Canada opens 5000 slots to apply for permanent residence

• IRCC held Express Entry draw number 452 on October 27, 2026, targeting candidates with French-language proficiency
• The minimum CRS score dropped by 28 points compared to the previous French-language draw held on October 16
• The latest round brought the total invitations issued over two consecutive days to 5,792

Canada's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 5,000 invitations to apply for permanent residence on October 27, 2026, in a French-language-specific Express Entry selection round.

The draw, numbered 452, set the minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score at 407. That figure is 28 points lower than the 435 recorded in the previous French-language draw on October 16, when IRCC also extended 5,000 invitations to candidates in the same category.

Back-to-back draws in one week

The October 27 selection was the second Express Entry draw held within two days. A day earlier, on October 26, IRCC ran a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw that sent out invitations to 792 candidates. Together, the two rounds brought the total number of invitations issued across those two days to 5,792.

The drop in the CRS threshold for French-language candidates continues a pattern that immigration observers have noted in recent rounds. French-speaking applicants in Express Entry have consistently faced lower score requirements compared to candidates in other categories such as the Canadian Experience Class, where minimum scores have generally remained higher.

What the French-Language draw means for applicants

Express Entry is Canada's points-based system for managing applications for three federal economic immigration programmes. Candidates are ranked in a pool using the CRS, which awards points for factors including age, education, work experience, and language ability. When IRCC holds a draw, it invites the highest-ranking candidates to apply for permanent residence.

French-language draws are reserved for candidates who meet a specific threshold of French proficiency, regardless of their English scores. The dedicated rounds reflect Canada's broader policy of boosting Francophone immigration outside the province of Quebec, in support of the country's official bilingualism commitments.

Candidates who received an invitation from the October 27 draw have a set window within which to submit a complete application for permanent residence.

Canada announces new categories of visa

Legit.ng earlier reported that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has opened public consultations on proposed changes to Express Entry category-based selection for 2027, in a move that could significantly alter the permanent residence pathway for skilled workers globally.

The consultation period opened on August 4, 2026, and closes on September 1, giving stakeholders less than a month to submit input that could shape how Canada selects economic immigrants next year.

Source: Legit.ng