Is NOC 43203 (Border services, customs, and immigration officers) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?

Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 43203 is in the 1.3× tier of IRCC’s high-wage list, meaning its national median wage is at least 1.3 times, but less than 1.5 times, the median wage of the Canadian workforce (2023 to 2025 data).

How many CRS points does NOC 43203 give?

With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 43203, you add 20 points to your Canadian work-experience points. For example, a single candidate with 3 years of Canadian work goes from 64 to 84 points. A qualifying job offer in NOC 43203 is worth 50 points instead. You get the higher of the two routes, never both, capped at 150 points (140 with a spouse).

Do I need to earn 1.3× the median wage myself?

No. The tier comes from the occupation’s national median wage, not from your own salary. What matters is that your job’s main duties match NOC 43203 and that the work is skilled, paid, Canadian experience.

Can I combine months in different high-wage jobs?

Months here combine with months in any other high-wage occupation (1.3×, 1.5× or 2×) for the 20-point add-on.

Which Express Entry programs accept NOC 43203?

As a TEER 3 occupation it counts as skilled work for the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

Which category draws include NOC 43203?

It is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists, so it does not qualify you for an occupation-based category draw.

1.3× median wageTEER 3NOC 2021 Version 1.0

NOC 43203: Border services, customs, and immigration officers

Border services, customs, and immigration officers administer and enforce laws and regulations related to immigration, customs and border crossing. They are employed by government agencies.

Express Entry eligibility

Skilled work (TEER 0 to 3): yes, TEER 3.
Canadian Experience Class: counts as skilled Canadian work (1 year in the last 3 years).
Federal Skilled Worker Program: counts as skilled work (1 year of continuous work in the last 10 years).
Federal Skilled Trades Program: not one of the eligible trades.
High-wage occupation (from November 3, 2026): yes, 1.3× tier.

TEER 3: Occupations that usually need a college diploma, an apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than 6 months of on-the-job training. Every program has other requirements too, such as language test results and, for FSW, a points test.

Category-based draws

NOC 43203 is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists. You can still be invited in general, Canadian Experience Class or other program draws.

Category lists checked on canada.ca on 2026-10-17. IRCC category-based selection

CRS points for work in NOC 43203

With 12+ months of Canadian work here, from November 3, 2026, by years of skilled Canadian work:

Canadian work CRS points with 12 or more months in NOC 43203
Years in Canada	Single, today	Single, Nov 3	With spouse, today	With spouse, Nov 3
1	40	60	35	55
2	53	73	46	66
3	64	84	56	76
4	72	92	63	83
5 or more	80	100	70	90

See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Border services and customs officers
Conduct interviews, using inspections and information-seeking techniques, at border points as part of primary and secondary inspections for immigration, food, plant and animals, and customs program functions
Inspect baggage to detect undeclared merchandise, or contraband
Inform manufacturers and shippers of customs and laws and procedures
Observe fabrication of articles affected by customs laws and conduct appraisals
Board carriers arriving from foreign countries to determine nature of cargo to ensure compliance with customs and commerce laws
Inspect goods imported by mail
Apply applicable legislation, policies, and procedure when screening and/or inspecting people and goods
May conduct an arrest, detention, or conduct personal search of individuals suspected of having committed a criminal offence under the Customs Act or certain other designated Criminal Code offences until police intervention is possible
Operate firearms and use defensive tactics and physical force when necessary in the performance of duties.
Immigration officers
Determine admissibility of persons seeking entry into Canada by examining documents and conducting interviews
Grant landed-immigrant status, admit persons or order detention or deportation
Locate and apprehend persons presumed to be infringing on immigration laws
Assist in the removal of deported people by seeking authorization from receiving countries and securing necessary travel documents
Appear as a witness in cases related to immigration appeals.

For Express Entry your duties must match the lead statement and most of the main duties above.

Example job titles

border services officer (BSO)
customs inspector
customs officer
immigration agent - government services
immigration examining officer

Employment requirements

Completion of secondary school is required.
A four-week online training and a four-and-half-month specialized training at the CBSA College are required for border services officers.
Successful pass of the officer trainee entrance exam (OTEE), successful completion of the Canadian Firearms Safety Course (CGSC) and the Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course (CRFSC) is required for border services officers.
Must pass psychological assessment, physical abilities requirement evaluation (PARE) and medical exam to be a border services officer.
Border services student officers must complete Control and Defensive Tactics (CDT) training
Completion of specialized government training is usually required.
A driver's license is required.

Similar jobs with a different code

Common questions

Is NOC 43203 (Border services, customs, and immigration officers) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?: Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 43203 is in the 1.3× tier of IRCC’s high-wage list, meaning its national median wage is at least 1.3 times, but less than 1.5 times, the median wage of the Canadian workforce (2023 to 2025 data).
How many CRS points does NOC 43203 give?: With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 43203, you add 20 points to your Canadian work-experience points. For example, a single candidate with 3 years of Canadian work goes from 64 to 84 points. A qualifying job offer in NOC 43203 is worth 50 points instead. You get the higher of the two routes, never both, capped at 150 points (140 with a spouse).
Do I need to earn 1.3× the median wage myself?: No. The tier comes from the occupation’s national median wage, not from your own salary. What matters is that your job’s main duties match NOC 43203 and that the work is skilled, paid, Canadian experience.
Can I combine months in different high-wage jobs?: Months here combine with months in any other high-wage occupation (1.3×, 1.5× or 2×) for the 20-point add-on.
Which Express Entry programs accept NOC 43203?: As a TEER 3 occupation it counts as skilled work for the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
Which category draws include NOC 43203?: It is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists, so it does not qualify you for an occupation-based category draw.

Other 1.3× high-wage occupations

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See your CRS score with NOC 43203

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