In the first category-based Express Entry draw of 2025, IRCC invited 6,500 candidates with French proficiency to apply, marking the second-largest French proficiency draw ever.

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off for these candidates dropped to 428, the lowest this year.

Category-based draws, introduced in 2023, have consistently featured the lowest CRS cut-off scores.

Key points: -

This draw targeted candidates with French proficiency in Express Entry. -

French skills can boost CRS scores by up to 310 points (320 for couples).

- Candidates with a French proficiency of level 7 or higher on the NCLC scale may qualify for the French proficiency category, a priority for IRCC in 2025.

- Canada plans to admit 30,000 Francophone newcomers (outside Quebec) in 2025, with numbers set to increase in the following years.

Source: Canada.ca