IRCC Issues 6,000 ITAs in Large French-Language Express Entry Draw
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held a major Express Entry selection on October 29, 2025, issuing 6,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates selected under the French-language proficiency category. The draw required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 416 and applied to profiles created before 3:27 p.m. UTC on September 8, 2025.
This sizable category-based draw is one of the largest of the year and underscores IRCC’s continuing emphasis on strengthening francophone immigration and supporting francophone communities outside Quebec.
What happened in today’s draw
- Program targeted: French-language proficiency (Express Entry category)
- ITAs issued: 6,000
- Lowest CRS score invited: 416
- Tie-breaker (profile cut-off): Profiles created before 15:27:00 UTC on September 8, 2025
Candidates who met the CRS threshold and the tie-breaker condition have been invited to submit a complete permanent residence application. ITA recipients have 60 days from the invitation date to provide full documentation in support of their permanent residence application.
Why this draw matters
Category-based draws focused on French-language ability remain a central part of IRCC’s strategy to increase the demographic weight of francophones outside Quebec and to fill labour gaps where bilingual skills are an asset. Large French draws in 2025 have been a recurring feature, reflecting federal priorities to promote bilingualism and support francophone minority communities across Canada.
A CRS cut-off of 416 for 6,000 ITAs signals a broad reach—IRCC is inviting a large cohort of francophone-capable candidates, including many with modest CRS scores who nevertheless meet the program’s language and other eligibility criteria.
How this draw fits into 2025 activity
This draw is the seventh Express Entry selection in October and follows a sequence of category-specific and stream-based draws held throughout the year. Major draws in recent weeks included CEC, PNP, and healthcare-focused selections. So far in 2025, IRCC has issued 80,485 ITAs across all Express Entry streams.
2025 draw activity highlights (selected recent draws):
- Oct 29 — French-language proficiency: 6,000 ITAs (CRS 416)
- Oct 28 — Canadian Experience Class: 1,000 ITAs (CRS 533)
- Oct 27 — Provincial Nominee Program: 302 ITAs (CRS 761)
- Oct 15 — Healthcare & social services: 2,500 ITAs (CRS 472)
- Oct 6 — French-language proficiency: 4,500 ITAs (CRS 432)
To date, IRCC’s 2025 selection pattern includes a mix of targeted, category-based draws (notably for French-speaking candidates and healthcare workers), regular CEC rounds, and frequent PNP draws in partnership with provinces.
What invited candidates should do now
- Review your ITA notification carefully and assemble required documents immediately: proof of identity, language test results, educational credentials, police certificates, medical exam results, proof of work experience, and any additional documentation requested.
- Submit a complete and accurate permanent residence application within 60 days of the ITA. Missing or incomplete documents can delay processing or lead to refusal.
- If you did not receive an ITA this round, consider ways to improve competitiveness: language retesting, additional qualifying work experience, provincial nomination strategies, or educational upgrades.
Short assessment
IRCC’s decision to issue 6,000 ITAs in a single French-language draw demonstrates a continued federal push to recruit and retain francophone talent across Canada. With a relatively low CRS threshold for this large cohort, this round will likely bring a significant number of new permanent resident applications into the system and advance the government’s linguistic and labour-market objectives.
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