Express Entry · French
What is French actually worth on your Express Entry score?
Two separate things, and most pages describe only the smaller one. French adds points to your score, and it also puts you in a draw that invites people at a much lower score than the general rounds do. The second is usually worth more than the first.
The short answer
French adds up to 74 points to an Express Entry profile and, more importantly, makes you eligible for French-language category rounds, which invite candidates at much lower scores than the general rounds. The most recent French round cut off at 382, against 521 for the Canadian Experience Class.
The gap that actually matters
IRCC runs category-based rounds alongside its general ones, and invites candidates in a category at whatever score clears the number of invitations it wants to issue. Because far fewer candidates in the pool have French, that number falls a long way.
| Category | Last cut-off | Rounds run |
|---|---|---|
| French-language proficiency | 382 | 23 |
| Canadian Experience Class | 521 | 35 |
A 139-point gap is not a small optimisation. It is the difference between a profile that sits in the pool until it expires and one that is invited, and no other single change to a profile moves a candidate that far.
These figures move, and this page moves with them
Both numbers are read from IRCC's own rounds feed each time the site is built, not typed into this page. Category cut-offs swing more than general ones, because the size of the eligible pool changes as more people qualify. Check the figure on the day rather than planning a year around a number you read once.
What French adds to the score itself
Two separate awards, in two different sections of the grid, which is why they are so often described as one and undercounted. The table below is calculated for a candidate without a spouse.
| What you hold | Language points | Bonus | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCLC 7 French, no English test | 12 | 25 | 37 |
| NCLC 7 French, with English at CLB 5 or better | 12 | 50 | 62 |
| NCLC 9 French, with English at CLB 5 or better | 24 | 50 | 74 |
The bonus is the larger half and the one people miss, because it sits in the additional points section of the grid rather than beside the language scores. Note what the second row does: adding English at CLB 5, a modest level most Indian graduates already clear, doubles the bonus from 25 to 50.
You do not need English at all to enter the pool on French. NCLC 7 across the four abilities is enough on its own, and IRCC will treat French as your first official language. The English test is worth adding for the bonus, not for eligibility.
Put your own numbers in and see the difference on your score
What it costs you, honestly
Getting to NCLC 7 across listening, reading, writing and speaking, from no French at all, is the better part of a year for most people studying alongside a job. It is the largest single investment of time anyone makes in a CRS score, and it is the reason this route stays uncrowded and the cut-offs stay low.
Anyone selling it as a quick win is selling something else. Treat a promise of NCLC 7 in three months the way you would treat a promise of a job offer.
Sit the test before you commit to the whole plan
IRCC accepts TEF Canada and TCF Canada, and results are good for two years. If you already studied French at school or college, sit a practice test early: the gap between where you are and NCLC 7 is the only number that tells you what this will really cost, and people who studied French to Standard 12 are often closer than they assume.
Who this is for, and who should not bother
Worth considering
- Your English-only score is well short of the general cut-off and has stopped improving.
- You have a year, and no route that resolves sooner.
- You studied French earlier and are not starting from nothing.
Probably not
- You are a few points short and could retake an English test next month instead.
- You are already competitive in a category that draws at your score.
- A provincial nomination is realistically in reach on your occupation.
The honest test is a comparison, not an enthusiasm. Score your profile as it stands, then score it with a better English result, then with French. If English gets you there faster, do that instead, and we will say so.
Questions candidates ask
Is it worth learning French for Canada PR?
Learning French is worth it for Canadian permanent residence when your English-only score is too far below the general cut-off to be invited, and you have a year to spend. IRCC runs category-based rounds for French-language proficiency at much lower scores than its general rounds: the most recent French round cut off at 382 against 521 for the Canadian Experience Class, a gap of 139 points. French also adds up to 74 points directly to your score. It is not worth it as a small optimisation on a profile that is already competitive, and it is not a quick win: reaching a level that scores takes most people the better part of a year.
How many CRS points do you get for French?
French as a second official language is worth up to 12 points in the core score, plus a separate bonus of 25 or 50 points. The bonus is 25 points if you reach NCLC 7 across all four French abilities, and 50 if you also hold English at CLB 5 or better across all four. Together that is up to 74 points for a candidate without a spouse. The bonus is the part people miss, because it sits in the additional points section of the grid rather than in the language section, and it is by some distance the larger half.
Do I need English as well as French for Express Entry?
You do not need English at all if your French is strong enough. IRCC accepts French as your first official language, so a candidate with NCLC 7 across the four abilities and no English test can enter the pool and be invited in a French-language round. Adding English at CLB 5 is still worth doing where you can: it doubles the French bonus from 25 to 50 points, and CLB 5 is a modest level that most Indian graduates already clear. What you should not do is delay the French test waiting to improve an English score that is already sufficient for the bonus.
Which French test does IRCC accept?
IRCC accepts TEF Canada and TCF Canada as proof of French for Express Entry. French is measured on the NCLC scale rather than the CLB scale used for English, though the two run in parallel and NCLC 7 is the level that matters for both the category and the bonus. Results have to be less than two years old when you create your profile and again when you apply, which is the same rule that applies to English tests and the same one that catches candidates who sat in the pool a long time.
Where this comes from
Before you spend a year on it
Have your score checked against every route, not just this one.
We score the profile you have, model it with a better English result and with French, and tell you which one gets you invited sooner. Sometimes the answer is neither, and we say that too.
Three fields · about 30 seconds