- Senior managers round, 16 September 2026
- #444
- Senior managers invited
- 250
- Senior managers CRS cut-off
- 389
- Invitations across the three rounds
- 2,826
IRCC held three Express Entry rounds from 14 to 16 September 2026: a Provincial Nominee Program round, a Canadian Experience Class round and a senior managers round. The senior managers round invited 250 candidates with a minimum CRS score of 389, one of the lowest cut-offs of 2026.
What changed
| Date | Round | Type | Invitations | CRS cut-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 September 2026 | #444 | Senior managers | 250 | 389 |
| 15 September 2026 | #443 | Canadian Experience Class | 2,000 | 519 |
| 14 September 2026 | #442 | Provincial Nominee Program | 576 | 734 |
Tie-breaking times. Candidates with exactly the cut-off score were invited only if they submitted their profile before these moments (UTC): 1 September 2026 at 23:05:13 for round #444, 26 March 2026 at 00:16:39 for round #443 and 29 August 2026 at 21:39:50 for round #442.
Senior managers rounds so far in 2026
The senior managers category is new for 2026. Round #444 was its third round of the year, and its cut-off has fallen each time:
| Date | Round | Type | Invitations | CRS cut-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 September 2026 | #444 | Senior managers | 250 | 389 |
| 10 July 2026 | #426 | Senior managers | 500 | 392 |
| 5 March 2026 | #402 | Senior managers | 250 | 429 |
Together, these three rounds have invited 1,000 candidates in 2026.
The CEC and PNP rounds
The Canadian Experience Class cut-off of 519 sits in the narrow band seen all year: the 17 CEC rounds of 2026 have ranged from 507 to 523. The PNP round's 734 includes the 600 points a provincial nomination adds; 2026 PNP rounds have ranged from 697 to 805.
Who it affects
- Senior managers round: only candidates with at least 12 months of work experience in Canada, within the last 3 years, as a senior manager (NOC 00012 to 00015) were eligible. Everyone else was left out, whatever their score.
- CEC round: candidates eligible for the Canadian Experience Class with 519 points or more.
- PNP round: candidates who already held a provincial or territorial nomination.
- French speakers: none of these was a French-language round. The last French round was on 19 August 2026 (CRS 382), and French rounds in 2026 have needed 382 to 420. If you have senior management experience in Canada and NCLC 7 in all four French skills, you can qualify for both categories, and each category round only competes against its own eligible candidates.
What to do now
- See which categories you can enter: the Express Entry category checker shows whether you fit senior managers, French or any other 2026 category.
- Compare your score: check your CRS score, then see how it stacks up against every recent round with the ITA chances tool and the full draw history.
- If you're below the CEC cut-off: reaching NCLC 7 in French opens French-category rounds and adds CRS points. Read French for Express Entry and how many CRS points French is worth, or find your biggest gain with how to increase your CRS score.
The next rounds after these were held on 28 and 29 September 2026: see the 29 September 2026 CEC draw.