Latest Express Entry French Draw 2026: What CRS Score Is Enough and How to Raise It
Express Entry French-language draws in 2026: CRS cut-offs between 382 and 420, 5,000 invitations per round, and concrete ways to raise your score from Cameroon.
For a French-speaking candidate in Cameroon, the French-language draw is the widest door into Express Entry. While Canadian Experience Class rounds required 516 to 523 points in August and September 2026, the rounds reserved for French speakers invited candidates with between 382 and 420 points. Here are this year's figures, what you need to be eligible, and the levers that raise a CRS score.
The 2026 French-language draws, round by round
February 6: 8,500 invitations, cut-off 400. March 4: 5,500 invitations, cut-off 397. March 18: 4,000, cut-off 393. April 15: 4,000, cut-off 419. April 29: 4,000, cut-off 400. May 28: 4,500, cut-off 409. July 9: 5,000, cut-off 420. July 22: 5,000, cut-off 399. August 6: 5,000, cut-off 391. August 19: 5,000, cut-off 382. Ten rounds in eight months, with a cut-off that has been coming down since July. We publish every new round on the same day: /tirages.html
Who is eligible for the French-language draw?
First, you must be in the Express Entry pool, which means being eligible for one of the three programs (Federal Skilled Worker Program, skilled trades, Canadian Experience Class). Then you must prove a French level of CLB 7 in all four abilities on a recognised test: the TCF Canada or the TEF Canada. To see where your marks sit against that threshold: /en/check-list.html#tcf Those are the only criteria for the category. No required occupation, no job offer.
The CRS score: where the points hide
The CRS score rates age, education, language, work experience, spouse, and additional factors. For a candidate applying from Cameroon, four levers carry a lot of weight.
French itself: moving from CLB 7 to CLB 9 in all four abilities is worth several dozen points, and French also unlocks the francophone bonus (25 points with CLB 7 or higher in all four French abilities, or 50 points if English also reaches CLB 5 in all four abilities).
English as a second language: an IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General or PTE Core test at CLB 5 or above in all four abilities raises the bonus from 25 to 50 points, on top of the points for the language itself.
The Educational Credential Assessment (ECA): a master's degree recognised by WES is worth more than a bachelor's, and two recognised credentials can be worth more than one. The steps and the processing times of the assessment are set out here: /en/check-list.html#equivalence
The spouse: their language and education add points; a spouse who takes the TCF Canada can sometimes change an application's outcome.
What no longer earns anything
From March 2025 to November 2, 2026, a job offer gives no additional points in Express Entry. From November 3, 2026, only a genuine offer in a high-wage occupation earns points again. Never pay for a job offer: a purchased offer is fraud, and it is the most common set-up used in scams.
What to do if your score is below 380?
Retake the French test aiming for CLB 9. Take an English test, even a modest one. Have a second credential assessed. Check your spouse's points. And look at the provincial programs: a provincial nomination adds 600 points. It still does not guarantee an invitation: in 2026, Provincial Nominee Program round cut-offs ranged from 697 to 805 points.
Calculate your CRS score with the current grid, free and with no account: /admissibilite.html#crs — and receive every draw by email: /tirages.html
French is the lever of the French-language category, and the Prépa TCF topics come up again at the exam: working through all of them, in full, maximises your chances on test day: /prepa-tcf.html