August 6 Express Entry Draw: French Cutoff Falls to 391 Points, Lowest Since March 2025 | ImmigraCan

IRCC (*Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada*, Canada's immigration authority) issued 5,000 invitations (ITAs) in the Express Entry draw of August 6, 2026, exclusively for candidates with French-language proficiency. The CRS cutoff (*Comprehensive Ranking System*, Express Entry's points system) fell to 391 points — 8 points below the previous French-language round on July 22, and the lowest level for this category since March 2025.

Three Draws in Three Days

This round closed an unusual sequence: three Express Entry draws in three consecutive days. First came the PNP-only draw of August 4, with 507 invitations and a cutoff of 768 points (inflated by the provincial nomination bonus). The next day, the CEC draw of August 5 issued 3,000 invitations with a cutoff stuck at 516. And on August 6 came this French-language round, with the lowest cutoff of the three — a sign that IRCC is using each category to reach a different audience, rather than concentrating everything in general (*All-Program*) rounds.

The tie-break rule for this round was March 18, 2026, at 23:32 UTC: among candidates tied exactly at 391 points, only those whose Express Entry profile was already registered before that time were invited.

Why the French Cutoff Keeps Falling

The pattern is no accident. The Canadian government's Immigration Levels Plan for 2026–2028 set explicit targets to increase the share of French-proficient immigrants outside Quebec — somewhere between 10% and 12% of new permanent residents in English-speaking provinces. To hit that target, IRCC needs to invite high volumes regularly, which pushes the CRS cutoff down even when the number of invitations stays flat or grows.

In practice, this creates one of the most accessible routes in Express Entry for those with intermediate-to-advanced French certification. For comparison: the cutoff for general rounds and the CEC has typically orbited between 500 and 520 points. French-language rounds, in recent months, have been ranging between 390 and 420 — a gap of more than a hundred points.

How Much Speaking French Is Worth on the CRS

TEF Canada and TCF Canada are the accepted exams to prove French proficiency for Express Entry. Reaching NCLC/CLB 7 or higher unlocks two combined benefits:

• Up to 50 additional CRS points for French proficiency (even more if combined with advanced-level English)
• Eligibility for French-language draws, which have historically had a much lower cutoff than general rounds and the CEC

A Brazilian candidate with a university degree, a few years of work experience, and French at NCLC 7 typically reaches between 400 and 440 CRS points — a range that would have been enough to be invited in this 391-point round, without relying on an LMIA (job offer authorization) or a provincial nomination.

What to Do If You Received an Invitation — or Are Close to the Range

Anyone who received an ITA in this round has 60 days to submit the complete application (eAPR), with all documentation ready: proof of work experience, French test results (and English, if applicable), and an ECA (*Educational Credential Assessment*, the evaluation confirming a Brazilian diploma is equivalent to the Canadian standard).

If your score is still below 391 and you don't speak French, it's worth simulating how much an intensive French course would change your position in the pool — the 50-point bonus tends to be the fastest boost available for those who already have strong English and solid work experience. ImmigraCan's free eligibility quiz calculates your current CRS score and cross-references it with the federal and provincial programs you fit — without promising guaranteed approval, since the final decision always rests with IRCC.

Anyone who wants to compare the federal routes (general Express Entry, CEC, FSW, FST) with the most active PNPs of 2026 can check out ImmigraCan's immigration programs catalog, which lays out each program's criteria side by side.

The Pattern for Those in the Pool

With three different categories drawn in three days — PNP, CEC, and French — IRCC reinforces that there's no single "best" route in 2026. Those with a provincial nomination benefit from the 600-point bonus; those already working in Canada benefit from the CEC's stable cutoff; and French speakers benefit from the lowest cutoff of the year. It's worth mapping which of these fronts your profile already fits — or what's missing to fit — instead of waiting for a general round stuck above 500.

*Data for this round is based on the official Express Entry rounds dashboard from IRCC. This content is informational and does not replace legal or immigration advice — ImmigraCan is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. For your specific case, consult a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or specialized lawyer.*