NOC 53200: Athletes
Athletes participate in competitive sports events on an amateur or professional basis. They play team sports such as hockey, baseball, football and lacrosse; or compete in individual sports such as skiing, figure skating, boxing or track and field; or in games such as poker or chess. They are employed by professional team organizations or they may be self-employed.
Last reviewed 2026-11-02 · Sources: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Quick answer
NOC 53200 (Athletes) 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 | 53200 |
|---|---|
| Title | Athletes |
| 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
Main duties
- Train under the direction of a coach or trainer to qualify for competition
- Attend scheduled practice and training sessions
- Participate in local, regional, provincial, national or international competitions and sporting events
- Assess performance after an event to identify strengths and weaknesses.
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 53201 — Coaches
- NOC 53202 — Sports officials and referees
- 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 53121 — Actors, comedians and circus performers
- 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 53201 Coaches →
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 53200 eligible for Express Entry?+
NOC 53200 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 53200 a high-wage occupation?+
No. NOC 53200 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 53200?+
None of IRCC's current category-based selection lists include NOC 53200. Candidates can still be invited in general, program-specific (such as CEC) or PNP rounds.