CRS Cut-Off Below 400 For French Category-Based Express Entry Draw on December 17, 2025

Key Takeaways for Express Entry Candidates from the December 17, 2025 Draw 

• Type of draw: French language proficiency (Version 1) 

• Invitations issued: 6,000 

• CRS score: 399

• Rank needed: 6,000 or above 

• Tie-breaking rule: August 24, 2025 at 23:43:05 UTC

• Prediction for next draw: We expect to be waiting until 2026 at this point for the next round. Likely a PNP draw on 12 or 19 January, 2026

Our Analysis of This Express Entry Draw 

At 6,000, today’s category-based draw targeting those with French language proficiency is among the largest Express Entry rounds in 2025. Though, it’s not as surprising as the recent large CEC round, since we have seen rounds inviting 6,000 French-speaking candidates in October and November as well (plus a few even larger rounds earlier in the year).

Another huge element of this draw for those in the pool is that the cut-off dropped below 400 again! We haven’t seen a score below 400 for French category-based rounds since March 21, 2025, where it dropped to 379 in a round inviting 7,500.

A final element of this draw that’s worth noting is that it brings the total invitation count for December 2025 to 19,522. The next closest month we saw to that was October, which had 15,647 invitations. But for context, the average for the year was around 9,500 invitations. So activity has certainly been high in December.

Since this is likely the last French draw of 2025, we decided to take a look back at what happened in French category-based rounds in 2025 compared to 2024. Here’s what we found:

Total invitations for French-speaking candidates

2024: 23,000

2025, 48,000

Number of French category-based draws

2024: 11

2025: 9

Lowest CRS cut-off for a French draw

2024: 336

2025: 379

Average French draw size

2024: 2091

2025: 5,333

Takeaways and Trends

So, we’ve seen fewer but larger rounds in 2025. Plus, we also saw the CRS cut-off creep upwards in 2025, despite a significant increase in the overall number of invitations. That tells us that the French category is becoming more competitive over time. Though, this isn’t surprising, given how rapidly the Express Entry pool has grown throughout this year.

French Category-Based Draws in 2025

What This Draw Means for French-Speaking Candidates in 2026

In the past two years, we have seen very large French category-based rounds in February. In 2025, there was a round inviting 6,500 on the 19th of February, while 1 February 2024 saw 7,000 candidates invited.

If this trend holds, we may see another large draw for French speakers in February 2026. We would expect the CRS cut-off score to remain below 400 if this happens.

The size of this draw, and the cut-off, also clearly show that learning French can open doors for you in Canadian immigration. In fact, French category-based draws offered the lowest CRS cut-offs consistently in Express Entry draws throughout 2025. So, if you’re uncertain of your pathway forward in Canadian immigration, it’s an option that’s well-worth considering.

Further Resources for French Language Candidates 

For more information: 

• Learn more about the latest Express Entry draws. 

• Learn more about the state of the Express Entry pool. 

• Learn when to expect the next Express Entry draw. 

Use our online Express Entry CRS calculator to learn more about your current score and how to improve it.