Express Entry, step by step

The Express Entry tie-breaking rule: what happens when many people share the cut-off

Every round of invitations publishes two things: the minimum CRS score and a tie-breaking date and time. If your score equals the cut-off, the second one decides whether you're invited.

Updated November 2026 · 3 min read

The short answer

When candidates have the same score as the cut-off, IRCC invites those whose profiles were submitted earliest.
Each round's results show the tie-breaking timestamp; candidates at the cut-off who submitted after it are not invited.
Updating your profile does not reset the timestamp. Creating a new profile does.
The tie-breaker only matters at the exact cut-off. A higher score beats any timestamp.

1How it works

IRCC ranks every eligible candidate by CRS score and invites from the top until it reaches the round size. Many people share common scores, so when the last invitations land on a score held by more people than there are places, IRCC orders those candidates by the date and time their profile was submitted.

A worked example

A French round has 5,000 places. 4,820 eligible candidates score above 408. At exactly 408, there are 600 candidates. IRCC needs 180 of them, so it sorts the 600 by submission time and invites the earliest 180. The round is published as: cut-off 408, tie-breaking date: March 3, 2026 at 14:22:07 UTC. If you have 408 and submitted on March 4, you wait for the next round. If you have 409, your timestamp is irrelevant.

2What does and doesn't reset your timestamp

Resets it (new timestamp)

Withdrawing your profile and creating a new one
Letting the profile expire after 12 months
Declining an ITA and re-entering with a new profile

Keeps it

Adding a new language test (e.g. your TCF result)
Updating work experience or education
Updating funds, contact details, family members
Changes that raise or lower your score

3Three practical lessons

1
Submit as soon as you're eligible
Don't wait for the perfect score. See entering the pool first.
2
Update, don't rebuild
When your French result arrives, edit the existing profile. Never withdraw to "start clean".
3
Aim above the line
A few extra points (a stronger listening score, a second credential's ECA) make the timestamp irrelevant.

Your score is the foundation; the timestamp is insurance. The best strategy is never needing it.

4Frequently asked questions

How does Express Entry break ties?+

By the date and time each candidate submitted their profile. Among candidates with the cut-off score, earlier profiles are invited first, and each round publishes the tie-breaking timestamp.

Does adding a French test reset my Express Entry date?+

No. Updating your profile with new test results keeps your original submission timestamp.

Keep reading

Enter the Express Entry pool before your French result?Why to create your profile early, how updates keep your timestamp, and the three-phase rhythm.Got your TCF result? How to update your Express Entry profileEntering TCF Canada scores, first vs second language, and details that cause trouble later.How the CRS score works, factor by factorCore points, transferability, additional points, the 2025 job-offer change, and what to raise first.From zero French to the Express Entry pool: the action mapEvery step in order: paperwork in months 0–3, French milestones to NCLC 7, test and update.

Turn the method into points

Practise with levelled TCF Canada questions and full mock exams built for NCLC 7, with an explanation for every answer.