Express Entry Draws: How Rounds of Invitations Work

What Is an Express Entry Draw?

An Express Entry draw, formally called a round of invitations, is the process Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada uses to select eligible candidates from the Express Entry pool and invite them to apply for permanent residence.

Candidates are not selected simply because they have created an Express Entry profile. They must first be eligible for the particular round. IRCC then ranks the candidates who can be considered in that round using the Comprehensive Ranking System.

The highest-ranking eligible candidates are issued Invitations to Apply, commonly called ITAs, up to the number of invitations established for that round.

How Does an Express Entry Draw Work?

An invitation round takes place after candidates have already created profiles, satisfied the minimum entry criteria for an Express Entry program and entered the pool.

At a high level, the selection process works as follows:

1. IRCC establishes the instructions for the round.
2. The system determines which candidates are eligible to participate in that particular round.
3. Eligible candidates are ranked by their CRS scores.
4. Invitations are issued in descending CRS order until the number specified in the round instructions is reached.
5. If candidates at the lowest invited score are tied, the published tie-breaking rule is applied.

The process therefore involves two distinct questions: who is eligible for the round and how those eligible candidates rank.

What Information Does IRCC Publish for Each Round?

Each Express Entry invitation round operates under a set of instructions published by IRCC at the time of the round.

Depending on the round, the published information can include:

• the date and time of the round;
• the number of Invitations to Apply issued;
• the type of invitation round;
• the immigration program or programs included, where applicable;
• the applicable category requirements for a category-based round;
• the CRS score of the lowest-ranked candidate invited; and
• the tie-breaking date and time.

These details matter because two draws with different eligibility scopes cannot necessarily be compared as though they selected from the same group of candidates.

What Types of Express Entry Draws Are There?

IRCC currently describes three main types of Express Entry invitation rounds.

This distinction is fundamental when interpreting CRS cut-offs. A score from one type of round should not automatically be treated as the likely threshold for another.

What Is a General Express Entry Round?

In a general round, IRCC considers top-ranking candidates in the pool who are eligible for at least one of the three federal immigration programs managed through Express Entry:

• Canadian Experience Class;
• Federal Skilled Worker Program; and
• Federal Skilled Trades Program.

Eligible candidates compete based on CRS ranking rather than being restricted to one specific federal program or one category.

A candidate must still satisfy the requirements of an Express Entry program. A high CRS score by itself does not create program eligibility.

What Is a Program-Specific Express Entry Round?

A program-specific round limits consideration to candidates who are eligible for the immigration program identified in the round instructions.

For example, in a Provincial Nominee Program-specific round, IRCC considers candidates who are eligible to be invited through the PNP rather than every candidate in the Express Entry pool.

Candidates outside the specified program are not competing in that round even if their CRS scores are higher than the published cut-off.

How Do Category-Based Express Entry Draws Work?

Category-based selection allows IRCC to invite candidates who meet criteria connected to specific economic goals, such as official-language ability, occupational work experience or other designated characteristics.

A candidate must first meet the minimum requirements for Express Entry, including eligibility for one of its three federal programs.

IRCC then identifies candidates in the pool who meet the requirements of the particular category. Those candidates are ranked by CRS, and the highest-ranking eligible candidates are invited.

Current Express Entry categories

As of September 2026, IRCC lists the following categories:

• French-language proficiency;
• healthcare and social services occupations;
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Math occupations;
• trade occupations;
• education occupations;
• transport occupations;
• physicians with Canadian work experience;
• senior managers with Canadian work experience;
• researchers with Canadian work experience; and
• skilled military recruits.

Category requirements are not interchangeable. Candidates must satisfy the specific requirements established for the category used in the invitation round.

How Do Provincial Nominee Program Draws Work?

Candidates with a qualifying Express Entry-aligned provincial or territorial nomination can be invited through PNP-specific rounds and may also be eligible in other applicable invitation rounds.

An accepted qualifying nomination provides 600 additional CRS points. This is why CRS cut-offs in PNP-specific rounds can appear substantially higher than cut-offs in some other round types.

The 600 points are part of the candidate's CRS score. They should not be subtracted from a published PNP cut-off to create an unofficial alternative threshold for other types of draws.

What Does the CRS Cut-Off in an Express Entry Draw Mean?

The CRS cut-off published for a round is the CRS score of the lowest-ranked candidate invited in that particular round.

IRCC issues invitations to eligible candidates in descending CRS order until the number of invitations specified for the round is reached.

The score of the final invited candidate becomes the round's published cut-off.

This means the cut-off is an outcome of the round, not a pre-existing permanent minimum score for Express Entry.

For a detailed explanation of how the ranking system works, see the Maplevisa guide to Express Entry CRS scores .

What Is the Express Entry Tie-Breaking Rule?

A tie-breaking rule becomes relevant when more than one eligible candidate has the lowest CRS score included in a round.

IRCC then uses the date and time the candidates submitted their Express Entry profiles. The tie-breaking date and time are published with the round.

Example

Suppose a round has a CRS cut-off of 480 and a tie-breaking date of June 10 at 14:00 UTC.

A candidate with 481 points would rank above the cut-off. For candidates with exactly 480 points, profile submission timing becomes relevant. A candidate whose applicable profile submission time falls before the published tie-breaking point may be invited, while a candidate at the same CRS score whose profile falls after it may not be.

The tie-breaking rule does not generally affect candidates whose CRS score is above the lowest score invited.

How Often Are Express Entry Draws Held?

IRCC holds invitation rounds throughout the year, but there is no rule requiring Express Entry draws to occur on a fixed weekly, biweekly or monthly schedule.

The timing, type and size of rounds can vary. IRCC can hold different types of rounds close together, change the number of invitations, or go for a longer period without a particular type of draw.

Candidates should therefore distinguish historical patterns from an official schedule.

Can You Predict the Next Express Entry Draw?

Historical data can help identify patterns, but it cannot reliably establish the date, round type, number of invitations or CRS cut-off of a future Express Entry draw.

Future results can be affected by factors including:

• the type of round IRCC chooses to hold;
• the number of invitations issued;
• the CRS distribution of eligible candidates;
• new profiles entering the pool;
• existing candidates improving their scores;
• provincial nominations;
• category-selection priorities; and
• immigration levels and operational objectives.

What Happens After an Express Entry Draw?

Candidates selected in the round receive an Invitation to Apply through their IRCC account.

An ITA allows the candidate to submit an electronic application for permanent residence under the program identified in the invitation.

Under the current Express Entry process, invited candidates have 60 days to submit their permanent residence application.

Receiving an ITA is not the same as receiving permanent residence. IRCC subsequently assesses the application, including program eligibility, the information and points claimed, supporting evidence, applicable category requirements and admissibility.

What Happens If You Are Not Invited in a Draw?

Not receiving an invitation in one round does not normally remove an otherwise valid Express Entry profile from the pool.

A candidate may remain available for later rounds while the profile remains valid and the candidate continues to satisfy the applicable requirements.

A candidate may also improve or update factors that affect CRS or round eligibility, where the underlying circumstances genuinely change.

Express Entry profiles generally expire after 12 months if no invitation results in an application. Candidates whose profiles expire may need to create a new profile if they remain eligible and still wish to participate.

How Should You Read Express Entry Draw Results?

A useful draw analysis should consider more than the published CRS cut-off.

For current results, including ITAs, CRS cut-offs, round types and historical comparisons, see Latest Express Entry Draws .

Express Entry Draw FAQs

What is an Express Entry draw?

It is a round in which IRCC identifies eligible candidates in the Express Entry pool, ranks them using CRS and issues Invitations to Apply to the highest-ranking candidates covered by that round.

What are the main types of Express Entry draws?

IRCC currently identifies general, program-specific and category-based rounds of invitations.

Is there a fixed CRS score for Express Entry?

No. There is no permanent CRS cut-off that applies to every invitation round. The cut-off is determined by the results of the particular round.

Can someone with a higher CRS score miss a draw?

Yes. A candidate must be eligible for the particular round. For example, a candidate who does not meet the requirements of a category-based round is not entitled to an invitation from that round merely because their CRS score is higher than its published cut-off.

Does a category-based draw ignore CRS?

No. IRCC first identifies candidates who meet the category requirements and then ranks those eligible candidates by CRS.

What is the CRS cut-off?

It is the CRS score of the lowest-ranked candidate invited in that particular round.

What happens if several candidates have the same cut-off score?

IRCC applies the published tie-breaking rule using the relevant Express Entry profile submission date and time.

Are Express Entry draws held every two weeks?

Not as a legal or guaranteed schedule. Draw timing varies, even though historical periods may show recurring patterns.

Can the next CRS cut-off be predicted?

It can be estimated or discussed using historical data, but the actual cut-off cannot be known until IRCC conducts and publishes the round.

How long do I have after receiving an ITA?

Under the current process, an invited candidate has 60 days to submit the permanent residence application.

Does receiving an ITA mean permanent residence is approved?

No. The ITA permits the candidate to apply. IRCC still assesses eligibility, the information and points claimed, supporting documents, applicable category requirements and admissibility.

What if I do not receive an invitation?

An otherwise valid profile can remain in the pool for later rounds. Express Entry profiles generally remain valid for up to 12 months.