Express Entry Update — September 24, 2026
Thursday, September 24, 2026
On September 16, 2026, IRCC held a category-based draw (#444) for Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience, issuing 250 ITAs at a minimum CRS score of 389 — described as a new low for that category.
The day before, a Canadian Experience Class draw (#443) issued 2,000 ITAs at a CRS cut-off of 519, and a Provincial Nominee Program draw (#442) issued 576 ITAs at CRS 734.
As of September 13, the Express Entry pool held 226,793 candidates; the number of top-scoring profiles (501–600 range) grew by 1,242 in two weeks, while the 471–500 range shrank by 2,085 profiles.
What You Should Do
- If you work in senior management (NOC Major Group 00 — e.g., senior government managers, senior managers in finance, health, construction, or transportation), check if you qualify for the Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience category. You need at least 12 months of full-time Canadian work experience in the last 3 years. Review eligible NOC codes at canada.ca/express-entry.
- Check your current CRS score against recent cut-offs: CEC draws are running around 519–523, general PNP draws at 697–760, and category-based draws (e.g., healthcare, French language) as low as 382–475. Use the self-assessment tool at canada.ca/express-entry to see where you stand.
- If your CRS score is in the 471–500 range, note that this bracket shrank by 2,085 profiles between August 30 and September 13 — likely due to recent draws. Review the latest pool distribution data at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/rounds-invitations.html to reassess your competitiveness.
- If you received an ITA in draw #444 (September 16, 2026, tie-break timestamp: September 1, 2026 at 23:05:13 UTC), you have 60 days to submit a complete permanent residence application. Gather your police certificates, medical exam results, proof of work experience, and language test results immediately.
Sources
Topics Covered
CRS Cutoff Trends: The September 16 Senior Managers draw hit a new category low of CRS 389, while CEC draws continue to run at 519–523 and PNP draws at 697–760. French-language draws reached a 2026 low of 382 on August 19.
Category-Based Selection System: IRCC held multiple category-based draws in early September 2026, including Healthcare and Social Services (3,500 ITAs at CRS 475), Physicians with Canadian Work Experience (229 ITAs at CRS 198), and Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience (250 ITAs at CRS 389).
How these topics connect
Candidates should not evaluate their CRS competitiveness against a single benchmark — a score of 420 is uncompetitive for CEC draws but highly viable for French-language draws, and a score of 169 was sufficient for the Physicians category, illustrating how category-based selection has fundamentally fragmented what it means to be 'competitive' in Express Entry.
The dramatic range in CRS cutoffs (169 for Physicians to 802 for PNP) is not random volatility but a structural outcome of the category-based system; candidates should assess their scores relative to their specific eligible category rather than the overall pool.
The wide variation in CRS cutoffs reflects Canada's strategic shift toward targeted selection, where occupation-specific needs drive dramatically different entry requirements.
More Express Entry Updates
Express Entry Update — October 1, 2026
Oct 1, 2026
Express Entry Update — September 17, 2026
Sep 17, 2026
Express Entry Update — September 14, 2026
Sep 14, 2026
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