Express Entry Draw August 6, 2026: 5,000 French-Speaking Candidates Invited at CRS 391

Published August 6, 2026. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada issued 5,000 Invitations to Apply for permanent residence to French-speaking Express Entry candidates today with a minimum CRS score of 391 — the largest single Francophone draw of the year and one of the lowest CRS cut-offs of any 2026 category-based round. The draw was held at 11:29:10 UTC on August 6, 2026 and confirmed on the official IRCC Rounds of invitations page.

Here is the complete official record of the draw, what the tie-breaking rule means for candidates at CRS 391, why this draw size is a serious signal about the 2026-2028 Francophone target, and what invited candidates need to do in the 60-day window that has now started.

Official August 6, 2026 Express Entry draw details

Source: IRCC, Rounds of invitations — Express Entry.

What CRS 391 actually means in context

391 is a genuinely low bar by 2026 standards. For comparison, IRCC operational data cited in the recently opened 2027 category consultation shows the average CRS for French-language proficiency draws across 2025 was 449. Today’s cut-off is 58 points below that average — a strong signal that IRCC continues to push volume through the French category to hit the escalating Francophone-outside-Quebec targets under the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan: 9 percent in 2026, 9.5 percent in 2027, 10.5 percent in 2028, and 12 percent by 2029.

By contrast, other 2025 category cut-offs ran considerably higher on average: Healthcare and social services 476, STEM 479, Trades 499, Agriculture 498. The French route continues to be the lowest-CRS pathway in Express Entry for any candidate who can reach NCLC 7 in all four French language abilities.

The tie-breaking rule — what it means if you were at 391

The tie-breaking rule is IRCC’s mechanism for choosing between candidates with identical CRS scores. Today’s rule is March 18, 2026 at 23:32:40 UTC. In practice:

• If your CRS score was above 391, you were invited regardless of when you submitted your profile.
• If your CRS score was exactly 391, you were invited only if your Express Entry profile was submitted before March 18, 2026 at 23:32:40 UTC.
• If your CRS score was 391 but you submitted your profile after that timestamp, you did not receive an ITA in this round — but you remain in the pool for future draws.

If you can see the “Invitation to Apply” notification in your IRCC secure account, you were invited. There is no phone or email process — the ITA appears inside your account only.

Who was eligible for this draw

To be included, candidates needed all of the following:

1. An active Express Entry profile eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, or Canadian Experience Class.
2. Valid French-language test results showing a minimum of NCLC 7 in all four abilities (reading, writing, speaking, listening) on TEF Canada or TCF Canada. The test result must be less than two years old on the day of the round.
3. Compliance with all requirements set out in the round-specific ministerial instructions, including proof of funds, valid passport, and truthful profile declarations.

Full eligibility rules are documented on the official IRCC page for the French-language proficiency category.

What invited candidates need to do next

An Invitation to Apply is not an approval. It is a 60-day window to submit a complete permanent residence application to IRCC. If you were invited today, the practical timeline looks like this:

Days 1 to 7 — verify the ITA and confirm your intent

• Log in to your IRCC secure account and open the ITA. Read it in full — it lists your specific program (FSW, FST, or CEC) and any conditions.
• Confirm every profile answer is still true and matches the documents you now have to upload. If anything has changed since you submitted the profile (job, marital status, address, dependants), you must declare it honestly during the application.
• Decide whether to accept or decline the invitation. If you decline within the 60-day window, your profile remains in the pool. If you fail to submit and the 60 days lapse, the profile is removed and you must create a new one.

Days 1 to 30 — gather documents

• Police certificates from every country you have lived in for six or more consecutive months since age 18. These take the longest — request them immediately.
• Proof of funds — bank statements or letters covering the past six months. FSW and FST candidates must show settlement funds unless they already work legally in Canada or have a valid Canadian job offer. Family size determines the amount.
• IMM 5476 Use of a Representative form if you retained an authorized immigration representative.
• Reference letters from every employer in your work history — on letterhead, signed, with job title, dates, hours per week, salary, and duties matching the NOC lead statement. Ensure at least 51 percent of the main duties in the NOC lead statement are demonstrated.
• Marriage certificate, divorce papers, birth certificates for dependants, and IMM 5409 for common-law relationships.
• Certified translations for any document not in English or French — from a certified translator, not a family member or your paid representative.

Days 15 to 50 — complete the medical exam and biometrics

• Book an upfront immigration medical exam with an IRCC-authorized panel physician. Take your ITA reference number.
• Pay the biometrics fee once prompted by the system and complete biometrics at a Visa Application Centre within the timeframe indicated.

Days 50 to 60 — pay fees and submit

• Pay the IRCC processing fee, right of permanent residence fee, and biometrics fee through the IRCC secure account.
• Upload every document listed on your personalized document checklist. Do not skip anything IRCC included on the checklist.
• Submit the application inside the 60-day window. Applications submitted after day 60 are refused.

Common mistakes that get French-category applications refused

• Language test that expired between profile and application. The test must still be less than two years old at the time IRCC receives the complete PR application. If yours will expire, book a retest immediately.
• NOC misclassification. Reference letters must show that you performed the lead statement and at least 51 percent of the main duties of the NOC code declared in the profile.
• Proof of funds in the wrong name. Funds must be in the applicant’s or spouse’s name, liquid, and traceable. Real estate, jewellery, and vehicles do not count.
• Undeclared changes between profile and application. New job, new spouse, new address, new criminal charge — all must be declared honestly. Concealment is treated as misrepresentation under section 40 of IRPA, with a five-year ban.
• Missing police certificates. Every country where the applicant lived six or more consecutive months since age 18 needs a police certificate. Many refusals happen because the applicant forgot a country of transit or study.

Where the French category sits in the 2026 draw pattern

Today’s 5,000-ITA round is consistent with the trajectory IRCC set out at the start of 2026, when the department confirmed the French-language proficiency category would continue as a priority alongside healthcare, trades, STEM, education, transport, physicians, researchers, senior managers, and skilled military recruits (Canada prioritizes top talent in 2026 immigration Express Entry categories). The category has since delivered the highest volume of any category by a wide margin.

The 2026 consultation on 2027 category-based selection — open until September 1, 2026 — implicitly confirms that the French category will continue in 2027 to support the escalating Francophone targets. Reaching NCLC 7 in all four French abilities remains one of the most valuable strategic moves any Express Entry candidate can make.

Where VG Immigration fits in

If you received an Invitation to Apply today, the 60-day window is unforgiving. The most valuable use of the first 48 hours is a structured review of your file to identify anything that could cause a refusal — mismatched NOC duties, an expiring language test, a missing police certificate country, or a proof-of-funds gap. Book a consultation with Dimple Verma, RCIC-IRB R708308 — VG Immigration Services Inc. — for a review of your ITA and PR application checklist before you submit.

Official sources

• IRCC — Rounds of invitations (latest round page)
• IRCC — Express Entry Category-based selection
• IRCC — Express Entry for French-speaking skilled workers
• IRCC — Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) criteria
• IRCC — Apply for permanent residence through Express Entry
• IRCC — 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan
• IRCC — 2026 Express Entry categories announcement
• IRCC — 2026 consultation on 2027 category-based selection

This article summarizes public IRCC guidance available on the publication date. It does not replace the official pages and is not legal advice. Program rules and cut-off scores change draw-by-draw and category-by-category without notice. Consult an authorized immigration representative for advice on your specific file.