When more than one candidate has the lowest CRS score invited in a round, IRCC uses a tie-breaking rule: the cut-off among those tied candidates is based on the date and time they submitted their Express Entry profiles. Every round lists a tie-breaking date and time; tied candidates who submitted their profile earlier were invited, and those who submitted later were not.
Why a tie-breaker is needed
IRCC describes each round in four steps: it chooses the round type, decides how many candidates to invite, identifies the highest-ranking eligible candidates in the pool, and invites them. Because CRS scores are whole numbers and many candidates share the same score, the last invitation often falls in the middle of a group of people with identical scores. The tie-breaking rule decides who in that group makes the cut.
How to read it on a draw page
IRCC publishes these fields for each round, and our draw history shows them for every round:
| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited | The cut-off score for that round |
| Number of invitations issued | How many invitations IRCC sent |
| Date and time of round | When the round was run |
| Tie-breaking rule | A date and time — the profile-submission cut-off for candidates who had exactly the cut-off score |
A real example
IRCC's data for round #453 (October 28, 2026, Transport Occupations, 2026-Version 2) shows 150 invitations, a minimum CRS of 477, and a tie-breaking rule of June 4, 2026 at 21:48:22 UTC. Reading it:
- Eligible candidates with more than 477 were invited regardless of when they submitted their profile.
- Eligible candidates with exactly 477 were invited only if they submitted their profile by that date and time.
- Candidates with exactly 477 who submitted later, and everyone below 477, were not invited in that round.
The tie-breaking time can be close to the round date or months earlier. In IRCC's data, the September 29, 2026 Canadian Experience Class round (#446, cut-off 518) had a tie-breaking time of February 13, 2026, while the October 16, 2026 French-language round (#450, cut-off 435) had one of October 6, 2026. An early tie-breaking time simply means many tied candidates were left in the pool.
Updating your profile doesn't change your place
IRCC states that updating your profile doesn't change the date and time it received the profile, so you keep your rank in a tie-breaker situation. That matters if you need to update proof of funds, a language test or a job offer while in the pool.
A brand-new profile is different. Profiles expire if you aren't invited within 12 months, and IRCC also removes a profile when an invitation expires without being declined. A new profile you submit after that is a new submission, with a new Express Entry profile number.
What the rule doesn't do
- It only matters for candidates at exactly the cut-off score. A one-point difference always outranks submission time.
- It doesn't carry over between rounds as a queue: each round sets its own cut-off score and tie-breaking time.
- In category-based rounds, it applies among candidates who are eligible for that category only.
For how the cut-off score itself is set, see how CRS cut-offs work.
Sources: IRCC — Rounds of invitations, IRCC — Ministerial Instructions respecting invitations to apply (Express Entry rounds), IRCC — Express Entry rounds data (JSON), IRCC — Create your profile and enter the pool, IRCC — Apply for permanent residence.