The Canadian government has recently invited 800 French-speaking candidates to apply for permanent residency through the Express Entry system. This latest draw, held on December 2nd, required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 466.

This year, Express Entry has seen a consistent pattern of draws, particularly favoring candidates in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). This trend is expected to continue, especially with the introduction of the new “In-Canada” focus category, which will prioritize CEC candidates and potentially those from other regional programs.

The government’s Immigration Levels Plan for 2025 has allocated a significant portion of PR admissions to French speakers outside of Quebec. This suggests that candidates with strong French language skills can anticipate more opportunities for immigration in the coming years.

Express Entry Draws Summary for 2024

  • December 2: 676 ITAs, Provincial Nominee Program, CRS 705.
  • November 20: 3,000 ITAs, Healthcare occupations, CRS 463.
  • November 19: 400 ITAs, Canadian Experience Class, CRS 539.
  • November 18: 174 ITAs, Provincial Nominee Program, CRS 816.
  • November 15: 800 ITAs, French language proficiency, CRS 478.
  • November 13: 400 ITAs, Canadian Experience Class, CRS 547.
  • November 12: 733 ITAs, Provincial Nominee Program, CRS 812.
  • October 23: 1,800 ITAs, Trade occupations, CRS 433.
  • October 22: 400 ITAs, Canadian Experience Class, CRS 539.
  • October 21: 648 ITAs, Provincial Nominee Program, CRS 791.
  • October 10: 1,000 ITAs, French language proficiency, CRS 444.
  • October 9: 500 ITAs, Canadian Experience Class, CRS 539.
  • October 7: 1,613 ITAs, Provincial Nominee Program, CRS 743.
  • September 19: 4,000 ITAs, Canadian Experience Class, CRS 509.
  • September 13: 1,000 ITAs, French language proficiency, CRS 446.
  • September 9: 911 ITAs, Provincial Nominee Program, CRS 732.
  • August 27: 3,300 ITAs, Canadian Experience Class, CRS 507.
  • August 26: 1,121 ITAs, Provincial Nominee Program, CRS 694.
  • August 15: 2,000 ITAs, French language proficiency, CRS 394.
  • August 14: 3,200 ITAs, Canadian Experience Class, CRS 509.
  • August 13: 763 ITAs, Provincial Nominee Program, CRS 690.
  • July 31: 5,000 ITAs, Canadian Experience Class, CRS 510.
  • July 30: 964 ITAs, Provincial Nominee Program, CRS 686.
  • July 18: 1,800 ITAs, French language proficiency, CRS 400.
  • July 17: 6,300 ITAs, Canadian Experience Class, CRS 515.
  • July 16: 1,391 ITAs, Provincial Nominee Program, CRS 670.
  • July 8: 3,200 ITAs, French language proficiency, CRS 420.
  • July 5: 3,750 ITAs, Healthcare occupations, CRS 445.
  • July 4: 1,800 ITAs, Trade occupations, CRS 436.
  • July 2: 920 ITAs, Provincial Nominee Program, CRS 739.
  • June 19: 1,499 ITAs, Provincial Nominee Program, CRS 663.
  • May 31: 3,000 ITAs, Canadian Experience Class, CRS 522.
  • May 30: 2,985 ITAs, Provincial Nominee Program, CRS 676.
  • April 24: 1,400 ITAs, French language proficiency, CRS 410.
  • April 23: 2,095 ITAs, General, CRS 529.
  • April 11: 4,500 ITAs, STEM occupations, CRS 491.
  • April 10: 1,280 ITAs, General, CRS 549.
  • March 26: 1,500 ITAs, French language proficiency, CRS 388.
  • March 25: 1,980 ITAs, General, CRS 524.
  • March 13: 975 ITAs, Transport occupations, CRS 430.
  • March 12: 2,850 ITAs, General, CRS 525.
  • February 29: 2,500 ITAs, French language proficiency, CRS 336.
  • February 28: 1,470 ITAs, General, CRS 534.
  • February 16: 150 ITAs, Agriculture and agri-food, CRS 437.
  • February 14: 3,500 ITAs, Healthcare occupations, CRS 422.
  • February 13: 1,490 ITAs, General, CRS 535.
  • February 1: 7,000 ITAs, French language proficiency, CRS 365.
  • January 31: 730 ITAs, General, CRS 541.
  • January 23: 1,040 ITAs, General, CRS 543.
  • January 10: 1,510 ITAs, General, CRS 546.

About Express Entry

Express Entry is an online platform used to manage applications for three key Canadian immigration programs: the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). Additionally, candidates in Express Entry-linked Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) can be invited through an enhanced nomination process.

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) evaluates candidates based on factors such as age, work experience, education, language skills, and job skills. Enhanced provincial nominations add 600 CRS points, significantly boosting the chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Other factors like having a sibling in Canada, a spouse, or a combination of education and work experience from Canada and abroad can also contribute to higher CRS scores.

Draws typically prioritize candidates with the highest CRS scores, but category-based selections have also been introduced. These specialized draws target candidates with skills or language proficiencies that meet Canada’s labor and demographic needs, often resulting in lower CRS cut-off scores compared to general or program-specific draws.