Canada Just Held Its Biggest-Ever Category-Based Express Entry Draw, and French Speakers Are Winning Big
If You Speak French and Want to Move to Canada, This Is a Huge Opportunity
Canada just made a major move in its immigration plans for 2026, and if you’re a French-speaker, it’s something you should pay attention to.
Through the Express Entry system, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited a record-breaking 8,500 candidates in a single category-based draw. This makes it the largest category-based Express Entry draw ever held.
What Happened in This Draw?
On February 6, 2026, IRCC held a draw specifically for candidates with strong French-language skills.
To qualify, applicants needed:
- A minimum Compreshensive Ranking Score (CRS) of 400
- An Express Entry profile created before February 3, 2026, at 11:11 a.m. (UTC)
That’s it. If you met these two conditions and had strong French language ability, you were in the running.
And 8,500 people received Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residency, which is massive.
Express Entry to Date in 2026: Where Do You Fit In?
The IRCC has already held six Express Entry draws in 2026, and the focus hasn’t been random or broad.
Canada is clearly prioritizing:
- People already working in Canada
- Candidates with provincial nominations
- And most recently, French-language speakers
Here’s a simple breakdown of the draws so far this year:
| Draw Date | Draw Type | CRS Cutoff | ITAs Issued |
| February 6 | French-Language Proficiency | 400 | 8,500 |
| February 3 | Provincial Nominee Program | 749 | 423 |
| January 21 | Canadian Experience Class | 509 | 6,000 |
| January 20 | Provincial Nominee Program | 746 | 681 |
| January 7 | Canadian Experience Class | 511 | 8,000 |
| January 5 | Provincial Nominee Program | 711 | 574 |
Which Category Received the Most ITAs?
So far in 2026, Canada has issued 24,178 ITAs across three main categories:
| Draw Type | ITAs Issued |
| Canadian Experience Class | 14,000 |
| French-Language Proficiency | 8,500 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 1,255 |
If you’re already in Canada under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and have work experience in the country, you’ve probably noticed the strong focus there.
