Express Entry round #388 took place on December 17, 2025. IRCC invited 6,000 candidates in the French-language proficiency category, with the cut-off landing at 399 CRS points.
The numbers
| Date | December 17, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Round number | #388 |
| Round type | French-language proficiency |
| IRCC label | French language proficiency (Version 1) |
| Invitations to apply (ITAs) | 6,000 |
| CRS cut-off | 399 |
| Change vs. previous round of the same type | −9 points |
| Days since the previous round of the same type | 19 days |
How it compares
The cut-off fell 9 points against round #382 (November 28, 2025), which closed at 408. The number of invitations was identical, at 6,000. 19 days separate the two rounds, against an average of 26 days across the last 6 rounds in this category.
Across the last 6 rounds in this category, this is the lowest cut-off of the set (the range is 399 to 481). By volume it is the biggest of the set, which runs from 2,500 to 6,000 invitations. Widening out to the last 10 Express Entry rounds of every kind, cut-offs ran from 399 to 731.
What this round selects
A category-based round selects from a slice of the pool. A profile has to qualify for a federal program and meet the extra requirements IRCC sets for that category to be eligible for it. This category is not occupation-based: it selects profiles that show the minimum French level IRCC requires across all four abilities of the official test.
What it means for your profile
If your profile was in the pool and inside the French-language proficiency category on December 17, 2025 with a CRS score of 399 or more, this round would have reached you. A score below the cut-off does not remove your profile: an Express Entry profile stays in the pool for twelve months and is automatically considered in every round it qualifies for. We do not use these numbers to predict the next round. What a round closes at depends on the pool on that date and on the instructions in force, so this figure describes what happened and nothing more.
- Immigration evaluation — we work out your CRS score, check which programs and categories you are eligible for, and tell you what is missing. If your profile does not qualify, we say so before you pay.
- All Express Entry draws — the live history with charts and filters, updated as each new round is published.
Source: the rounds of invitations IRCC publishes, read automatically through our data service. GerCanada is a private consultancy and is not part of the Government of Canada.