Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shook up the talent market on 9 February with a category-based Express Entry draw that sent 8,500 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to French-proficient candidates—by far the largest Francophone-focused round ever. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off was 400, well below recent general draws.
While the policy aims to bolster Francophone communities outside Quebec, Indian tech professionals fluent in French see a golden arbitrage: CRS-400 is a bar many already clear through age, education and work experience. Consultancy Fragomen notes a 42 percent uptick in inquiries from Indian applicants holding DELF-B2 or TEF scores.
The draw also signals Ottawa’s intent to use category-based selections aggressively in 2026 to hit its 500,000-immigrant annual target without over-reliance on Provincial Nominee Programmes. Employers in Toronto and Vancouver, where labour shortages persist, should prepare for a wave of French-speaking applicants whose work permits could be in hand by late summer.
![Canada Issues Record 8,500 Express Entry Invitations to French-Speaking Candidates—Indians Eye Loophole]()
VisaHQ, an online visa and passport services platform, can streamline the paperwork for Indian professionals seizing these new Canadian pathways. Through its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), applicants can organise Canadian visitor visas for exploratory trips, arrange document legalization, and track biometrics appointments—freeing up time to focus on language exams and CRS strategy.
For mobility managers relocating staff to Canada, the message is clear: encourage French-language testing even for anglophone employees. A B2 certificate could halve processing times compared with waiting for a standard all-programme ITA. Companies should also budget for relocation services in secondary Francophone hubs such as Moncton and Winnipeg, where settlement funding is most generous.
IRCC has scheduled its next Express Entry release calendar for mid-March; insiders expect additional draws targeting STEM and healthcare occupations, two areas heavily populated by Indian expatriates.
While the policy aims to bolster Francophone communities outside Quebec, Indian tech professionals fluent in French see a golden arbitrage: CRS-400 is a bar many already clear through age, education and work experience. Consultancy Fragomen notes a 42 percent uptick in inquiries from Indian applicants holding DELF-B2 or TEF scores.
The draw also signals Ottawa’s intent to use category-based selections aggressively in 2026 to hit its 500,000-immigrant annual target without over-reliance on Provincial Nominee Programmes. Employers in Toronto and Vancouver, where labour shortages persist, should prepare for a wave of French-speaking applicants whose work permits could be in hand by late summer.
VisaHQ, an online visa and passport services platform, can streamline the paperwork for Indian professionals seizing these new Canadian pathways. Through its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), applicants can organise Canadian visitor visas for exploratory trips, arrange document legalization, and track biometrics appointments—freeing up time to focus on language exams and CRS strategy.
For mobility managers relocating staff to Canada, the message is clear: encourage French-language testing even for anglophone employees. A B2 certificate could halve processing times compared with waiting for a standard all-programme ITA. Companies should also budget for relocation services in secondary Francophone hubs such as Moncton and Winnipeg, where settlement funding is most generous.
IRCC has scheduled its next Express Entry release calendar for mid-March; insiders expect additional draws targeting STEM and healthcare occupations, two areas heavily populated by Indian expatriates.
