Express Entry draw #450 was held on October 16, 2026, in the French-language proficiency category: 5,000 invitations to apply and a minimum CRS score of 435.
The numbers
| Date | October 16, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Round number | #450 |
| Round type | French-language proficiency |
| IRCC label | French-Language proficiency 2026-Version 2 |
| Invitations to apply (ITAs) | 5,000 |
| CRS cut-off | 435 |
| Change vs. previous round of the same type | +53 points |
| Days since the previous round of the same type | 58 days |
How it compares
The cut-off rose 53 points against round #437 (August 19, 2026), which closed at 382. The number of invitations was identical, at 5,000. 58 days separate the two rounds, against an average of 25 days across the last 10 rounds in this category.
Across the last 10 rounds in this category, this is the highest cut-off of the set (the range is 382 to 435). In volume terms it lands mid-range: those rounds average 4,700 invitations, between 4,000 and 5,500. So far in 2026 there have been 11 rounds in this category, adding up to 55,500 invitations including this round. Widening out to the last 10 Express Entry rounds of every kind, cut-offs ran from 389 to 772.
What it means for your profile
Getting an invitation in this round took a CRS score of 435 or above, in the pool and inside the French-language proficiency category on October 16, 2026. Scoring under the cut-off changes nothing about a profile — it remains in the pool for twelve months and enters every round it is eligible for. This page does not forecast where the next cut-off will land. Each round depends on how many profiles are in the pool at the time and on the instructions in force that day, so a past cut-off is a record, not a target.
- 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.
What this round selects
Category-based rounds do not draw from the whole pool. IRCC picks one category and invites only the profiles inside it that meet the category’s own requirements, on top of qualifying for a federal program. 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.
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.