Express Entry Category for Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience (2026)

Senior managers used to benefit from large job offer bonuses in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS): 200 points for a job offer in a senior management role. IRCC removed all job offer points on March 25, 2025, which hurt many executives already working in Canada. The senior managers with Canadian work experience category, one of five new categories for 2026, gives this group a targeted route in Express Entry.

In a senior managers draw, IRCC invites only candidates who meet the category's rules, ranked by CRS score. See category-based draws for the full 2026 list.

You are included in senior managers draws if you:

1. Have an active Express Entry profile and are eligible for an Express Entry program, usually the Canadian Experience Class or the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
2. Have at least 12 months of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time) in Canada within the last 3 years.
3. Gained that experience in one of these National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes:

Senior managers are TEER 0 jobs, so the Canadian Experience Class requires CLB 7 in all four language abilities.

NOC 00012 to 00015 cover people who plan and direct a whole organization or a major part of it, usually reporting to a board or owner. Titles like "manager" or "director" do not automatically qualify. A department manager usually falls under a different NOC code (for example, a TEER 0 middle management code), which is not on this category's list.

Officers look at your duties: setting strategy and policy, approving budgets, directing other managers, and representing the organization. Make sure your reference letter describes those duties in detail.

Many executives working in Canada own or co-own their business. This creates a risk. For the Canadian Experience Class, self-employment does not count. If you control the company that employs you, an officer may decide your experience is really self-employment. Owners who came to Canada on an intra-company transfer or an entrepreneur work permit should check this carefully.

If you own a significant share of your employer, talk to a lawyer or licensed consultant (RCIC) before you rely on this category. You may be better served by a provincial entrepreneur stream; see PNP and invest in Canada.

IRCC decides when to hold senior manager draws and how many invitations to issue. The most recent one at the time of writing, draw #444 on September 16, 2026, invited 250 candidates with a CRS cutoff of 389. Future cutoffs may be higher or lower. Follow results on our Express Entry draws tracker and estimate your score with the CRS calculator.

If you are a senior manager outside Canada, this category will not apply until you have Canadian experience. You can still enter the pool under the Federal Skilled Worker Program and compete in general draws, or look at intra-company transfer work permits to gain Canadian experience.

After an Invitation to Apply, you have 60 days to submit your application. See from ITA to COPR. Prepare:

• A detailed reference letter signed by someone other than you (for example, the board chair or a senior officer), with your title, dates, hours, salary, and senior-level duties.
• An organization chart showing where your role sits.
• Proof of valid work authorization during the experience, and pay and tax records.
• Valid language results, police certificates, and a medical exam.

Entering the Express Entry pool is free. After an invitation, you pay IRCC's fees.

As of September 2026 (fees rose on April 30, 2026), IRCC charges these fees for economic programs such as Express Entry and the PNP, in Canadian dollars:

Biometrics cost $85 per person, or $170 for a family applying together. Check the IRCC fee list before paying, because fees change. Budget as well for language tests, an Educational Credential Assessment if you studied abroad, police certificates, and medical exams.

IRCC aims to process most Express Entry applications in about 6 months after you submit a complete application. Real times vary. Check the IRCC processing times tool or our processing times page.

Your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children under 22 can be included in your application and become permanent residents with you. Each must pass medical and security checks.