Express Entry French category: NCLC 7, points and draws

What is the Express Entry French-language proficiency category?

It is a category-based round in which IRCC invites candidates in the Express Entry pool who have French test results showing at least NCLC 7 in all four language abilities, ranking only the eligible candidates by their CRS score (canada.ca, checked 12 October 2026). The English and French minimums for each program are in our guide to Express Entry language requirements.

In every round type IRCC invites eligible candidates with the highest CRS scores; in a category-based round a candidate must also be eligible for the category to be invited. French-language proficiency is one of ten current categories, alongside healthcare, STEM, trades, education, transport, physicians, senior managers, researchers and skilled military recruits. Our category-based draws guide compares them.

Who is eligible for the French-language category?

You are eligible with NCLC 7 or higher in speaking, listening, reading and writing on a French test, a place in the Express Entry pool under one of its three programs, and the requirements in that round's instructions (canada.ca, checked 12 October 2026).

• Language: a minimum score of NCLC 7 in all four abilities. One ability below NCLC 7 means you do not qualify, even if the other three are higher.
• Program: IRCC says you must meet the minimum criteria for Express Entry, including being eligible for one of the Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades or Canadian Experience Class programs.
• Work history: IRCC's category page lists no job offer and no work-experience requirement for the French category, unlike the occupation categories, which need 12 months of experience in a listed occupation. Your program still has its own work rules.
• English: the category page lists no English requirement. English affects your CRS score and so your rank, not your eligibility for the category.
• Round instructions: IRCC says full details are in the instructions for each round, so the round announcement is the final word.

What TEF Canada and TCF Canada scores equal NCLC 7?

On TEF Canada, NCLC 7 is 310 to 348 in speaking and writing, 249 to 279 in listening and 207 to 232 in reading; the TCF Canada scores are in the second table (canada.ca, updated 22 June 2026).

The tables below are IRCC's own conversion. For TEF Canada, IRCC says to use the "Équivalence ancien score" (previous score equivalency) column only and not the "Score / 699" column, which is not compatible with its system, and warns that wrong scores can lead to a refused application. If you have not picked a test yet, our guide to TEF Canada vs TCF Canada compares the format and scoring of each.

You need the NCLC 7 row or higher in all four columns at once. Toronto French Academy's TEF Canada score chart shows the score needed for each NCLC level in all four skills. Our CLB calculator converts a full set of scores for you, and our language requirements guide covers the English tests. IRCC states the requirement in NCLC levels and does not use the European CEFR scale, so a test score checked against the tables above is the reliable measure.

How many CRS points does French give in Express Entry?

French adds up to 50 additional CRS points: 25 for NCLC 7 in all four abilities with English at CLB 4 or lower, and 50 with CLB 5 or higher in all four English abilities (canada.ca, updated 22 June 2026).

Those bonus points are separate from the points French earns as a language test. If French is your first official language it is scored like English, and if it is your second official language it earns the smaller second-language points.

Take a candidate without a partner who uses English as the first language and has NCLC 7 in all four French abilities and CLB 5 or higher in English: French earns 3 points for each of four abilities as a second language, which is 12, plus the 50 additional points, for 62 CRS points from French alone. Our CRS calculator adds this to the rest of your score, and the Comprehensive Ranking System guide explains every factor.

When was the latest French draw, and what were the 2026 cut-offs?

The latest French draw was Round #450 on October 16, 2026, which invited 5,000 candidates at a CRS cut-off of 435; IRCC has held 11 French-language proficiency rounds in 2026, inviting 55,500 candidates at cut-offs from 382 to 435 (IRCC rounds of invitations, through Round #451 on October 26, 2026).

Round sizes in 2026 ran from 4,000 to 8,500 invitations. The latest Canadian Experience Class round, Round #449 on October 15, 2026, needed a score of 519, which is 84 points above the latest French cut-off of 435. There have been 1 rounds of other types since the latest French round, 10 days earlier than the newest round.

Our Express Entry draws tracker shows every round of every type, and IRCC publishes the full list on its rounds of invitations page. Only the candidates who qualify for the category compete for these invitations, which is why a French cut-off differs from the program rounds.

Is NCLC 5 enough, or what French level do the programs need?

NCLC 5 is not enough for the French category, which needs NCLC 7 in all four abilities; it meets only the Canadian Experience Class minimum for TEER 2 or 3 jobs and the trades speaking and listening minimum (canada.ca, checked 12 October 2026).

A candidate at NCLC 5 or 6 can still be in the pool and be invited through another round type, and French still earns CRS points at those levels. It does not make the candidate eligible for the French category until all four abilities reach NCLC 7.

How do you prepare for the French category step by step?

To prepare, take TEF Canada or TCF Canada, convert each score to NCLC with IRCC's tables, enter the results in your Express Entry profile and keep them valid while you are in the pool (canada.ca, checked 12 October 2026).

1. 01

   Confirm you qualify for a program

   The category sits on top of the Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades or Canadian Experience Class programs. Check you meet one of them before spending money on a test.

2. 02

   Take TEF Canada or TCF Canada

   Book with an agency IRCC approves and pay its cost. These are the only two French tests IRCC accepts for Express Entry.

3. 03

   Convert your scores

   Use the tables above. For TEF Canada, read the Équivalence ancien score column only, never the score out of 699.

4. 04

   Enter the results in your profile

   Add your French results, and English results if you have them, when you create or update your profile. Wrong scores can lead to a refusal after an invitation.

5. 05

   Check your CRS score

   Add the French points to your score. If you hold no English test, the bonus is 25; with CLB 5 or higher in English it is 50.

6. 06

   Watch the validity date

   Results must be less than 2 years old when you complete your profile and when you submit your application. IRCC refuses an application with expired results.

Our profile guide covers the next stage, and the after your ITA guide covers the 60 days that follow an invitation.

What other French-speaking routes exist besides the category?

The French category is one route; others include the French points in the CRS, which count in every round, the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot outside Quebec and some provincial French streams such as Ontario's.

• French CRS points in every round: the 25 or 50 additional points raise your rank in general, CEC and category rounds as well as the French rounds.
• Francophone community pilot: our Francophone Community Immigration Pilot guide covers this separate route to PR outside Quebec.
• Provincial streams: Ontario's French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream is an example.

When is it worth talking to a licensed RCIC about the French category?

Talk to a licensed RCIC if your scores sit close to NCLC 7, you are unsure which program you qualify for, your CRS score needs a plan or an invitation is running its 60 days; a clear, strong profile is often a do-it-yourself job.

• Borderline scores: one ability below NCLC 7 blocks the category, so whether to retest is a decision worth checking.
• Program choice: the category needs a program underneath it, and the right one depends on your work history and your TEER category.
• CRS strategy: French points, English points and a provincial nomination interact, and the order you tackle them in matters.
• After an invitation: 60 days to submit documents leaves little time for a late police certificate or a missing reference letter.

Working under a licensed RCIC (CICC #R706497), our team represents clients entirely online, by video call and secure document sharing, and never guarantees an immigration outcome. Prefer to file yourself? Our lower-cost File Review has an RCIC check your profile before you submit.