Express Entry Draw #444 — Senior Managers Category, September 16, 2026: 250 ITAs at CRS 389

Round #444 — Senior Managers Category, September 16, 2026

IRCC issued 250 Invitations to Apply today in an Express Entry category-based draw restricted to the Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience category, with a Comprehensive Ranking System cut-off of 389. Full official numbers from the Ministerial Instructions record for round 444:

• Round type / category: Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience — 2026, Version 1
• Date and time of round: September 16, 2026 at 12:44:28 UTC
• Invitations issued: 250
• CRS cut-off: 389
• Tie-breaking rule: September 1, 2026 at 23:05:13 UTC — where multiple candidates sat at CRS 389, only those whose profiles were submitted before that timestamp were invited.

This is the smallest Express Entry round of the September cycle so far, and one of the smallest category-based draws of 2026 to date. It comes one day after the Canadian Experience Class round on September 15, 2026 (2,000 ITAs at CRS 519), and two days after the September 14 PNP round (576 ITAs at CRS 734). The pattern of small, tightly-targeted category rounds continues to define the 2026 draw calendar.

What “Senior Managers” Actually Means for This Category

The Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience category is one of the newer 2026 categories introduced under IRCC’s Facilitating leadership and innovation priority. It is not open to every management title. Eligibility is tied to a specific short list of 2021 National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes, all in TEER category 0:

• 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

These are executive-tier roles — VP Finance, VP Operations, Executive Director of a hospital or school board, General Manager of a large retail or manufacturing operation, Managing Director of a broadcasting or trade organization. Mid-level TEER 1 management positions (branch manager, department head, project manager) do not qualify, no matter how senior the title sounds in the workplace.

The Category-Specific Work Experience Rule

The eligibility rule for this category (from IRCC’s official category-based selection page) is precise, and different from the CEC or FSW baseline:

“To be eligible, you must have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 12 months of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience) — this experience does not need to be continuous — in a single occupation listed in the table below (no matter your primary occupation) in Canada.”

Three things are worth pulling out of that text:

1. The work experience must be in Canada. Foreign senior-management experience does not count for this category. A CFO who moved to Canada last year and has only 10 months of Canadian senior-manager experience is not yet eligible.
2. 12 months in the past 3 years is enough — and it doesn’t have to be continuous. Broken employment history (six months at one Canadian company, six months at another) is fine, as long as both roles are in the eligible NOC.
3. It has to be a single eligible NOC. You can’t add together six months as a Senior Manager (00012) and six months as an IT Manager (TEER 1) to reach the threshold — only qualifying senior-manager time counts.

Because this is a category-based round, candidates also need to be in the Express Entry pool and eligible for at least one of the underlying programs (CEC, FSW, or FSTP). Category-based selection sits on top of pool eligibility — it doesn’t replace it.

Why the CRS Cut-Off Is So Low (389) — And What It Signals

A 389 cut-off looks remarkably low next to yesterday’s CEC round at CRS 519. That gap is entirely a supply-and-demand story: very few candidates in the Express Entry pool actually hold 12+ months of Canadian work experience in NOC 00012–00015. The category is genuinely narrow. IRCC has to reach further down the pool to hit even a 250-invitation target.

For qualifying candidates, the practical takeaway is significant. A senior manager profile with:

• CLB 7 English
• A Canadian bachelor’s degree or foreign ECA
• 12+ months of Canadian senior-management experience in NOC 00012–00015
• Age 30–35

…can easily clear CRS 389 without a PNP nomination, without a spousal boost, and without French. That is one of the most accessible category cut-offs currently running in Express Entry. The bottleneck is not points — it is eligibility.

Where Round #444 Fits in the September Draw Rhythm

• September 14, 2026 — PNP: 576 ITAs at CRS 734 (round #442 coverage)
• September 15, 2026 — CEC: 2,000 ITAs at CRS 519 (round #443 coverage)
• September 16, 2026 — Senior Managers: 250 ITAs at CRS 389 (round #444 — this post)

Three consecutive days, three completely different categories, three completely different CRS floors — from 389 to 734 in 48 hours. This is the shape of category-based Express Entry in 2026: a candidate’s cut-off is essentially decided by which category the government prioritizes next, not by a single “market CRS” score.

Action Items for Candidates Who May Qualify

1. Check your NOC first, not your title. The lead statement on IRCC’s NOC 00012–00015 profiles is what matters. If your duties don’t match the lead statement, the title on your business card does not save the file — and the officer will reclassify to TEER 1.
2. Get a bulletproof reference letter for the Canadian senior-management period. Full duties matching the lead statement, hours per week (must show full-time), start and end dates, salary, benefits, letterhead, signatory title and direct-report structure. This is where senior-manager files most often fail on final review.
3. Confirm your CRS floor. If you are already in the pool with 389+ and a senior-manager NOC, you may want to update your profile today — the next round in this category could come with less notice than the CEC or PNP schedule.
4. Refresh your language test if it’s within 60 days of expiry. A lapsed test drops you out of the pool the moment IRCC’s system checks eligibility on invitation day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the CRS cut-off for the September 16, 2026 Express Entry draw?

The Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience round on September 16, 2026 had a CRS cut-off of 389 and issued 250 Invitations to Apply. This was round #444 in the Express Entry sequence. Tie-break time was September 1, 2026 at 23:05:13 UTC.

What NOC codes are eligible for the Senior Managers Express Entry category?

Only four 2021 NOC codes, all in TEER 0: 00012 (senior managers, financial, communications and other business services), 00013 (senior managers, health, education, social and community services and membership organizations), 00014 (senior managers, trade, broadcasting and other services), and 00015 (senior managers, construction, transportation, production and utilities). No other management NOCs qualify for this specific category.

Does foreign senior-management experience count for this category?

No. The category rule requires 12 months of full-time work experience (or equivalent part-time) in an eligible NOC accumulated within the past 3 years in Canada. Foreign senior-management time does not count for the category, though it may still contribute to CRS points and to Federal Skilled Worker eligibility separately.

Does the Canadian work experience have to be continuous?

No. IRCC’s rule explicitly says the 12 months of experience “does not need to be continuous.” Broken employment history is acceptable as long as the total qualifying time reaches at least 12 months within the past 3 years, and every qualifying month is in the same eligible NOC.

Why was the CRS cut-off so low compared to CEC draws?

The Senior Managers category is genuinely narrow — very few candidates in the Express Entry pool actually hold 12+ months of Canadian work experience in NOC 00012–00015. To fill a 250-invitation target IRCC has to reach further down the pool. Yesterday’s CEC round drew from a much larger candidate base and cut off at CRS 519. Category CRS floors are essentially set by pool supply, not by “market CRS.”

Do I still need to be in the Express Entry pool for category-based selection?

Yes. Category-based rounds are drawn from candidates who are already in the pool and eligible for at least one of the three underlying programs (Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, or Federal Skilled Trades Program). Meeting the category eligibility on top of program eligibility is what makes a candidate invitable in a category round.

When will the next Senior Managers Express Entry round be?

IRCC does not publish an advance draw calendar. Historically the Senior Managers category has run once every few months since it was introduced in 2026. The best strategy is to make sure your profile is invitation-ready at all times rather than trying to time a specific round.

Sources

• IRCC — Ministerial Instructions record for round 444 (September 16, 2026)
• IRCC — Category-based selection in Express Entry (Senior Managers eligibility)
• IRCC — Canada prioritizes top talent in 2026 Express Entry categories (February 2026 announcement)
• VG Immigration — Express Entry CEC Draw, September 15, 2026 (round #443)
• VG Immigration — Express Entry PNP Draw #442, September 14, 2026

VG Immigration Services Inc. | Dimple Verma, RCIC-IRB R708308 | vgis.ca