Express Entry
Express Entry Draw #444: IRCC Invites 250 Senior Managers at CRS 389
Express Entry Draw #444 took place on September 16, 2026, with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issuing 250 Invitations to Apply for permanent residence. The draw targeted Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience and had a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 389.
The latest selection came one day after a Canadian Experience Class draw that issued 2,000 invitations at a CRS cut-off of 519. It followed a Provincial Nominee Program draw on September 14 that issued 576 invitations at a CRS score of 734.
Express Entry Draw #444 Results
IRCC conducted the latest round on September 16 at 12:44:28 UTC.
| Draw detail | Result |
| Express Entry draw | #444 |
| Date | September 16, 2026 |
| Draw type | Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience, 2026-Version 1 |
| Invitations issued | 250 |
| CRS cut-off | 389 |
| Rank required | 250 or above |
| Tie-breaking rule | September 1, 2026 at 23:05:13 UTC |
Candidates who had a CRS score of 389 needed to have submitted their Express Entry profile before the specified tie-breaking date and time to be included in the round. The tie-breaking rule does not mean that candidates with scores below 389 were refused permanent residence. It applies only to determining which candidates at the cut-off score receive invitations when the number of eligible candidates exceeds the number of available invitations.
Why the Senior Managers Draw Matters
The Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience category is one of the new category-based selection groups introduced for 2026.
IRCC says the category is intended for candidates with Canadian work experience in specific senior-management occupations. Candidates must have at least 12 months of full-time work experience, or an equivalent amount of part-time experience, within the previous three years. The experience must be in Canada and in a single eligible occupation.
The category includes four NOC 2021-unit groups:
- NOC 00012: Senior managers – financial, communications and other business services
- NOC 00013: Senior managers – health, education, social and community services and membership organizations
- NOC 00014: Senior managers – trade, broadcasting and other services
- NOC 00015: Senior managers – construction, transportation, production and utilities
All four occupations fall under TEER 0.
Who Could Qualify for the September 16 Express Entry Draw?
Having a senior-sounding job title is not enough by itself.
Candidates needed to meet the requirements of the Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience category and also be eligible for at least one of the federal programs managed through Express Entry.
IRCC states that category-based rounds select candidates from the Express Entry pool who are eligible for the category and rank highly enough in the particular round.
This means a candidate should examine the actual duties and NOC classification of their Canadian employment rather than relying only on a title such as “manager,” “director” or “executive.”
The category is specifically built around the four eligible senior-management NOC groups.
CRS Cut-Off Falls to 389
The CRS cut-off in the September 16 round was 389.
This is lower than the 392-cut-off recorded in the previous Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience round on July 10, when IRCC issued 500 invitations. The March 5 round for this category issued 250 invitations with a CRS cut-off of 429.
| Senior Managers draw | ITAs | CRS cut-off |
| March 5, 2026 | 250 | 429 |
| July 10, 2026 | 500 | 392 |
| September 16, 2026 | 250 | 389 |
The latest draw therefore recorded the lowest CRS cut-off among the three Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience rounds held in 2026 so far.
However, this does not establish a future CRS threshold. IRCC determines the number of invitations and eligible candidates for each round separately.
How this Draw Fiffers From the CEC and PNP Rounds
The sequence of Express Entry draws during the week illustrates why there is no single CRS cut-off for the entire Express Entry system.
On September 14, IRCC held a PNP-specific round with 576 invitations at a CRS cut-off of 734.
On September 15, the department held a Canadian Experience Class round with 2,000 invitations at a CRS cut-off of 519.
Then, on September 16, the Senior Managers category received 250 invitations at a CRS cut-off of 389.
These scores cannot be directly compared as though they represent one common Express Entry threshold. Each round has different eligibility criteria and draws from a different subset of the Express Entry pool.
Express Entry Category-Based Selection in 2026
IRCC introduced several new category-based selection groups for 2026.
These include:
- Physicians with Canadian work experience
- Researchers with Canadian work experience
- Senior managers with Canadian work experience
- Transport occupations
- Skilled military recruits
IRCC also continued categories for French-language proficiency, healthcare and social services, STEM, trades and education.
The department says category-based selection allows it to select candidates with skills and experience connected to specific economic objectives and labour-market needs.
For Senior Managers, the Canadian work experience requirement is central to the category.
Important CRS Change for Senior Managers
Senior managers should also be aware of a significant change to the CRS system.
As of March 25, 2025, IRCC stopped awarding CRS points for job offers. This includes job offers classified under NOC Major Group 00, which covers senior management positions. Previously, qualifying job offers could provide additional CRS points.
The removal of job-offer CRS points does not eliminate job-offer requirements where a particular Express Entry program requires one.
This distinction is important for candidates who are building their immigration strategy around Canadian employment.
What Should Senior Managers Do After Receiving an ITA?
Receiving an Invitation to Apply is an important step, but it is not the same as receiving permanent residence.
An invited candidate must submit a complete permanent residence application within the applicable deadline and provide evidence supporting the information declared in the Express Entry profile.
For senior managers, documentation demonstrating Canadian work experience can be particularly important because category eligibility is linked to the occupation and period of Canadian employment.
Candidates should ensure that employment reference letters, dates, job duties and other supporting documents accurately reflect their work history.
Any inconsistency between the Express Entry profile and supporting documentation can create problems during application processing.
What If Your CRS Score is Below 389?
A candidate who was not invited in this particular round can remain in the Express Entry pool if their profile remains valid and they continue to meet the applicable requirements.
A CRS score below 389 does not automatically mean that a candidate cannot immigrate to Canada through Express Entry.
Different rounds have different eligibility requirements and cut-offs. Candidates may also explore other immigration options, including Provincial Nominee Programs, depending on their circumstances.
The important point is that the 389 cut-off applies specifically to Express Entry Draw #444, not to every Express Entry candidate.
What the Latest Draw Tells Us About Express Entry
The September 16 round reinforces the increasingly targeted nature of Canada’s Express Entry system.
Rather than relying only on broad rounds, IRCC is using category-based selection to identify particular groups of candidates. The 2026 Senior Managers category is an example of this approach, with Canadian work experience forming a specific eligibility requirement.
For senior managers already working in Canada, maintaining accurate employment records and ensuring that their occupation matches the applicable NOC classification can be important when preparing an Express Entry profile.
Candidates should also remember that Express Entry requirements and category instructions can change.
Express Entry Draw #444 issued 250 Invitations to Apply to senior managers with Canadian work experience on September 16, 2026. The CRS cut-off was 389, and the tie-breaking rule applied to candidates who submitted their profiles before September 1, 2026, at 23:05:13 UTC.
The draw was the third 2026 round specifically targeting Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience. IRCC’s category requires at least 12 months of eligible Canadian work experience in the previous three years in one of four specified NOC groups.
Candidates should assess their actual work experience, NOC classification, CRS score and Express Entry program eligibility rather than relying on the latest cut-off alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What was the CRS score for Express Entry Draw #444?
The CRS cut-off was 389. IRCC issued 250 invitations in the Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience category.
2. Who was eligible for the September 16 Senior Managers draw?
The category requires at least 12 months of full-time Canadian work experience, or an equivalent amount of part-time experience, within the previous three years in one eligible occupation. Candidates must also meet the requirements of the relevant Express Entry program and round.
3. Which NOC codes are included in the Senior Managers category?
The category includes NOC 00012, NOC 00013, NOC 00014 and NOC 00015. These cover senior managers in financial and business services; health, education and social services; trade and broadcasting; and construction, transportation, production and utilities.
4. Does a job offer provide extra CRS points for senior managers?
No. IRCC removed CRS points for job offers effective March 25, 2025. This includes qualifying offers under NOC Major Group 00. However, a valid job offer can still matter where it is an eligibility requirement for a particular Express Entry program.
5. What happens if my CRS score is below 389?
The 389 cut-off applies only to the September 16 Senior Managers round. A candidate below that score may remain in the Express Entry pool if eligible and may potentially qualify for another round with different requirements or a different CRS threshold. Category-based, program-specific and general rounds can have different eligibility rules.
6. Is 389 now the permanent CRS requirement for senior managers?
No. The CRS cut-off is determined separately for each invitation round. Future Senior Managers draws may have a different number of invitations and a different cut-off depending on the candidates eligible for that round and IRCC’s invitation target.
