Canada has invited 250 senior managers to apply for permanent residence in a category-based Express Entry round held on September 16, 2026. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required was 389.
This was the 444th Express Entry round overall and the 56th of 2026. It is the third draw ever held under the Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience category, and its lowest cut-off to date — three points below the 392 recorded in the July 10 senior managers round and 40 points below the 429 that opened the category on March 5.
The round also gave IRCC three consecutive days of invitations, following a Provincial Nominee Program draw on September 14 and a Canadian Experience Class draw on September 15.
Full Details of the September 16 Senior Managers Draw
| Draw detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Round type | Senior managers with Canadian Work Experience (category-based selection) |
| Round number | 444 |
| Date and time | September 16, 2026 at 12:44:28 UTC |
| Number of invitations issued | 250 |
| CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited | 389 |
| Tie-breaking rule | September 1, 2026 at 23:05:13 UTC |
The tie-breaking rule means that candidates holding a CRS score of exactly 389 who submitted their Express Entry profile before 23:05:13 UTC on September 1, 2026 received an invitation. Candidates with the same score who entered the pool after that moment did not.
All Senior Managers Rounds to Date
| Date | Round | Invitations | CRS cut-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 16, 2026 | 444 | 250 | 389 |
| July 10, 2026 | 426 | 500 | 392 |
| March 5, 2026 | 402 | 250 | 429 |
Across the three rounds, IRCC has now issued 1,000 invitations to senior managers with Canadian work experience. The cut-off has fallen in each successive draw, from 429 in March to 392 in July and 389 in September — a 40-point decline over roughly six months, even as round sizes have stayed small.
Who Qualifies for the Senior Managers Category
To be eligible for a Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience draw, a candidate must first have an active Express Entry profile and meet the criteria of one of the underlying programs — most commonly the Canadian Experience Class or the Federal Skilled Worker Program. On top of that, they must have at least one year of full-time work experience in Canada, or the part-time equivalent, gained in the previous three years in one of four senior-management occupation groups:
- senior managers in financial, communications and other business services;
- senior managers in health, education, social and community services;
- senior managers in trade, broadcasting and other services; and
- senior managers in construction, transportation, production and utilities.
The stated aim of the category is to retain experienced leaders who already have Canadian work experience. Full eligibility details are set out on the Government of Canada’s category-based selection page.
Express Entry in 2026 So Far
The September 16 round brings the 2026 running total to 128,982 invitations across 56 rounds, already well ahead of any previous year. As of September 13, 2026, there were 226,793 candidates in the Express Entry pool. Details of every round are published on the Government of Canada’s rounds of invitations page.
At 389, the senior managers cut-off sits far below the 519 required in the previous day’s Canadian Experience Class round — a reminder that category-based selection can bring an invitation within reach of candidates whose scores would never clear a general draw.
If you work in a senior management role in Canada and your CRS score is near or below 389, the gap is often closable: another language test attempt, a completed Canadian credential, or an additional year of Canadian work experience can each move a score by double digits. Use our free CRS score calculator to work out your Comprehensive Ranking System score, see how far you sit from the 389 cut-off, and identify which factors would lift you into invitation range for the next senior managers round.