- Canada invited 3,500 healthcare candidates in Express Entry on September 4, 2026.
- The draw held at CRS 475, matching June but with fewer invitations.
- May 26, 2026, set the tie-break line for profiles at the same score.
Canada opened another Express Entry round on September 4, 2026, and invited 3,500 candidates in the Healthcare and Social Services category. The cutoff sat at CRS 475. June had reached the same level. This round sent fewer invitations.
The program used May 26, 2026, at 00:26:14 UTC as the tie-break line. Profiles created before that moment moved ahead when scores matched. The timestamp mattered at the margin. It decided the cut line.
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Candidates still had to show eligible healthcare or social services work experience and meet the rules of at least one Express Entry program. A 2026 update also raised the qualifying experience requirement to 12 months within the relevant timeframe. Those rules still governed the draw. No shortcut replaced them.
The September 4 selection was the third healthcare draw of 2026. February 20 brought 4,000 invitations at a CRS of 467. June 25 followed with 4,000 invitations and a 475 cutoff. The score climbed, then held. February started lower.
A 475 cutoff sits high by general Express Entry standards. The category can still stay competitive because it draws from a narrower occupation pool. That mix keeps the threshold tight. It also limits room to drift.
The year’s healthcare rounds settled into a narrow band
| Date | Invitations | Minimum CRS |
|---|---|---|
| February 20, 2026 | 4,000 | 467 |
| June 25, 2026 | 4,000 | 475 |
| September 4, 2026 | 3,500 | 475 |
The June round became the benchmark. September matched its score, then trimmed the invitation count by 500. The cutoff did not move. The volume did.
The published tie-breaking date, May 26, 2026, at 00:26:14 UTC, set the order for profiles sitting at the same score. Late entries did not make that cut. The clock decided it.
