If you're a Canadian Experience Class candidate watching the cutoff every other Tuesday — the April 28 draw is good news on the surface and bad news once you read the fine print. The cutoff dipped to 514, one point below the April 14 record. But the tie-breaking timestamp says the queue at 514 is now seven months deep.
What happened
On April 28, 2026, IRCC issued 2,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates with a minimum CRS score of 514. The tie-breaking timestamp was September 24, 2025 at 14:18:43 UTC — meaning candidates sitting at exactly 514 only got selected if their Express Entry profiles were created more than seven months ago.
This is Draw #413, the 8th CEC draw of 2026, and the third consecutive CEC round at 2,000 ITAs. With this round, IRCC has now issued roughly 67,627 ITAs in 2026 across 25 draws.
What the tie-breaking date tells you
A draw cutoff is two numbers, not one. The headline number — CRS 514 — tells you the score required to enter the bottom of the invited group. The second number is the tie-breaking date, which decides who at exactly 514 actually gets in. The April 28 timestamp of September 24, 2025 means there were enough 514-point candidates already in the pool seven months ago to fill the bottom of this 2,000-ITA round.
For perspective: the April 14 draw at CRS 515 had a tie-breaking date of June 10, 2025 (10 months old). April 28 at CRS 514 cleared profiles back to September 24, 2025 (7 months old). The pool is consuming the queue at 514 roughly three months at a time per draw — which is actually faster movement than CEC has shown all year.
If your CRS is 514, your profile age now matters as much as your score. Profiles created after September 24, 2025 at 514 weren't invited.
Why the cutoff dropped
After three CEC draws in a row that pushed the cutoff up (508 → 509 → 515), the 1-point dip to 514 is the first easing since January. Three things lined up:
The April 14 draw cleared the highest-scoring backlog. IRCC pulled 2,000 candidates at 515+ on April 14. That removed a chunk of the strongest CEC profiles. The April 28 round had to drop one point to find 2,000 more.
Pool refresh is slow. The Express Entry pool sits at roughly 230,186 candidates, with about 13,610 in the 501–600 CRS band — the segment CEC draws actually touch. Most of those candidates have been in the pool for months. New high-scoring profiles aren't entering fast enough to push the cutoff back up.
Draw size is locked in. IRCC has now run three consecutive CEC draws at exactly 2,000 ITAs. That's down from 4,000 earlier in the year and 8,000 in January. As long as draw size stays at 2,000, expect the cutoff to oscillate in a tight band around 510–516.
CEC draws this year
| Draw Date | CEC ITAs | CRS Cutoff | Tie-Breaking |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 21 | 8,000 | 507 | — |
| February 3 | 4,000 | 507 | — |
| March 3 | 4,000 | 508 | — |
| March 17 | 4,000 | 508 | — |
| March 31 | 2,250 | 509 | — |
| April 14 | 2,000 | 515 | Jun 10, 2025 |
| April 28 | 2,000 | 514 | Sep 24, 2025 |
The pattern: when IRCC cut draw size from 4,000 to 2,000 between mid-March and mid-April, the cutoff jumped 7 points (508 to 515). The 1-point retreat to 514 doesn't undo that shift — it just means the pool has caught its breath after the April 14 run.
What's expected next
A category-based draw is overdue. April has covered Trades (April 2), CEC (April 14), French (April 15), PNP (April 13 and 27), and now CEC again (April 28). That leaves healthcare, education, French-mobility, transport, and STEM categories untouched this month. Expect at least one of those before mid-May.
A French draw is also due. The last French round was April 15. IRCC typically runs French draws every 2–3 weeks, so the next one should land between May 5–10. Based on the April 15 draw at CRS 419, the next French cutoff likely falls in the 405–425 band if draw size stays small.
Watch for the Express Entry overhaul. The proposed Federal High-Skilled Class consolidation is still in regulatory review. If it advances in the next few weeks, CEC draw mechanics could change before summer.
What to do if you got invited
You have 60 days from April 28 — until June 27, 2026 — to submit a complete PR application. Don't drift.
- Immigration medical exam — book this week. Panel physicians in major cities are running 2–3 week wait times.
- Police certificates from every country you've lived in 6+ months since age 18. Some countries take 8+ weeks — check our PCC guides by country and start the slowest one today.
- Employment reference letters for every Canadian work-experience claim — must include job title, duties, hours per week, dates, and salary. Letters older than six months should be refreshed.
- Proof of funds — required only if you're applying without a valid Canadian job offer. See our proof of funds guide.
- Valid language test — IELTS, CELPIP, TEF, or TCF, valid for 2 years from test date. If yours expires before June 27, retake before submitting.
One critical date: PR fees go up on April 30, 2026. That's two days from this draw. If you can submit a complete application before April 30, you save $65 as a single applicant — more for couples and families. If you can't make April 30, don't rush a sloppy application to beat the deadline; a refused or returned application costs more than the fee increase.
What to do if you weren't selected
If your CRS is 510–513: You're 1–4 points short. Quick wins:
- Re-run your CRS calculation — small errors in education claims (one credential vs. two) or work-experience months can cost 5–10 points. Use our CRS Calculator.
- Push one language band — moving from CLB 8 to CLB 9 in any single skill adds 6–11 points.
- Check your spousal claim — if your spouse has CLB 7+ language or post-secondary education and you didn't claim those points, you may be leaving 10–20 points on the table.
If your CRS is 490–509: The tie-breaking pattern is moving against you. Even if the cutoff dips to 510 next round, candidates with older profiles will clear out first. Two highest-ROI moves: (1) French language study — TEF or TCF results unlock the French-language draws at CRS 393–425, more than 100 points below CEC. (2) A Provincial Nominee Program nomination adds 600 CRS points and effectively guarantees an ITA.
If your CRS is below 490: CEC isn't a realistic path at current cutoffs. Your better bets: PNP (especially BC, Ontario, or Alberta), category-based draws if your occupation qualifies (see category-based draws explained), or the TR to PR pathway if you're a temporary worker in a targeted sector.
If your CRS is exactly 514 and you got an ITA today, congratulations — your old profile age saved you. If you're at 514 with a profile newer than September 24, 2025, you're not invited and the next CEC draw probably won't help: profile age compounds. Spend the next two weeks adding points (language retake, ECA correction, missed spousal claim) so you're at 516+ when the next draw hits, not gambling on a tie-breaking miracle.
CRS score check
Wondering where you stand after today? Run the numbers: CRS Calculator | All Express Entry Draws | How to Improve CRS Fast | Express Entry Categories Explained