Canada Express Entry surprise: 6,500 French language speakers invited to apply for a PR; Can Indians apply?

Canada has started inviting foreigners to apply for permanent residency based on their French language skills through the Express Entry system. This is a new initiative for 2025 by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), specifically targeting applicants who are proficient in French.

Canada has opened the floodgates for French-speaking immigrants with its latest Express Entry draw, issuing 6,500 Invitations to Apply (ITAs)—a massive jump from previous rounds.

Held on February 19, the draw also marked a significant CRS score drop to 428, 38 points lower than the last French-language draw in December 2024, which saw only 800 ITAs.

Breaking Down the Latest Draw

The February 19 draw was exclusively for French language proficiency candidates, reflecting Canada's continued push to attract Francophone talent. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required was 428, a notable decline from 466 in the last similar draw.

This latest round follows the February 17 Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw, which issued 646 ITAs with a CRS cutoff of 750.

So far in 2025, Canada has conducted:

• Three PNP draws
• Three Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws
• One French-language draw

The tie-breaking rule was applied for this draw, with a cutoff date of February 10, 2025, at 11:41 AM EST. Candidates with the same CRS score were only invited if they submitted their Express Entry profiles before this date.

This was the 7th Express Entry round of 2025 and the 337th overall. Successful candidates now have 60 days to submit their applications, which typically process within six months.

What is CRS?

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is a points-based framework used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to evaluate and score applicants in the Express Entry system. It considers factors such as skills, education, language proficiency, and work experience.

If multiple candidates have the same lowest score, the winner is determined by the submission date and time of their profiles. Invitations to apply for permanent residency through programs like the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades Program are sent out based on this ranking system during invitation rounds.

Opportunities for Employers and Candidates

Employers looking to recruit skilled foreign workers can improve long-term retention by securing a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or nominating candidates under Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).

For candidates, securing a job offer remains one of the best ways to guarantee an ITA in future draws. Immigration hopefuls can check their eligibility through free online assessments and receive evaluation results within 1-2 business days.