Express Entry draw 450: 5,000 French invitations at CRS 435 – a 2026 high

IRCC issued 5,000 invitations in Express Entry draw #450 on October 16 – a French-language proficiency round with a minimum CRS score of 435, the highest French cut-off of 2026. The tie-breaking rule went to profiles submitted before October 6, 2026, 21:31 UTC.

A record-setting week

It was the third draw in four days: October brought a Trades round (3,500 at 476), a PNP round (752 at 772), a CEC round (2,500 at 519) and this French draw – 11,752 invitations issued in October through the 16th. The French cut-off of 435 is 53 points above the previous French round in August (382) and 34 points above the year’s French average of about 401 – a sign of how strong the French-speaking pool has become.

French round	Invitations	CRS cutoff
#450 – Oct 16, 2026	5,000	435
#441 – Aug 19, 2026	5,000	382

Heads up: draws pause November 3

IRCC has said invitation rounds will pause for up to two weeks starting November 3 while every profile in the pool is recalculated under the new high-wage occupation points – up to 100 points for a qualifying job offer and 70 for Canadian work experience in eligible occupations. French speakers (NCLC 7 in all four abilities) should make sure their profiles are current before the re-rank changes the field.

Full history: Express Entry draw results – the November 3 changes: high-wage points explained – Immigration.

Sources: IRCC invitation rounds and IRCC’s 2026 points changes.