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.

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): no. No high-wage add-on, and a job offer in it earns no CRS points.

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 53121 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 53121

Skilled Canadian work in this occupation earns the standard points, the same before and after November 3, 2026, with no high-wage add-on:

See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following 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
• Prepare acting students for specific auditions and performances.
• Circus performers
• Perform a variety of acts intended to amaze, thrill, and engage audiences
• Conceptualize and choreograph original performances
• Study and perform acrobatic and aerial skills required by specific circus shows.
• May participate in the development of a director or ringmaster's vision

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

Example job titles

• acrobat
• acting teacher - private or studio
• actor/actress
• circus performer
• clown
• comedian
• drama teacher - private or studio
• narrator

Employment requirements

• Demonstrated ability, based on an audition or previous acting or circus roles, is an important hiring criteria.
• Circus performers and acrobats may require a period of study at a circus school.
• Acting programs are offered at universities, colleges and private acting schools.
• Acting teachers usually require experience as actors.
• Membership in a guild or union may be required.

Similar jobs with a different code

• 52114Announcers and other broadcasters
• 53120Dancers
• 41200Drama professor - university
• 51122Musicians and singers
• 55109Other performers