The video: Securing America's Ports of Entry emphasizes the importance of CBP Field Operations' frontline role in helping CBP accomplish its mission. For more information on CBP's mission, activities, and careers, please visit our website at CBP.gov.

Being a Customs and Border Protection Officer makes you a valuable member of the Federal Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) profession. Typical assignments include:

• Enforcing customs, immigration, and agriculture law and regulations;
• Facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel;
• Conducting inspections of individuals and conveyances;
• Determining the admissibility of individuals for entry into the United States; and
• Preventing the illegal entry of individuals and prohibited goods and the smuggling of illegal drugs and other contraband.

Conditions of employment

• You must successfully pass a polygraph examination
• You must successfully pass a background investigation
• Convictions of misdemeanor crime of domestic violence are disqualifying
• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position
• You must have resided in the U.S. for at least 3 of the last 5 years
• Referred for selection prior to your 40th birthday (waiver for veterans)
• You must meet job-related medical, fitness and drug-testing standards
• You will be required to work regular and recurring shift work
• You will be required to carry a firearm
• You must have a valid driver's license

Firearm Proficiency: Firearm proficiency is required for all CBP Officers and is part of the training provided.

Current Federal Employees: Current federal employees who apply to this announcement will be required to serve a probationary period in accordance with 5 CFR 315 and may be required to accept a change to lower grade, which may reduce their salary based on Federal pay regulations. Note: If you are a current GS-12 step 1, your salary may be reduced to a GS-5 step 10, which equates to an approximate $29,466 salary reduction (based on locality). Re-promotion is not guaranteed. Timeframes and grade level re-promotion is at the discretion of the agency and will be subject to a probationary period.

Probationary Period: You must serve a one-year probationary period during the first year of his/her initial permanent federal appointment to determine fitness for continued employment.

Formal Training: You will complete a paid pre-academy orientation for approximately 30 days at your home port prior to attending the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) for approximately 17 - 19 weeks at Glynco, GA. Candidates selected for duty locations where they are required to be proficient in reading, writing and speaking Spanish will be required to either pass a Spanish language proficiency examination or attend a 6-week long Spanish immersion class at FLETC.

Uniform: This position requires wearing an officially approved uniform while in a duty status.

Shift Work/Overtime: You must be willing and available to work rotating shifts. You may also be rotated between assignments and work units. You may be required to work overtime on a regular and recurring basis. Fully trained officers may be compensated up to $35,000 in overtime in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Residency Requirement: If you are not a current CBP employee you must meet one or more of the following primary residency criteria for at least three (3) of the last five (5) years, prior to completing an application for CBP employment:

1. Resided (lived) in the United States or its protectorate or territories (excluding short trips abroad, such as vacations); or
2. Worked for the United States government as an employee overseas in a federal or military capacity; or
3. Been a dependent of a US federal or military employee serving overseas.

Exceptions may be granted to the above requirement if you can provide complete state-side coverage information required to make a waiver determination

Qualifications

The qualification requirements listed below must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

You qualify for the GS-5 grade level (starting salary $32,844 up to $67,844 with potential overtime) if you possess one of the following:

a. Three years of general work experience that demonstrates the ability to meet and deal with people and the ability to learn and apply a body of facts; OR

b. A bachelor's degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university; OR

c. A combination of successfully completed post-high school education and general work experience. This will be calculated using your resume and official or unofficial transcripts submitted with your application.

You qualify for the GS-7 grade level (starting salary $40,684 up to $75,684 with potential overtime) if you possess one of the following:

a. One year of specialized work experience that entails performance of substantive duties in inspections work at borders, seaports, airports or other ports of entry and/or work involving preliminary screening of persons for entry and immigration status, or compliance/regulatory work; OR

b. A bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement, which is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership; OR

c. One full year of graduate level education in a field of study related to law enforcement (e.g., criminology, criminal justice, law enforcement, courts and judicial systems, corrections and rehabilitation, justice studies, homeland security, forensic technology and forensic psychology) at an accredited or pre-accredited college or university; OR

d. A combination of graduate level education completed in a field of study related to law enforcement (e.g., criminology, criminal justice, law enforcement, courts and judicial systems, corrections and rehabilitation, justice studies, homeland security, forensic technology and forensic psychology) at an accredited or pre-accredited college or university and specialized work experience. This will be calculated using your resume and official or unofficial transcripts submitted with your application.

If basing qualifications on education then, a bachelor's degree or graduate's degree or higher must be attained within 9-months after the closing date of the announcement. To be eligible for overtime, employees must be fully trained.

If you have previous or current law enforcement or military law enforcement experience, you may qualify at the GS-9 grade level. Please refer to the CBPO GS-9 announcement: Apply Here!

National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer 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: Effective May 1, 2016, the Commissioner of CBP has approved a temporary increase in the maximum allowable age for original placement into a CBPO position; therefore, candidates must be referred for selection before reaching their 40th birthday (increased from age 37). In accordance with Public Law 110-161, this position is covered under enhanced retirement provisions. However, 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). This measure will increase the statutorily mandatory retirement to an age of up to 60 to allow individuals the opportunity to complete 20 years of Enhanced Customs and Border Protection service (See U.S.C 8425 (b)(1) and 8335 (b)(1)).

The age restriction does not apply if you are a veterans' preference eligible. For more information on eligibility as a veterans' preference eligible please see the OPM veterans' guide.

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 passing entrance examination score (external assessments), resume, supporting documents, and responses to the job questionnaire. The entrance exam (external assessment) contains the following (4) assessments: CBP Officer Experience Record, Logical Reasoning, Arithmetic Reasoning, and Writing Skills. To be eligible, applicants must pass the exam with a score of at least 70. Proper test preparation is essential for the successful candidate; therefore, we strongly encourage you to review the CBP Officer Study Guides. Test scores prior to August 8, 2016 are no longer valid. You should take the CBP Officer Pre-Test (sample entrance examination). The pre-test will give you a preview of the types of questions you can expect to see on the actual exam. You will not be able to retake the entrance exam for six (6) months, regardless of whether you pass or fail.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe 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 CBP Officer Entrance Exam, click here for more information about the request process: Reasonable Accommodations Request Process. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the CBP Officer Entrance Exam must be received before the announcement closes to be considered for this job opening. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. After notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the CBP Officer Entrance Exam..

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: Applicants possessing the type and quality of experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications.
• Very Highly Qualified: Applicants possessing the type and quality of experience that exceeds, to a very considerable extent, the minimum qualifications.
• Highly Qualified: Applicants possessing the type and quality of experience that exceeds, to a considerable extent, the minimum qualifications.
• Well Qualified: Applicants possessing the type and quality of experience that marginally exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and who demonstrate average proficiency in most of the critical competencies.
• Qualified: Applicants possessing the type and quality of experience that meets the 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.