Express Entry Draw #444: 250 Senior Managers Invited at CRS 389

IRCC has conducted another targeted Express Entry draw, this time inviting 250 senior managers with Canadian work experience to apply for permanent residence.

Draw #444 Key Details

• Category: Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience

• Invitations issued: 250

• Lowest CRS score: 389

• Draw date: September 16, 2026

• Tie-breaking date: September 1, 2026 at 23:05:13 UTC

This is the third Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience draw of 2026.

Previous draws in this category:

🔹 March 5: 250 ITAs — CRS 429

🔹 July 10: 500 ITAs — CRS 392

🔹 September 16: 250 ITAs — CRS 389

Across these three draws, IRCC has issued 1,000 invitations to candidates in this category.

Who can qualify for this category?

This is an important distinction: having "manager" or "senior manager" in your job title does not automatically make you eligible.

To be considered under the Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience category, candidates must have:

✅ At least 12 months of full-time Canadian work experience, or an equivalent amount of part-time experience, within the previous 3 years.

✅ Experience in an eligible senior-management occupation.

✅ An occupation corresponding to one of the following NOC 2021 groups:

• 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

• 00015: Senior managers – construction, transportation, production and utilities

Candidates must also meet the applicable requirements for an Express Entry program and the requirements of the category-based round. IRCC then ranks eligible candidates in the pool and invites the highest-ranking candidates.

Why is CRS 389 significant?

The 389 CRS cut-off is much lower than the 519 CRS required in the CEC draw held just one day earlier.

But these numbers should not be compared as general CRS thresholds.

The September 15th CEC draw selected candidates based on the Canadian Experience Class, while Draw #444 was a targeted category-based selection round for eligible senior managers.

This means a candidate with a CRS below the recent CEC cut-off may still be considered through a targeted category if they meet that category's requirements and rank high enough within the eligible pool.

Are you a manager working in Canada?

If you are currently working in Canada in a senior management position, don't look at your CRS score alone.

Your actual job duties, NOC classification, Canadian work experience, language results, education and overall Express Entry eligibility all need to be considered together.

And remember: since March 25, 2025, Express Entry no longer awards CRS points for job offers, including the former 200 point allocation for senior-management job offers.

A job title alone is not enough. Your NOC and actual work experience matter.

Questions? We can help you review your Express Entry profile, assess your Canadian work experience and determine which immigration pathways may be available based on your individual circumstances.