Canada Issues 5,000 Invitations in French-Language Express Entry Draw
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada held a new Express Entry draw on October 16, 2026, issuing 5,000 invitations to apply for permanent residence under the French-language proficiency category. The lowest-ranked invited candidate had a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 435, with the tie-breaking rule set at October 6, 2026, 21:31:22 UTC.
It was the 62nd Express Entry draw of 2026 and the 11th French-language draw of the year; the category has now issued 55,500 invitations this year, and total invitations across all rounds exceed 143,000. Canada has maintained French-language proficiency as a standalone selection category in support of Francophone communities outside Quebec.
Separately this week, Ottawa announced a refocusing of Express Entry scoring toward top talent and Canadian work experience, with scores in the pool to be recalculated automatically and changes taking effect November 3, as GSM reported on Friday. (GSM, based on IRCC announcements and immigration reporting)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 渥太华国会山。 Photo by Salwa Farwaneh, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
