French and more French to live in Canada

Canada will welcome 6,000 French-speaking foreigners to live and work in the country thanks to the fast-track to permanent residency (PR): the Express Entry system. On October 29, 2025, Canadian Immigration launched a "mega draw" of invitations for PR candidates who created an Express Entry profile by 3:27 pm Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on September 8, 2025 and achieved a minimum score of 416 on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

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This is the third mass lottery for French-speakers who want to settle in Canada. 

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Many foreigners qualify for permanent residency if they speak French, but few know it. So if you are one of them and are looking for a fast track to apply, the French-speaking category of Express Entry is the best. In this blog, I explain everything you need to know. Read to the end and take note of the steps - let's get started!

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Express Entry French Proficiency Category

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The Canadian government seeks to preserve its second official language (French) in its communities, as this language is spoken in lower proportion, and the country needs new, young, professional and eager-to-work people who want to support the economy and the general demographics, but more so the French-speaking one. That is why, in June 2023, it created the category French Proficiency in its Express Entry system.

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This has been a gateway for many French-speaking Latinos who are already permanent residents in Canada.

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In the two years that this category has been in operation, more than 50,000 French-speaking foreigners have arrived in the country. Many of them even learned or improved the language in order to qualify for this category. Of course, there are other basic requirements that must be met, such as having valid and valid documents, economic funds, etc., but the most important thing is to obtain a French score that demonstrates their advanced intermediate level (CLB 7 or higher).

French-speaking candidates who apply for Express Entry have a great advantage, as they can compete with other candidates who, if they do not speak French, have to work harder to achieve a high CRS score.

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Mechanics of CRS scoring 

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CRS stands for Comprehensive Ranking System, the tool the Canadian government uses to rank and score candidates in the Express Entry pool. The CRS score serves to select those immigrants who can contribute to the Canadian economy and integrate quickly into the workplace and society. That is why French comes into play with this category. 

The mechanics of the CRS score is what defines whether you will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. The theoretical maximum score is 1200, but in this "mega draw" the cutoff was 416 CRS points, meaning that many could have received an invitation, however, ignorance of the scoring system or the advantage of this category has caused many French speakers to miss out on this option.

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How to calculate the CRS score in 6 steps

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The first step in understanding the calculation of the score is to know your immigration profile. The person must use a special calculator that evaluates all these criteria. 

1. Certify your studies and languages: before any calculation, you must have the official results of your language exams(CLB/NCLC) and the equivalence of your academic degrees(ECA). Without this, no score!
2. Add up the human capital: that is, get points for your age, your language level (this is essential), your education and your work experience. 
3. Consider your partner (if applicable): if you apply with a spouse, they can contribute up to 40 points for their own language, education and work experience. Working as a team can raise your CRS score!
4. Combined points: receive up to 100 bonus points for your combined skills, such as having an advanced degree and a high level of language proficiency.
5. Add additional points: this strategy is potential for scoring. The most powerful factor is the 600 points for a Provincial Nomination (PNP). 
6. Total Score: Add up all the points. The final result is your total CRS Score, which must be equal to or higher than the draw cut-off score to receive your ITA.

With this CRS Express Entry Calculator tool you can put into practice the calculation of your score and find out if you are eligible for Express Entry.

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Example of CRS scores that qualify for Express Entry

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Let us assume two scenarios of French-speaking foreigners seeking permanent residence in Canada: 

1. Persons who have never been in Canada and qualify for fast-track permanent residence. 
2. Individuals living in Canada as temporary residents who want to change status.

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To illustrate the steps: let's imagine that the person outside Canada is35 years old, has the highest level of education, a bachelor's degree, is fluent in English at an advanced level (C1-C2) and demonstrates it with a test like the Celpip, with a CLB 9 score (quite high), and demonstrates a level of French CLB 7 (on the Canadian scale), if he also has qualified work experience in his country of origin, he is a potential candidate for the PR by Express Entry. His score, by far, would be exceeding the 416 CRS points of this mega draw. Therefore, he would have received an ITA.

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In another scenario, imagine a person living in Canada, of the same age (35 years old), with a master's degree within the country, an advanced level (CLB 8) of English demonstrated in the Celpip test, French level CLB 7 and one year of qualified experience in their country of origin, would also have a CRS score above 416. This reflects that high profiles are highly competitive and can be selected when the cut-off score is low, as it was in this mega lottery.

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One strategy to know how the next score cuts will come is to compare them with the previous draws. In the last draws for the French proficiency category, the minimum score was much higher!

The rounds occurred in this sequence:

• October 29, 2025 - Drawing 376 - Minimum CRS score: 416
• October 6, 2025 draw 371 CRS minimum score: 432
• September 4, 2025 - Drawing 365 - minimum CRS score : 446
• August 8, 2025 - draw 360 -minimum CRS score: 481

To conclude this information, it is important to remember that you must create an Express Entry profile and submit your Expression of Interest (EOI) to demonstrate to the Canadian government your desire for permanent residency in the country.

If you want to start your immigration process, but don't know exactly how, don't worry, at Immiland Canadawe have regulated consultants and Canadian lawyers who can help you.

Request a free evaluation of your immigration profile or ask for personalized advice to start your path to permanent residency.

Thank you very much for reading us. See you soon.

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With love, 

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Immiland Canada