How SkillSelect actually ranks EOIs — DOB and lodgement date tie-breaks
When two EOIs have identical points, SkillSelect ranks by EOI lodgement date, then by date of birth. The mechanic is straightforward but often missed by candidates planning timing.
SkillSelect’s ranking is rules-based, not discretionary. Within each occupation group invited in a round, EOIs are ranked by:
- Points score — highest first
- Date of EOI lodgement (where points are tied) — earliest first
- Date of birth (where points and lodgement date are tied) — oldest first
Practical implications
If you are sitting at the typical cut-off for your occupation (e.g. 85 points in a round where 85 is invited), your EOI lodgement date is what determines whether you go in this round or wait for the next. Submitting on the same calendar day as a competitor with the same points means birthdate decides.
This is why lodging EOI as early as you have valid documentation — even at a score one or two points below your eventual final score — and updating it as new points qualify is a recurring strategy. Each EOI update keeps the original lodgement timestamp for the base claim, but added factors (e.g. NAATI completed after lodgement) take their own update timestamps. The Department publishes the precise rule in PAM3 Skilled Migration Operational Guidelines.
What “update” preserves
When you update an EOI, the original lodgement date is retained for the EOI as a whole; only newly added claims take a fresh timestamp. This is the legal basis for “lodge early, update later” advice.
What it does not preserve
Changing visa subclass (e.g. switching from 189-only EOI to a 190 EOI) starts a new EOI with a new timestamp. State nomination intent changes are handled inside the same EOI.