Border Patrol Agent (20K to 30K BPA Recruitment Incentive)
| Employer: | U.S. Customs and Border Protection |
| Job Type: | Full Time |
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Summary **Recruitment Incentive** Newly appointed Border Patrol Agents (as defined in 5 CFR 575.102) will be offered a $20,000 incentive. The first $10,000 to be paid upon successfully completing the academy and the remainder to be paid in full after completing a three-year service agreement. New Agents accepting a prioritized location will be eligible for an additional $10,000 (for a total of $30,000). Applicants currently in pre-employment do not need to reapply to be eligible for the incentive. Learn more about this agency Overview
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency U.S. Citizens may apply. This announcement is open nationwide to include the southwest border, northern border, and coastal borders. Locations offered are determined by the U.S. Border Patrol. Videos Duties The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is calling on those who want to help protect American interests and secure our Nation. DHS Components work collectively to prevent terrorism; secure borders and our transportation systems; protect the President and other dignitaries; enforce and administer immigration laws; safeguard cyberspace; and ensure resilience to disasters. We achieve these vital missions through a diverse workforce spanning hundreds of occupations. Make an impact; join DHS. Being a Border Patrol Agent makes you a valuable member of the Federal Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) profession. Typical assignments include:
For more information on becoming a Border Patrol Agent, contact our recruiters here. This is a career ladder position with a grade level progression of GL-5, GL-7, GL-9, GS-11, and GS-12. You will be eligible for a promotion to the next higher grade level (without re-applying) once you successfully complete 52 weeks in each grade level. Promotions are at the discretion of the agency. Pay rates are based on the 2024 OPM Salary Tables and do not take into consideration any potential overtime earnings, recruitment incentives, location incentives or yearly cost of living increases. For more information on career progression, click here. Language Proficiency: Border Patrol work requires the ability to speak and read Spanish, as well as English. Agents will be provided training to become proficient with the Spanish language at the academy. Uniform/Grooming Standards: This position requires wearing an officially approved uniform and complying with established grooming standards found here; as established by the Border Patrol's Uniform and Grooming Standards Policy #IOP-5320-02A-UGSBPA. Updated guidance: Please note that in accordance with these standards, tattoos and/or brandings on the head or face are not permitted. Obscene, racially/ethnically derogatory and/or gang tattoos or brandings shall not be visible. Bargaining Unit: This position is covered under the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC). For more information, please visit https://bpunion.org/about-nbpc/. DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include flexible work schedules; telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service- connected disability rating of 30 percent or more. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this position Firearm Proficiency: You will be required to carry a firearm. Firearm proficiency is required for all Border Patrol Agents and is part of the training provided. Probationary Period: You must serve a one-year probationary period during the first year of your initial permanent federal appointment. Formal Training: You will be detailed to the U.S. Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, New Mexico, for approximately 6 months of intensive instruction in immigration and nationality laws, law enforcement and Border Patrol-specific operations, drivers training, physical techniques, firearms, and other courses. Successful completion of the academy is required for this position. For more information, please see the Hiring Process Deep Dive Video: Preparing for the Border Patrol Academy for a look at how to prepare for the academy, what you'll learn there and next steps after graduating. Residency Requirement: U.S. Customs and Border Protection has a residency requirement that applies to all applicants not currently employed by CBP. Individuals are required to have physically resided in the United States or its protectorates (as declared under international law) for at least three (3) of the last five (5) years, before completing an application for CBP employment. If you do not meet the residency requirement and you have been physically located in a foreign location for more than two (2) of the last five (5) years, you may request an exception to determine if you are eligible for a residency waiver by meeting one or more of the following conditions:
Driver's License: "You must possess the ability to operate a Government Owned Vehicle. A valid driver's license is required. Any legal restrictions on a driver's license are not acceptable." More requirements listed in the Additional Information section below. Qualifications The qualification requirements listed below must be met by the closing date of this announcement. It is your responsibility to verify that any information submitted with your application is accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration. You qualify for the GL-5 grade level if you possess one of the following: Experience: One year of general experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level that demonstrates the ability to take charge, make sound decisions, and maintain composure in stressful situations; to learn regulations, methods, and techniques through classroom training and/or on-the-job instruction; and the ability to gather concise information through questioning, observation, and examination of documents and records; OR Education Substitution: A bachelor's degree or successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a bachelor's degree from an accredited or college or university; OR will receive a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university within 9 months from the closing date of this announcement and will upload all official or unofficial transcripts before the closing date of this announcement; OR Combination of Experience and Education: A combination of general experience AND successfully completed college education. This will be calculated using your resume and official or unofficial transcripts submitted with your application. You qualify for the GL-7 grade level if you possess one of the following: Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level that shows you have the experience in law enforcement or other responsible work that demonstrates the skills necessary to make sound judgments and decisions in the use of firearms; to deal effectively with people in a courteous and tactful manner in connection with law enforcement matters; to analyze information rapidly and make prompt decisions where you will be expected to make arrests after the completion of required training and apply these skills in a law enforcement capacity such as training others, managing finances, code enforcement, doing compliance work, corrections, security, military, emergency responders, etc.; OR Education Substitution: A bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement, which is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average (i.e., GPA of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0), or (3) honor society membership. Go to Superior Academic Achievement to see if you qualify under this provision; OR Will receive a bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement or one full year of graduate level education in a field of study related to law enforcement (e.g., criminal justice, homeland security, justice studies, law enforcement, courts and judicial systems, forensic technology, forensic psychology, or corrections and rehabilitation) from an accredited college or university within 9 months from the closing date of this announcement; OR One full year of graduate level education in a field of study related to law enforcement (e.g., criminal justice, homeland security, justice studies, law enforcement, courts and judicial systems, forensic technology, forensic psychology, corrections and rehabilitation) or one year of law school from an accredited or college or university; OR Combination of Experience and Education: A combination of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level AND graduate level education completed in a field of study related to law enforcement (e.g., criminal justice, homeland security, justice studies, law enforcement, courts and judicial systems, forensic technology, forensic psychology, corrections and rehabilitation) from an accredited college or university . This will be calculated using your resume and official or unofficial transcripts submitted with your application. If you have previous or current law enforcement or military law enforcement experience, you may qualify at the GL-9 and or GS-11 grade level. Please refer to the BPA GL-9 - 11 announcement: Apply Here! National Service Experience: refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Experience as a CBP Explorer may be qualifying if your resume provides sufficient information to credit your experience. To receive full credit for your experience, please be sure to describe your duties, roles and responsibilities in detail. Age Requirement: In accordance with Public Law 100-238, this position is covered under law enforcement retirement provisions. Candidates must be referred for selection to the Border Patrol Agent position before reaching their 40th birthday in accordance with Department of Homeland Security Directive 251-03. The age restriction may not apply if you are currently serving or have previously served in a federal civilian law enforcement (non-military) position covered by Title 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) or Title 5 U.S.C. 8412(d). The age restriction does not apply if you are a Veterans' Preference eligible. For more information on Veterans' Preference eligibility please see the OPM Veterans' Guide. Firearm Requirement: This position requires that the incumbent meet initial and continuing qualifications in the use of firearms as outlined in the Gun Control Act of 1968, amended by the Lautenberg Amendment of 1996. An applicant whose background includes any of the following will be ineligible for consideration: 1) convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year; 2) has any outstanding warrants or is a fugitive from justice; 3) unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance; 4) adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to a mental institution; 5) illegally or unlawfully in the United States; 6) renounced U. S. citizenship; 7) subject to a court-ordered restraining (protection) order from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner (spouse, former spouse, parent of applicant's child, individual who cohabitates or has cohabitated with the applicant), or child; or 8) convicted under Federal, State, or Tribal Court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence against an intimate partner or child. Current Federal Employees: Current federal employees who apply to this announcement may be required to accept a change to lower grade which will reduce their current salary based on Federal pay regulations. Re-promotion is not guaranteed. Timeframes and grade level re-promotion is at the discretion of the agency. Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Personnel Management guidance, and U.S. Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change. Education See the Qualifications Section for education substitution. CBP employees demonstrate the highest level of commitment to protect and serve the United States of America and to exemplify the CBP Core Values of Vigilance, Service to Country and Integrity. Learn more about CBP's mission and core values at https://www.cbp.gov/about. Additional $10K Recruitment Incentive: Prioritized locations include Sierra Blanca, TX; Presidio, TX; Sanderson, TX; Comstock, TX; Lordsburg, NM; Freer, TX; Hebbronville, TX; Ajo, AZ. All incentive recipients will be required to sign a three-year service agreement. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is committed to ensuring that all of our employees act in a manner that embodies the Department's Mission Statement: With honor and integrity, we will safeguard the American people, our homeland and our values. As an employee of CBP, you will be joining a workforce that is dedicated to accomplishing our mission while maintaining the trust of our Nation by strictly adhering to all government ethics standards. Your conduct will be subject to the ethics rules applicable to all Executive Branch employees, and to CBP employees specifically, as well as the criminal conflict of interest statutes. Once you enter on duty, these rules include obtaining approval for outside employment or business activity, to ensure such employment or business activity is not prohibited and does not interfere or conflict with performance of your official duties. Please review further details here. Rigorous Law Enforcement Officer Special Retirement Coverage: This is a rigorous position subject to mandatory retirement under the special retirement provisions for law enforcement officers under CSRS and FERS (5 CFR 842.803 and 5 CFR 831.903, Conditions for Coverage; 5 USC 8425(b) and 5 USC 8335(b), Mandatory Separation; and 5 USC 8412(d) and 5 USC 8336(c), Immediate Retirement). For more information on required years of service and retirement age, click on this link. For further information on when an employee continues or discontinues coverage under the special retirement system for law enforcement officers, please see the CSRS and FERS handbook, Chapter 46 (CSRS pages 12-14, and FERS pages 41-43). If you have questions regarding your retirement coverage provisions, please contact the CBP Retirement Operations Center at (202) 863-6180. Additional information Polygraph Examination: This is a polygraph-required position. If you are not a current CBP employee in a law enforcement position, you will be required to take a polygraph exam and have favorable results in order to continue in the pre-employment process. For more information and videos about the polygraph process, please see Polygraph Examination. Polygraph Reciprocity: CBP may accept the results of a prior federal polygraph exam in lieu of a CBP polygraph exam. You will receive information to request reciprocity in your Background Investigation package. Polygraph Waiver: Certain veterans may be eligible to obtain a polygraph waiver. You will receive information to request a waiver in your Background Investigation package. Background Investigation: This position is a sensitive National Security Position and, upon selection, applicants will be required to undergo, and must successfully pass, a Tier 5 investigation or equivalent for placement and retention in this position. For more information, please see Background Investigation and the Hiring Process Deep Dive Video: The E-QIP. Pre-Screening Interview: As part of the suitability process, you may be required to undergo a pre-screening interview. Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence: The Border Patrol Agent position is a weapons-carrying position. Any person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence cannot lawfully possess a firearm or ammunition. Therefore, if you have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, you are not qualified for this position. Medical Requirements: Following a tentative job offer, candidates must undergo and successfully complete a medical screening process. Individuals must be medically and physically capable of performing the essential job functions and duties of the position safely and efficiently without endangering the health and safety of the individual, others, or national security. For more information regarding the medical screening process and requirements, check out our video and visit our website Drug Testing Requirements: Employees are subject to drug testing in compliance with the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Program. You must complete a drug test as a condition of employment. For more information, visit our Drug Testing FAQs and the Hiring Process Deep Dive Video: The Drug Test. Physical Fitness Screening: You will be required to successfully pass the Pre-employment Fitness Test. This a 6-week program designed to assist you in achieving a level of physical fitness that will help you successfully pass CBP fitness test. For more information, please see the Pre-Employment Fitness Test Physical Readiness Program and the Hiring Process Deep Dive Video: The Fitness Test. Interview Process: You will be required to pass a structured interview. For more information, please see the Hiring Process Deep Dive Video: Structured Interview After you successfully complete all the pre-employment steps, you will be at the final offer step. For more information on the final offer, please see the Hiring Process Deep Dive Video: The Final Offer. All agency employees are required to participate in Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer for salary payments. Read more
How You Will Be Evaluated You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. You will be evaluated based on your resume, supporting documents, and the entrance examination. If you have taken and passed the BPA Entrance Exam after March 2021, your passing score is still valid and you do not need to retest. If you have taken and failed the exam, you will need to wait three (3) months from the date you failed the exam until you can retest. Test results prior to March 2021 are no longer valid. A passing score does not guarantee selection. The Border Patrol Agent Entrance Exam consists of two parts: 1) the Candidate Experience Record; a short online questionnaire and 2) the Logical Reasoning Test (LRT), which can be taken on a personal computer or at a local testing center. This video explains what to expect for the Entrance Exam: Hiring Process Deep Dive Video: The Entrance Exam To be eligible, applicants must pass the entrance examination with a score of at least 70. Proper test preparation is essential for the successful candidate; therefore, we strongly encourage you to review the Border Patrol Agent Study Guides and take the BPA Entrance Exam Pre-Test. The pre-test is a preview of the types of questions you can expect to see on the actual exam. Applicants will be referred for selection consideration throughout the announcement open period as they successfully complete the entrance exam and meet minimum qualifications. If you pass the entrance exam and meet minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories for referral and consideration: Best Qualified: Substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications Very Highly Qualified: Exceeds, to a very considerable extent, the minimum qualifications Highly Qualified: Exceeds, to a considerable extent, the minimum qualifications Well Qualified: Marginally exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and who demonstrate average proficiency in most of the critical competencies Qualified: Meets the basic minimum qualifications Veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed at the top of the highest quality category depending on grade levels. Veterans with 5-point preference or 10-point non-compensable preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligible within the category in which they qualify. Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990, as amended, that would interfere with completing the Border Patrol Agent Entrance Exam, you are able to request a Reasonable Accommodation prior to the online questionnaire and Logical Reasoning Test. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies. All applicants are required to submit a resume. Resume: A resume in English is required. It must contain your full legal name, address, phone number, complete work history, a detailed description of your duties, the dates you performed those duties (MM/DD/YY), as well as your hours worked per week. If you are a current or former Federal employee you must include your salary, pay scale and pay grade information. Note: Many applicants are screened out for insufficient information on their resume. Please see the CBP Border Patrol Agent Resume Aid for specific information and examples. Are you qualifying based on education? Submit a copy of your college transcript (an unofficial transcript is acceptable at this time) or a list of coursework with hours completed provided from the institution. An official transcript will be required prior to entrance on duty. Education must be from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Education obtained from a foreign university or college is not creditable unless it has been evaluated by an organization that specializes in interpretation of education credentials; see www.naces.org for a listing of some accrediting agencies. If submitting documentation of a foreign evaluation, a transcript is also required. For more information, see Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. Are you a current or former federal employee? If you are a current/former Federal employee, it is recommended you submit your most recent SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" form to support your experience. Please do not submit a Performance Award SF-50. Are you a veteran? If you claim Veterans' Preference you will be required to submit proof of eligibility as appropriate to your preference type. For more information, see Veterans Preference.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating. | |