Express Entry draw #401: French-Language proficiency
On March 4, 2026, IRCC invited 5,500 candidates in a French-Language proficiency round. The lowest score invited, the cutoff, was 397.
Key facts
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Round | #401 |
| Date | March 4, 2026 |
| Round type | French-Language proficiency |
| Invitations | 5,500 |
| CRS cutoff | 397 |
| Tie-break | Profiles at 397 submitted before October 10, 2025 at 18:18:20 UTC |
| Programs | Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class and Federal Skilled Trades Program |
How it compares
The previous French-language proficiency round, #394 on February 6, 2026, cut off at 400 with 8,500 invitations. This round was 3 points lower, 26 days later.
The round before it overall was #400 (Canadian Experience Class, Mar 3, 2026), with a cutoff of 508.
Of the 28 French-language proficiency rounds since 2023 up to that date, 6 had a lower cutoff.
It was round 13th of 2026. By then IRCC had issued 44,612 invitations that year.
The pool at the time
IRCC's snapshot of the pool on March 1, 2026: 232,534 profiles in total.
| CRS score | Profiles |
|---|---|
| 601–1200 | 258 |
| 501–600 | 14,031 |
| 451–500 | 71,680 |
| 401–450 | 65,868 |
| 351–400 | 53,727 |
| 301–350 | 18,694 |
| 0–300 | 8,276 |
What a French-language proficiency round means
French-language rounds invite candidates with French at NCLC 7 or higher in all four abilities, whatever their occupation. They have run regularly, with cutoffs well below general rounds. See Express Entry draw types for how the round types differ.
Where does your score stand?
The CRS calculator works out your score from your test results and profile, and shows how far it is from the last Canadian Experience Class cutoff.