Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) continued its accelerated end-of-month activity on October 29, 2025 by holding a category-based Express Entry draw dedicated to French-language proficiency. A total of 6,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) were issued— the third-largest draw of the year and the second-largest ever targeted at francophones. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score dropped to 416, its lowest level since IRCC introduced category draws in June 2025.
The result underscores Ottawa’s commitment to grow the proportion of French-speaking permanent residents outside Québec, a pillar of the federal Official Languages Act. IRCC has now issued 36,000 ITAs to francophone candidates in 2025—45 % of all invitations—helping provinces such as New Brunswick, Ontario and Manitoba to meet aggressive francophone-immigration targets and mitigate chronic labour shortages in health, education and skilled trades.
For employers, the large draw offers a deeper talent pool of bilingual professionals who can start permanent-residence processing immediately, reducing reliance on temporary work permits and Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs). HR teams are advised to review internal French-language requirements and update foreign-recruitment strategies, as competition for bilingual candidates is expected to rise when invitations convert to work-eligible Bridging Open Work Permits in early 2026.
Prospective applicants should note the tie-breaking time of September 8 2025 at 15:27 UTC. Candidates who created their Express Entry profiles after that cut-off were not considered, even if they met the CRS threshold. Immigration counsel recommend updating language test results and employment histories promptly, as another francophone draw could come as early as mid-November if Ottawa maintains its current weekly cadence.
Finally, provincial immigration programs are expected to mirror the federal focus. Observers anticipate that Ontario’s French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream and New Brunswick’s Strategic Initiative stream will increase nomination allocations before year-end, creating additional permanent-residence pathways for candidates who fall just below the federal CRS cut-off.
The result underscores Ottawa’s commitment to grow the proportion of French-speaking permanent residents outside Québec, a pillar of the federal Official Languages Act. IRCC has now issued 36,000 ITAs to francophone candidates in 2025—45 % of all invitations—helping provinces such as New Brunswick, Ontario and Manitoba to meet aggressive francophone-immigration targets and mitigate chronic labour shortages in health, education and skilled trades.
For employers, the large draw offers a deeper talent pool of bilingual professionals who can start permanent-residence processing immediately, reducing reliance on temporary work permits and Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs). HR teams are advised to review internal French-language requirements and update foreign-recruitment strategies, as competition for bilingual candidates is expected to rise when invitations convert to work-eligible Bridging Open Work Permits in early 2026.
Prospective applicants should note the tie-breaking time of September 8 2025 at 15:27 UTC. Candidates who created their Express Entry profiles after that cut-off were not considered, even if they met the CRS threshold. Immigration counsel recommend updating language test results and employment histories promptly, as another francophone draw could come as early as mid-November if Ottawa maintains its current weekly cadence.
Finally, provincial immigration programs are expected to mirror the federal focus. Observers anticipate that Ontario’s French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream and New Brunswick’s Strategic Initiative stream will increase nomination allocations before year-end, creating additional permanent-residence pathways for candidates who fall just below the federal CRS cut-off.
