Express Entry9 min read
New Brunswick Immigration for French Speakers (2026 Guide)
New Brunswick's Strategic Initiative stream is only for French speakers and needs NCLC 5 in all four skills. Pathways, 2026 draws, AIP and steps.
Provincial nominee programs
French PNP stream finder
New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories and Manitoba have the strongest francophone paths in 2026, and New Brunswick's needs only NCLC 5 in French with no English test. Enter your levels to see which of 14 provincial and federal streams you meet today.
Don't know your NCLC yet? Take the 10-question level check
Your profile
Use your test results, or your best guess. Nothing leaves this page.
Example profile. Change any value to see your own results.
English (IELTS, CELPIP or PTE Core)
CLB levels. Pick “None” if you have no English test.
Needed for the Express Entry-aligned streams.
Several streams need a job offer in that province.
Your matches
4 streams you meet now · 2 one level away
Tap a province to see only its streams.
You meet the requirements(4)
Close: one level away(2)
Not yet(8)
Your best next step
Raise all four French skills to NCLC 7: that opens 2 more streams.
You already meet 4 streams. Next: see what a provincial nomination does to your score.
Last verified Oct 6, 2026Sources:New Brunswick(opens in a new tab)Northwest Territories(opens in a new tab)Manitoba(opens in a new tab)Alberta(opens in a new tab)Ontario(opens in a new tab)Newfoundland and Labrador(opens in a new tab)IRCC: Francophone pilot(opens in a new tab)Quebec PSTQ(opens in a new tab)IRCC: provincial nominees(opens in a new tab)
Independent tool, not affiliated with IRCC. Confirm on canada.ca before you apply.
How it works
How the finder reads your profile
Your weakest skill decides
Almost every stream sets a minimum in each of the four skills. NCLC 5 in Writing and NCLC 8 elsewhere counts as NCLC 5. Not sure of your levels? Run your scores through the NCLC converter.
French, English or both
Some streams want French only (New Brunswick), some want both (Northwest Territories), and many accept either. The finder checks each rule the way the province writes it.
Close means one level
A stream is “close” when the only thing missing is one NCLC or CLB level. A missing job offer or Express Entry profile is never “close”: those take more than a few weeks of study.
Status matters
Meeting the rules isn't enough if a stream isn't inviting. Paused and invite-only streams are marked, and closed ones are left out.
Worked examples
Three profiles, three different answers
These are illustrative profiles, not real people.
- Example
Amina, NCLC 5, no English test
She meets New Brunswick's Strategic Initiative through the francophone priorities pathway, and the federal pilot if she finds a job in one of its six communities. Her next step: NCLC 7 in all four skills to enter the French Express Entry draws.
Plan the jump to NCLC 7 - Example
Karan, NCLC 7, CLB 6, Express Entry profile
He qualifies for the French Express Entry draws and New Brunswick Express Entry. A provincial nomination would add 600 CRS points on top of his French bonus.
See his CRS with a nomination - Example
Lucie, NCLC 6, CLB 4, job offer in Yellowknife
She meets the Northwest Territories Francophone Stream: French NCLC 5, English CLB 4 and an NWT job offer. It runs first come, first served, so she applies as soon as her documents are ready.
Check Express Entry categories too
Changed in 2026
Ontario's French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream is closed
Ontario removed the stream (and seven others) in its redesign, in force 25 June 2026. Its NCLC 7 French and CLB 6 English rule no longer applies. French now counts toward the new Ontario Workforce Priority stream, which needs an Ontario job offer. If you were aiming at Ontario without a job offer, the federal French-language Express Entry draws are the closest replacement.
Reference
Every stream that rewards French, outside Quebec
The full list the finder checks, with the minimums each province publishes. Click a stream name for the official page.
| Stream | Where | French minimum | English minimum | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Brunswick Strategic Initiative (francophone) | New Brunswick | NCLC 5 in all four skills (TEF Canada or TCF Canada only) | None | Open Open. Regular draws in 2026, the latest confirmed on 16 July (254 invitations). |
| Northwest Territories Francophone Stream | Northwest Territories | CLB 5 in French in all four skills | CLB 4 in all four skills (a separate English test) | Open Open since 9 March 2026, first come, first served (no draws). NWT's 2026 allocation is 300. |
| Manitoba Skilled Worker in Manitoba, francophone selection | Manitoba | A valid French test result. No fixed level for TEER 0–3 jobs; NCLC 4 for TEER 4–5 jobs. | None if you apply in French | Open Open. Draws every two weeks; five had a francophone selection between 16 July and 24 September 2026 (11 to 84 invitations each). |
| Manitoba Skilled Worker Overseas (francophone recruitment) | Manitoba | French can be your first language: up to 20 grid points at NCLC 8+. NCLC 4 minimum for TEER 4–5 jobs. | Not required if French is your first language | Invite only Invite only: draws consider only candidates the MPNP invited directly, for example through its francophone recruitment missions. |
| Alberta Opportunity Stream, francophone nominations | Alberta | NCLC 5 in all four skills (Alberta's francophone rule) | Not needed if you meet the French level | Open Open. Draws on 14 August, 1 September and 23 September 2026. Francophone nominations sit outside Alberta's 6,603 cap (12 so far in 2026). |
| Alberta Express Entry, francophone nominations | Alberta | NCLC 5 in all four skills (Alberta's francophone rule) | Only what your Express Entry program needs | Open Open, but the 2026 draws targeted sectors (health care, tech, trades and others). No francophone-only draw so far. |
| New Brunswick Express Entry (NB Interests) | New Brunswick | CLB/NCLC 7 in all four skills, in French or English | Not needed if your French is NCLC 7 | Open Open, with draws through 2026. Hospitality, food-service and retail jobs are excluded since 3 February 2026. |
| Newfoundland and Labrador, francophone priority | Newfoundland and Labrador | CLB 5 in French in all four skills | No separate English level for the French priority | Open Open. NL says EOIs that help grow francophone communities “may receive priority” (criteria updated 23 March 2026). |
| BC PNP Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC | British Columbia | CLB/NCLC 4 in all four skills for TEER 2–5 jobs; TEER 0–1 need no test unless you claim points | Not needed if your French meets the level | Open Open. Draws target technology, health care and construction (latest 24 September 2026); no francophone draws. |
| Ontario Workforce Priority stream | Ontario | CLB/NCLC 6 for TEER 0–3, 5 for skilled trades, 4 for TEER 4–5, in French or English | Not needed if your French meets the level | Open Open since 25 June 2026; candidate portal from 4 August. No draws seen yet. |
| Saskatchewan International Skilled Worker | Saskatchewan | CLB/NCLC 4 in English or French | Not needed if your French meets the level | Paused Paused: “There are no scheduled EOI draws at this time.” |
| Yukon Nominee Program, French-speaking priority | Yukon | Yukon hasn't published a French level for the priority. Stream minimums are CLB/NCLC 4–6 by job level, in either language. | Not needed if your French meets the level | Paused Between intakes: 2026 intakes ran 19–30 January and 6–17 July. No new intake announced. |
| Ontario French-Speaking Skilled Worker (Express Entry) | Ontario | Was NCLC 7 in all four skills | Was CLB 6 in all four skills | Closed Closed. Removed in Ontario's redesign, in force 25 June 2026. |
| Express Entry French-language draws | Federal program | NCLC 7 in all four skills | None for the category; you still need a base program (CEC, FSW or FST) | Open Open, with regular French draws in 2026. |
| Francophone Community Immigration Pilot | Federal program | NCLC 5 in all four skills | None | Open Open (launched 30 January 2025). |
Quebec isn't in this table: it selects its own immigrants with its own French scale (see the FAQ).
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Express Entry9 min read
Manitoba PNP French: Why NCLC 5 Matters (2026 Guide)
In Manitoba's PNP, NCLC 5 in French earns 25 EOI points as a second language and can get you into Francophone draws. Rules, scores and steps for 2026.
Express Entry8 min read
Ontario French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream: Closed (2026)
Ontario closed its French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream on 25 June 2026. What it required, what replaced it, and the best routes for French speakers now.
Find out your real NCLC level
Every stream above starts with a French test result. Take the free 10-question level check, then a full mock test, and you'll know which streams are within reach.
Start the free level check