Express Entry French Draw #452: CRS 407, 5,000 Invitations

IRCC named the round "French-Language proficiency 2026-Version 2", the same label as draw #450. It was open to candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class and Federal Skilled Trades Program who met the category's French requirement.

Tie-breaking rule: candidates with exactly 407 points were invited only if they had submitted their Express Entry profile before July 13, 2026 at 19:22:00 UTC. For draw #450 that date was October 6, so this cutoff reached much further back in the queue.

IRCC doesn't explain individual cutoffs, but the timing is a clue. Draw #450 came after a long pause in French rounds and landed at 435, the highest of 2026. Draw #452 followed after just 11 days. A short gap means fewer new candidates enter the pool in between, and a draw of 5,000 invitations can reach further down the ranking.

IRCC's pool data points the same way. Between October 12 and October 25, the whole Express Entry pool shrank from 229,456 to 228,724 profiles. The 431–440 band, where draw #450 fell, went from 13,474 to 13,155. These counts cover every candidate in the pool, not only those eligible for French rounds.

In 2026 so far, French cutoffs have ranged from 382 to 435. Two draws do not make a trend. Watch the next one or two rounds before changing your plans.

At 407, the French cutoff was far below the other rounds IRCC held around the same days:

A Canadian Experience Class candidate needed 519 on October 15. A French-eligible candidate needed 407 on October 27. That 112-point difference is more than most people could gain any other way.

To be invited in a French-language round you need NCLC 7 or higher in all four abilities (reading, listening, writing and speaking) on TEF Canada or TCF Canada. French also adds up to 50 CRS points in every round: 25 points with NCLC 7+ in all four French abilities, or 50 if you also have CLB 5+ in all four English abilities.

Cutoffs change from draw to draw, and no round is guaranteed. A lower cutoff in one draw does not tell you what the next one will be.

1. 1Already NCLC 7 in all four? Make sure your French results are entered in your Express Entry profile and still valid (IRCC accepts results for two years from the test result date).
2. 2Close to NCLC 7? Convert your last scores with the NCLC calculator and find the weakest skill. One skill below NCLC 7 makes you ineligible for French rounds.
3. 3Not tested yet? Compare TEF Canada and TCF Canada, then check dates at test centres in Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver, Calgary or Ottawa. Results can take a few weeks.
4. 4Practise under exam timing with the free TEF or TCF practice test.