What CRS score do French-language Express Entry rounds need?
Checked November 1, 2026
There is no fixed score. The latest French-language round, on 27 October 2026, invited 5,000 candidates down to 407. In the 12 French-language rounds of 2026 (to 27 October), the lowest CRS score invited ranged from 382 to 435, against about 519 in the Canadian Experience Class rounds of September and October. To be considered, you need NCLC 7 in all four French skills and to be eligible for an Express Entry program.
French-language rounds in 2026
| Date | Invitations | Lowest score invited |
|---|---|---|
| 27 October | 5,000 | 407 |
| 16 October | 5,000 | 435 |
| 19 August | 5,000 | 382 |
| 6 August | 5,000 | 391 |
| 22 July | 5,000 | 399 |
| 9 July | 5,000 | 420 |
| 28 May | 4,500 | 409 |
| 29 April | 4,000 | 400 |
| 15 April | 4,000 | 419 |
| 18 March | 4,000 | 393 |
| 4 March | 5,500 | 397 |
| 6 February | 8,500 | 400 |
That is 60,500 invitations in 2026. In 2025 there were 9 French-language rounds with 48,000 invitations and cut-offs from 379 to 481.
How to read these numbers
- Each number is the lowest score invited in that round, not an average.
- They are past rounds. IRCC does not announce the next cut-off, and it depends on who is in the pool that day.
- The cut-off counts all your CRS points, not only French. French helps in three ways, the first-language points, the 25 or 50 bonus points, and access to these rounds.
- IRCC changes how job offers and Canadian work experience are scored from 3 November 2026, and pauses rounds for up to two weeks while profiles are recalculated. Cut-offs after that may move.
The entry ticket is the same every time, NCLC 7 in listening, reading, writing and speaking, plus eligibility for an Express Entry program and whatever the round’s instructions add. On TCF Canada that means 10 out of 20 in writing, one mark above NCLC 6. Check your writing for free before you book the exam. The scores for each skill are in what TCF Canada score you need for NCLC 7.