NOC 53121: Actors, comedians and circus performers
Actors, comedians and circus performers perform roles and circus skills in circuses, motion picture, television, theatre and radio productions to entertain a variety of audiences. They are employed by motion picture, television, circuses, theatre and other production companies. This unit group includes acting teachers employed by private acting schools.
Last reviewed 2026-11-02 · Sources: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Quick answer
NOC 53121 (Actors, comedians and circus performers) is a TEER 3 occupation, so it counts as skilled work for Express Entry. It is not on IRCC's high-wage list. It isn't on any current category-based draw list.
TEER
TEER 3
Skilled for Express Entry
High-wage
Not listed
No extra CRS points
Category draws
None
IRCC 2026 lists
| NOC 2021 code | 53121 |
|---|---|
| Title | Actors, comedians and circus performers |
| Broad category | Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport |
| TEER | TEER 3 — usually requires a college diploma or apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or 6+ months of on-the-job training |
Example job titles
- acrobat
- acting teacher - private or studio
- actor/actress
- circus performer
- clown
- comedian
- drama teacher - private or studio
- narrator
Main duties
- Actors and comedians
- Study and rehearse lines, gestures and expressions to interpret a role
- Portray roles in video or motion picture productions, television shows, theatre productions, radio dramas, commercials and other productions or perform the narration
- Sing or dance as required by specific roles
- Perform comedy acts in nightclubs alone or as members of comedy troupes
- Improvise a role.
- Acting teachers
- Train students in interpretation of scripts, speech, movement, and dramatic theory
Your duties should match the lead statement and most of the main duties to use this NOC — check the full profile on the official NOC site.
Related occupations
- NOC 53100 — Registrars, restorers, interpreters and other occupations related to museum and art galleries
- NOC 53110 — Photographers
- NOC 53111 — Motion pictures, broadcasting, photography and performing arts assistants and operators
- NOC 53120 — Dancers
- NOC 53122 — Painters, sculptors and other visual artists
- NOC 53123 — Theatre, fashion, exhibit and other creative designers
- NOC 53124 — Artisans and craftspersons
- NOC 53125 — Patternmakers - textile, leather and fur products
- NOC 53200 — Athletes
- NOC 53201 — Coaches
← NOC 53120 Dancers · NOC 53122 Painters, sculptors and other visual artists →
Calculate your CRS score → · All NOC codes · High-wage list
TEER 3 also matters for work permits: see the spousal open work permit (TEER rules for spouses of workers), LMIA explained and the Atlantic Immigration Program (job offers in TEER 0–4).
Sources: Statistics Canada NOC 2021 V1.0; IRCC high-wage occupations; IRCC category-based selection; IRCC who can apply.
Frequently asked questions
Is NOC 53121 eligible for Express Entry?+
NOC 53121 is a TEER 3 occupation. IRCC counts work in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupations as skilled work experience for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Canadian Experience Class, as long as all other program requirements are met.
Is NOC 53121 a high-wage occupation?+
No. NOC 53121 isn't on IRCC's Express Entry high-wage occupations list, so it doesn't earn the extra high-wage or job offer CRS points. Canadian work-length points can still apply for TEER 0–3 work.
Which Express Entry category draws include NOC 53121?+
None of IRCC's current category-based selection lists include NOC 53121. Candidates can still be invited in general, program-specific (such as CEC) or PNP rounds.