French is one of the few levers in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) that you can still pull after you've created your Express Entry profile. Done well, it does three separate things for you:
- It earns additional points for French-language ability: 25 or 50.
- It earns second official language points if English is your first official language: up to 24.
- It makes you eligible for French-language category draws, which are separate from general draws.
This guide explains each one with the current rules from canada.ca, then walks through real-world combinations. For the wider plan (which test, which programs, which draws), start with our French for Express Entry guide.
The French bonus: 25 or 50 additional points
The CRS has a section called "additional points". One line in it rewards French ability:
- 50 points if you score NCLC 7 or higher in all four French skills and CLB 5 or higher in all four English skills.
- 25 points if you score NCLC 7 or higher in all four French skills and CLB 4 or lower in English, or have no English test.
Try your own combination:
French bonus CRS points calculator
Choose your NCLC level in each French skill, then say whether you also have CLB 5+ in all four English skills.
+25 25 points
25 additional points: NCLC 7+ in all four French skills (with CLB 4 or lower in English, or no English test).
Your lowest French skill: NCLC 7
This shows only the additional French-language points. Second-official-language and skill-transferability points are separate. Check your full score with IRCC's CRS tool.
See your full CRS score with these levelsA few things to notice:
- The threshold is NCLC 7 in every skill. NCLC 9 in three skills and NCLC 6 in the fourth earns zero bonus points. Your weakest skill decides.
- English only needs CLB 5 to double the bonus. Many candidates whose first language is English already have much more than that, so the full 50 points are within reach.
- Higher French doesn't increase this bonus. NCLC 10 in all four earns the same 25 or 50 as NCLC 7. Higher French scores pay off elsewhere, as you'll see below.
Second official language points: up to 24 more
If English is your first official language (the one you claim the most points for), French counts as your second official language. Each of the four French abilities earns points on its own:
| French level per ability | Points per ability | Four abilities |
|---|---|---|
| NCLC 4 or lower | 0 | 0 |
| NCLC 5 or 6 | 1 | 4 |
| NCLC 7 or 8 | 3 | 12 |
| NCLC 9 or higher | 6 | 24 |
These points stack with the additional French bonus. They also explain why NCLC 9 is still worth chasing after you reach NCLC 7: each ability at NCLC 9 is worth 6 points instead of 3.
What if French is your first official language?
If your French scores are higher than your English scores, you can claim French as your first official language. You then get first-official-language points for French, which are worth much more per ability, and English becomes your second language. The French bonus rules don't change: you still need NCLC 7 in all four French skills, and CLB 5 in all four English skills for the 50-point version.
Putting it together: worked examples
All examples assume a candidate without a spouse or partner, with English as the first official language.
Example 1: Strong English, French at NCLC 7. English CLB 9 in all four skills. French NCLC 7 in all four.
- Second official language: 4 × 3 = 12 points
- Additional French points: 50 (NCLC 7 French and CLB 5+ English)
- Total from French: 62 points
Example 2: Same candidate, French at NCLC 9.
- Second official language: 4 × 6 = 24 points
- Additional French points: still 50
- Total from French: 74 points
Example 3: Strong English, one weak French skill. English CLB 9. French NCLC 8, 8, 7 and 6 (speaking).
- Second official language: 3 + 3 + 3 + 1 = 10 points
- Additional French points: 0, because speaking is below NCLC 7
- Total from French: 10 points. Two points more in speaking (from 8 to 10 out of 20) would turn that into 62.
Example 3 is the most common situation we see, and it shows why the weakest skill deserves most of your study time.
French-language category draws
Points are only half the story. Since 2023, IRCC has held category-based rounds of invitations alongside general ones. In a category round, only candidates who meet the category's criteria are considered, and the cut-off score is set within that smaller pool.
For the French-language proficiency category, IRCC requires French test results with at least NCLC 7 in all four abilities. For 2026, IRCC lists ten categories, and French-language proficiency is the first one listed.
French-category rounds have often had lower CRS cut-offs than Canadian Experience Class rounds. The exact cut-off changes every time, so check the French draw cut-offs, built from IRCC's official data, instead of relying on old figures.
Job offer points are gone
Until 2025, a qualifying job offer could add 50 or 200 CRS points. As of 25 March 2025, IRCC removed job offer points from the CRS. If you read an older guide that adds arranged-employment points to a French strategy, its totals are out of date.
With those points gone, French has become one of the largest boosts candidates can work towards themselves.
Common misconceptions
"I need to be fluent to get the bonus." You don't. NCLC 7 is an upper-intermediate level. It means you can follow the main points of a news report, write a structured opinion and hold a conversation on familiar topics with some hesitation. How long it takes depends on your start level and weekly hours; our French from zero to NCLC 7 timeline lets you estimate yours.
"My best skill will pull up my average." There is no average. Each of the four skills must reach NCLC 7 on its own, both for the bonus points and for the French-language category.
"A higher French level means a bigger bonus." The additional points stay at 25 or 50 whatever your level above NCLC 7. Higher levels add second-official-language points instead, up to 6 per ability at NCLC 9 or above.
"Any French certificate counts." For Express Entry, IRCC only accepts results from approved tests. For French, those are the TCF Canada and the TEF Canada. School diplomas, DELF or DALF certificates and online tests don't count towards CRS points.
"Once I've taken the test, I'm set for good." Results must be less than two years old when you create your profile and again when you apply for permanent residence. If your profile sits in the pool for a long time, you may need to retake the test.
"I need NCLC 7 to use French at all." Not for every pathway. The Mobilité francophone work permit, for example, asks for NCLC 5 in speaking and listening only; see our Mobilité francophone guide.
How to plan your French test
- Get an honest baseline. Take a timed practice test and convert each section to NCLC.
- Target the weakest skill. Each skill must clear NCLC 7, so improving a strong skill does nothing for the bonus.
- Choose your test. IRCC accepts both the TCF Canada and the TEF Canada for French. Our comparison, TCF Canada vs TEF Canada, can help you pick.
- Mind the two-year validity. Results must be less than two years old when you create your profile and when you apply for permanent residence.
- Update your profile promptly. Points only count once your new results are entered in your Express Entry profile.
When you know your levels, put them into the full CRS calculator to see your total score with and without French. When you're ready to train, start with a free mock test. Once your profile is in the pool, keep the free Express Entry document checklist handy so your papers are ready if you are invited.