Express Entry Draws Explained: How Cut-Off Scores Are Determined

• Category:Immigration News
• Country:Canada
• View Counts:330
• Published on:16-Feb-2026

When conducting an Express Entry draw, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) first determines:

• How many Invitations to Apply (ITAs) will be issued
• What type of draw it will be (e.g., general, category-based, Provincial Nominee Program, etc.)

Once that number is set, IRCC simply invites the highest-ranking candidates from the Express Entry pool until the allocated number of ITAs is reached.

👉 The CRS cut-off score is the score of the lowest-ranked candidate who receives an invitation in that specific draw.

So, the cut-off score is not chosen first — it is the result of how many top-ranked candidates are selected.

Understanding CRS in Express Entry

The Express Entry system manages applications for three major federal immigration programs. Candidates are ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) based on factors such as:

• Age
• Education
• Language proficiency
• Work experience
• Additional points (e.g., provincial nomination, job offer, French language skills)

Each candidate receives a CRS score, and profiles are ranked from highest to lowest in the pool.

A Simple Example to Explain the Process

Imagine a basketball team captain who decides to select the five tallest players available.

He chooses the five tallest players in the group. The shortest among those five happens to be 6'2".

We might say:

“All players 6'2" and taller were selected.”

But that doesn’t mean the captain decided to select players who are 6'2" or taller. He simply selected the five tallest players available at that time. The height of 6'2" was just the result of that selection.

This is exactly how Express Entry draws operate.

IRCC selects the top-ranking candidates, and the CRS cut-off score is simply the score of the last person selected.

Profiles Are Selected Because They Rank Highest — Not Because They Are Above a Pre-Set Score

It’s important to understand:

• Candidates are not selected because they are above the cut-off
• The cut-off is created because those candidates were the highest scoring

In other words, the cut-off score is an outcome — not a target.

What Happens in Case of a Tie?

Sometimes, multiple candidates may have the exact same CRS score as the lowest invited candidate.

In such cases, IRCC applies a tie-breaking rule based on:

• The date and time the Express Entry profile was submitted

Candidates with the same CRS score who submitted their profiles before the specified tie-breaking date receive invitations. Those who submitted later do not.

This ensures fairness when ranking candidates with identical scores.

Why Do CRS Cut-Off Scores Increase or Decrease?

CRS cut-off scores can fluctuate for several reasons:

1. Number of Invitations Issued

• Smaller draw sizes → Higher cut-off scores
• Larger draw sizes → Lower cut-off scores

2. Pool Composition

• More high-scoring candidates entering the pool
• Existing candidates improving their CRS scores (e.g., better language test results, additional education, job offers)

3. Type of Draw

IRCC may conduct:

• General draws
• Category-based draws
• Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws

Each type affects the cut-off score differently.

The Bottom Line

The decisions IRCC makes are:

• How many invitations to issue
• What type of candidates to invite
• When to conduct the draw

The CRS cut-off score is simply the natural result of selecting the highest-ranking candidates at that time.

If you are in the Express Entry pool, your goal should always be to increase your CRS score and strengthen your profile, rather than trying to predict an exact cut-off number.