Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has conducted another massive selection process in which IRCC Conducts Latest Express Entry Draw On July 22 5,000 PR Invitations are offered to candidates who have strong command over the French language. The French language proficiency category round has issued as many as 5,000 PR invitations for Canadian permanent residence. The most notable feature about this round has been the drop in the CRS cut-off score that was lowered by as much as 21 points to 399.
Highlights of Latest Express Entry Draw On July 22
- Draw Date – July 22, 2026
- Draw Type – French language proficiency category
- Total Invitations Issued – 5,000
- Minimum CRS Score Required – 399
Why CRS Cutoff Score Dropped by 21 Points
The CRS cutoff score for French-speaking selection rounds saw an 11 point surge on 9 July (to a score of 420 points). But today’s selection round has turned things around completely, dropping 21 points down to 399 points.
The main reason for this drop has been that the Canadian Immigration Department (IRCC) has had back-to-back high volume draws within a period of just 13 days.
In effect, because of the issuance of 5,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) within a short time frame, many of the profiles with high CRS scores got filtered out from the pool.
2026 French Language Express Entry Draws Comparison
The French language fluency stream has very swiftly emerged to be the biggest single category-specific pathway within the Express Entry Program for 2026. The chart that follows highlights the growth of French draws held so far this year.
| Draw # | Date | Invitations Issued | CRS Cutoff Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
So far in the eight selection draws, IRCC has issued an overall number of 40,500 PR invitations in this Francophone program.
What Candidates Should Do Right Away
Candidates from the French speaking group who gained 399 or more points and who applied for the Express Entry program before November 19, 2025, are advised to visit their online profile and review their Invitation to Apply (ITA).
After receiving ITA, candidates have 60 days to submit all their credentials and other required documents.
If you are a bilingual candidate or learning French and are on the list –
- Take the Language Test – If you manage to prove your level is NCLC Level 7 or higher in French, through TEF Canada or TCF Canada, it means that you qualify for these large pool draws where qualifying points are much less than in regular CEC or all-program draws.
- Update Your Profile – This way you will be able to apply immediately when the selection takes place.