals with a fair knowledge of French who scored 380 – 410 on the CRS stand a chance of being invited to the coming draws.
TEF Canada and TCF Canada are the approved tests for proving French language skills in the Canadian Express Entry program.
Individuals who scored French in a relatively poor manner can still make it since the 399 CRS cutoff indicates that IRCC is ready to pull even those who fall way down on the 5,000 ITA volume.
Those who are bilingual earn extra CRS points under the human capital categories for their good performance.
Individuals who have not undertaken the French test should go ahead and register for either the TEF or TCF.
Individuals who had scored 399 or higher and entered their profiles before November 19, 2025 should look for their invitation letter.
Those who had a score of 399 and applied past that deadline have not been chosen and their profiles will need to remain active for the next French draw.
Taking another test and raising your French scores through the TEF or TCF is one of the most efficient methods for gaining CRS points for future draws.
Checking out the province-nominated programs in the provinces of Ontario, Manitoba, British Columbia, and Alberta can earn you an extra 600 CRS points.
The July 22 French draw is a major correction in terms of CRS cut-offs, after months of increasing pressure in the French language category.
With 5,000 invitations at a CRS cut-off of 399, this draw is the most approachable French draw since early spring and means the pool growth.
There were already 40,500 French-language invitations issued this year in 8 draws, and thus this language category became the most numerous Express Entry pathway.
July 2026 goes down as one of the most successful months for the Express Entry program with 15,545 invitations issued during 7 draws in 4 categories.
