Senior Managers Express Entry Draw: 250 Invited at CRS 389

A CRS score of 389 was enough for an invitation in the senior managers Express Entry draw on September 16, 2026. If you have spent years watching higher cutoffs, that number deserves a closer look. The question is whether your Canadian work experience fits the category.

IRCC invited 250 candidates in round 444, targeting senior managers with Canadian work experience. This was a specific category-based round, so the result does not mean every Express Entry candidate with 389 points could receive an invitation.

This article explains the result, the four eligible NOC codes, and the checks to make before treating this draw as a realistic option for your own profile.

Facts checked against IRCC on September 17, 2026. This article covers the September 16 round; see our senior manager draw tracker for subsequent results.

Senior managers Express Entry draw: September 16 results

Source: IRCC’s Ministerial Instructions for round 444.

The tie-break matters for otherwise eligible candidates at exactly 389 points. IRCC uses the profile submission timestamp to decide between candidates tied at the lowest invited score. It is not an extra work-experience requirement, and it does not make someone eligible for the category.

What CRS 389 means for your chances

The useful takeaway is that your relevant comparison is the draw you qualify for. A senior manager who meets this category’s conditions competes within that eligible group during a senior managers round. A candidate with the same CRS score but different work experience is in a different position.

For example, imagine two candidates with 400 points. One has the required Canadian experience in an eligible senior management occupation; the other has only worked in management abroad. Their scores are identical, but the second candidate does not meet this category’s Canadian experience condition. This is an illustration of the rule, not an assessment of any individual’s eligibility.

389 is a past draw result, not a permanent qualifying score. It does not predict the next cutoff or the next draw date. For context across categories and programs, use the Express Entry draw history, keeping the different selection criteria in mind.

Who qualifies for the senior managers category?

You need to clear two separate checks: eligibility for Express Entry and eligibility for this category.

First, you must qualify for a program managed through Express Entry and have an eligible profile in the pool. The September 16 instructions allow invitations under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class and Federal Skilled Trades Program. Category selection does not waive those programs’ requirements.

Second, IRCC’s category criteria require at least 12 months of full-time work experience, or the part-time equivalent, in Canada within the previous three years, in one eligible occupation. IRCC says that category experience does not need to be continuous and the eligible occupation need not be your primary occupation.

The round’s instructions also require your work to match the NOC lead statement and a substantial number of the occupation’s main duties, including every essential duty. Unauthorized Canadian work does not count. The instructions exclude members of the provincial nominee class from this category’s grouping.

Start with our Express Entry eligibility checker, then compare your history against IRCC’s current category requirements and the instructions for the relevant round. A tool can help organize the checks; IRCC makes the eligibility decision.

The four eligible senior manager NOC codes

IRCC lists four NOC 2021 occupations for this category. All are TEER 0, but not every TEER 0 management occupation is included.

Source: the occupation table in IRCC’s round 444 instructions.

Your responsibilities matter more than your job title

“Director,” “general manager” and “vice-president” can describe very different roles at different employers. A title is a starting point for research, not proof that NOC 00012, 00013, 00014 or 00015 applies.

Use the NOC Finder to investigate the occupation that matches your actual work. Compare the lead statement, main duties and exclusions. Then ask whether your employment evidence supports that description. Do not select a senior management code simply because its draw cutoff looks attractive.

Check your Canadian experience before focusing on points

Write down your employment periods, the country where you worked, your hours and the NOC that accurately describes each role. This makes the single-occupation requirement easier to check.

• Foreign experience alone is insufficient. A long management career abroad does not replace the required Canadian experience.
• The qualifying time must be in one eligible occupation. Six months in NOC 00012 plus six months in NOC 00015 do not, by themselves, give you 12 months in either one.
• Gaps are not automatically disqualifying for the category. The category allows non-continuous experience, within its three-year window. Your underlying immigration program has its own rules.
• Work authorization matters. Round 444 expressly excludes unauthorized Canadian work from the qualifying period.

These checks are especially useful if you changed responsibilities, employers or occupations during the last three years. Separate the periods accurately before adding them together.

What to do if you received an invitation

Open the invitation in your IRCC account and confirm the program and submission deadline. IRCC gives invited Express Entry candidates 60 days to submit their permanent residence application.

Before submitting, compare your profile with the documents that support it. Pay particular attention to employment dates, hours, duties, work authorization, language results and any education or family information used for your score. Follow your personalized document checklist rather than assuming every applicant needs exactly the same evidence.

If an employment letter gives only a title and dates, check whether it adequately supports the work you claimed. The category’s duties test makes the substance of that evidence important. An invitation allows you to apply; it is not approval of permanent residence.

What to do if you were not invited

Begin with the reason, because different problems call for different next steps.

If your occupation or experience does not fit: assess the programs and categories you actually qualify for. Changing the wording of a title does not change the work performed.

If your experience fits but your score needs attention: use the CRS score calculator to check your current estimate. Then review our guide to improving your CRS score for factors worth investigating in your circumstances.

If you were at the cutoff: check the tie-breaking timestamp and the category conditions, rather than comparing only the score. Review your account for the actual invitation outcome.

If you are preparing for a future round: keep your profile accurate and your evidence organized. Follow the senior manager draw results page for new rounds. The September 16 result does not establish a schedule.

The most useful next step is a concrete one: confirm your NOC, map your qualifying Canadian experience, and check your score. That gives you a much stronger basis for planning than waiting for another headline about a low cutoff.

Official sources and fact-check date

This article was prepared for ImmigraTools using the following IRCC sources, checked September 17, 2026. Draw results are historical facts; category and program rules can change.

• Round 444: results and full Ministerial Instructions
• Express Entry category-based selection
• Applying for permanent residence after an invitation

General information, not an individual eligibility assessment or legal advice. Confirm the rules with IRCC and seek qualified advice if your work history or NOC classification is uncertain.