WHATSAPP
Highlights
1. IRCC held its fifth category-based Express Entry draw on July 12.
2. 3,800 registered foreign nationals with strong French-speaking abilities received ITAs for Canada PR.
3. The qualifying score was the lowest so far this year at 375.
4. IRCC invited more than 13,000 candidates through all-program and category-based Express Entry draws in the last three weeks.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held its second category-based Express Entry draw under the French language proficiency (2023-1) category in a gap of five days.
Four other category-based Express Entry draws have preceded the July 12 draw, two of which were held in the same week – healthcare occupations (2023-1) and STEM occupations (2023-1) categories. 
July 12 marks the 257th Express Entry draw since 2015 and resulted in 3,800 invitations to candidates with french-speaking solid abilities to apply for Canadian permanent residency (PR).
Candidates qualifying for the FSWP, CEC, or FSTP may have been nominated through this round of invitations. However, invited candidates need not show any prior work experience to qualify.
Further, candidates are required to have their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score above 375. It was 64 points less than the previous French language proficiency (2023-1) category-based draws. If more than one candidate had the lowest score, IRCC considered profiles submitted on or before June 15, 2023, at 23:49:05.
What is French Language Proficiency (2023-1) Category?
French-speaking newcomers in Canada are individuals or families who have recently immigrated to Canada and speak French as their first language or are fluent in French.
They settle in predominantly French-speaking provinces like Quebec, New Brunswick, or parts of Ontario. They may come from various French-speaking countries, such as France, Haiti, Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, or other African and European nations.
Until now, french-speaking candidates received additional points when registering their Express Entry profile in the federal pool. Now, Canada is exclusively inviting economic immigration candidates who will support Canada’s economy and promote the French language outside of Quebec under the new French language proficiency (2023-1) draw.
The other announced categories for the Express Entry draw include healthcare, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions, trades, such as carpenters, plumbers, contractors, transport, and agriculture and agri-food.
IRCC will continue to hold all program draws, program-specific, and category-specific draws as needed. After all, Canada plans to admit 82,880 new permanent residents to Canada through Express Entry by the end of 2023. This will rise to 109,020 in 2024 and 114,000 by 2025.
If you are a healthcare professional or STEM professional or have strong French speaking abilities and are interested in immigrating to Canada, you can contact a licensed immigration consultant like CanApprove to boost your chances of qualifying.
Claim your free consultation from us today!
