Customs and Border Protection Officer

Summary

U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP): Securing America's Borders Discover a challenging and rewarding career with the sole organization responsible for securing the nation's borders from terrorism, human/drug smuggling, illegal migration, agricultural pests, and enforcing legitimate travel and trade. CBP employees demonstrate the highest level of commitment to exemplify the core values of Vigilance, Service to Country and Integrity. Learn more at https://www.cbp.gov/about

Duties

• 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; Enforcing 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 Salary: Selections from this announcement will be at the GS-5, GS-7 or GS-9 grade levels with promotion potential to the GS-11 and GS-12. Promotions are not guaranteed and are at the discretion of the agency. Your pay will be determined after you successfully complete all pre-employment processes. Pay rates are based on the 2026 OPM Salary Tables - these tables do not take into consideration any potential overtime earnings, recruitment incentives, location incentives or yearly cost of living increases. Duty Locations: Before you submit your application you will be asked to select your preferred location. The location you select does not affect your application and it does not affect the locations that are offered to you at the time of your final offer. You will be asked to select from one of the following: Arizona: Douglas, Lukeville, Nogales, San Luis California: Andrade, Calexico, Otay Mesa, San Francisco, San Ysidro, Tecate Hawaii: Honolulu Maine: Calais, Eastport, Houlton, Jackman, Madawaska, Van Buren, Vanceboro Minnesota: Grand Portage, International Falls Montana: Raymond, Roosville, Sweetgrass, Wild Horse New Mexico: Columbus New York: Alexandria Bay, Champlain, Massena North Dakota: Dunseith, Maida, Pembina, Portal Texas: Eagle Pass, Presidio Vermont: Beecher Falls, Derby Line, Highgate Springs, Norton, Richford Washington: Blaine, Oroville NOTE: The above preference locations are expected to have vacancies available in the future, however, if the duty locations do not have vacancies at the time of your final offer, you may be offered a different duty location within the United States. Locations offered at the time of your final offer are based on operational and mission requirements as determined by the CBP Office of Field Operations. This announcement is open to the public to attract new entry-level applicants. Current CBP Officers looking for lateral opportunities within the Office of Field Operations should apply under the National Reassignment Opportunity Bulletin (NROB), Lateral Reassignment Opportunity Bulletin (LROB) and/or other reassignment opportunities identified in the National Collective Bargaining Agreement (NCBA). **Recruitment Incentive** Newly appointed Customs and Border Protection Officers who select a prioritized location at the time of their final offer will be offered up to a $15,000 incentive per year with a three-year service contract. Prioritized locations include: Arizona: Douglas, Lukeville, Nogales, San Luis; California: Calexico; Hawaii: Honolulu; Maine: Eastport; Montana: Raymond, Roosville; New Mexico: Columbus; New York: Alexandria Bay, Champlain, Massena, Trout River; North Dakota: Dunseith, Portal; Texas: Eagle Pass; Washington: Blaine **Recruitment Incentive** Newly appointed Customs and Border Protection Officers who select a prioritized location at the time of their final offer will be offered up to a $15,000 incentive per year with a four-year service contract. Prioritized locations include: California: Otay Mesa, San Francisco, San Ysidro, Tecate; Florida: Key West; Maine: Calais, Houlton, Jackman, Madawaska, Van Buren, Vanceboro; Minnesota: Grand Portage, International Falls; Montana: Sweetgrass; North Dakota: Pembina; Texas: Presidio; Vermont: Beecher Falls, Derby Line, Highgate Springs, Norton, Richford; Washington: Oroville Bargaining Unit: This position is covered under the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). For more information, please visit https://www.nteu.org/who-we-are/what-we-do Firearm Proficiency: This position requires you to carry a firearm. Firearm proficiency is required for all CBP Officers and is part of the training provided.

Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this position. 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. Any person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence cannot lawfully possess a firearm or ammunition and will not be considered for this position. 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: Working for the U.S. Government as a federal civilian or as a member of the military A dependent of a federal civilian or member of the military who was working for the U.S. Government Working as a contractor employee, a volunteer, consultant or an intern for the U.S. Government Participation in a study abroad program sponsored by a U.S. affiliated college or university If selected for a position, you must provide documentation to support a request for an exception to the residency requirement.

Qualifications

Qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement. GS-5: You qualify for the GS-5 grade level if you possess one of the following: Experience: A minimum of 3 years of general experience, 1 year of which was equivalent to at least GS-4, performing duties that required the ability to meet and deal with people and the ability to learn and be able to apply a body of facts; OR Education Substitution: A conferred 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 college or university; 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. GS-7: You qualify for the GS-7 grade level if you possess one of the following: Experience: A minimum of 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, that includes: Performing physical inspections of persons, documents or goods for criminal activity, fraud, and/or illegal operations. Utilizing observational techniques, evaluating facts, and reviewing documentation while applying Federal, State, or local laws and regulations. Making determinations in compliance with laws and regulations that may lead to arrests, seizure of property, fines, and/or penalties based on findings. The above experience will be applied in connection with the CBPO Individual Occupational Requirement: Performing 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. Education Substitution: A conferred 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. Submitted transcripts must show the applicant does not have more than 10% pass/fail courses in order to qualify for SAA with GPA. Go to Superior Academic Achievement to see if you qualify under this provision; OR One full year of graduate level education from an accredited college or university; OR Combination of Experience and Education: A combination of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level AND successfully completed graduate level education. This will be calculated using your resume and official or unofficial transcripts submitted with your application. GS-9: You could qualify for the GS-9 grade level in one of the following ways: experience, education, or a combination of both. Experience: A minimum of 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level that includes: Detaining suspected violators of Federal, State, or local laws and/or arresting violators using the proper law enforcement methods. Enforcing the laws and regulations relating to importing, exporting, and/or international shipping to and from the United States. Utilizing intelligence techniques and behavior analysis to identify potential threats and perform risk assessments for violations of laws and threats to national security. Conducting interviews in a law enforcement capacity for the purposes of gaining information from suspected violators of laws to determine the appropriate course of action. Education Substitution: A conferred master's (or higher) degree, or two or more years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.B. or J.D. from an accredited college or university; OR Combination of Experience and Education: A combination of specialized experience AND successfully completed graduate level education beyond the first 18 semester hours. This will be calculated using your resume and official or unofficial transcripts submitted with your application. Paid, Unpaid & Volunteer Experience: Any qualifying 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 may receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience and experience as a CBP EXPLORER if your resume contains the sufficient information such as duties performed, exact dates, and hours worked.

Education

See the Qualifications Section for education substitution for each grade level. Successful completion of the following pre-employment processes are required for this position. All pre-employment processes will be conducted in English. Applicants must receive and accept a tentative offer for this position in order to start the pre-employment process. Polygraph Examination: You will be required to undergo a polygraph exam and must have favorable results in order to continue in the process. For more information, see Polygraph Examination. NOTE: CBP may accept the results of a prior federal polygraph exam in lieu of a CBP polygraph exam. Certain veterans may be eligible for a polygraph waiver. Entrance Exam: Applicants selected at the GS-5 or GS-7 grade levels must complete and pass the CBP Officer Entrance Exam. For more information, videos, and study guides, visit CBP.gov CBP Officer Entrance Exam. 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, visit CBP's Medical Exam Process 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 Test: You will be required to successfully pass the 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 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. For more information, please see the Hiring Process Deep Dive Video: The Background Investigation. 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.

Benefits

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. Primary CBPO Special Retirement Coverage: This is a primary position subject to mandatory retirement under the special retirement provisions for Customs and Border Protection Officers (5 CFR 842.1003, Conditions for Coverage; 5 USC 8425(b) and 5 USC 8335(b), Mandatory Separation; and 5 USC 8412(d), Immediate Retirement). For more information on required years of service and retirement age, click on this link. The CBPO mandatory separation provisions of 5 USC 8425 do not apply to an individual first appointed as a Customs and Border Protection Officer before July 6, 2008.

Required documents

All applicants are required to submit a resume. There may be other supporting documents needed at the time of application to verify qualifications, as described below. Resume: A resume in English is required. It must contain your full legal name, phone number, complete work history, a detailed description of your duties, the dates you performed those duties (using the MM/DD/YYYY format), as well as your hours worked per week. If you are a current or former Federal employee you must include your grade and step information to receive credit for that work experience. Note: Federal agencies only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Your resume must be uploaded under the "Resume" document type. No additional document types will be reviewed as part of your resume. Visit the CBP.gov website CBP Officer Resume Aid and the USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job for further guidance and specific information on required resume formatting. Are you qualifying based on education? Submit a copy of your college transcript (an unofficial transcript is acceptable at this time) from an accredited institution that contains the qualifying information (e.g., number of credits, degree conferred/awarded and date, etc.). An official transcript will be required prior to entrance on duty. Transcripts must be in English. 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. NOTE: If you are qualifying based on Superior Academic Achievement, your submitted transcripts MUST show a degree was conferred/awarded. Are you qualifying based on federal experience? If you are using federal experience to qualifying, it is highly recommended that you submit your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" for that experience with this application. 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. 5-point Preference (TP): Submit DD-214 listing the character of service and either qualifying medal(s) or service period. 10-point Preference (CP or CPS): Submit DD-214 listing the character of service and a VA Disability Award letter dated 1991 or later showing the total percentage of the service-connected disability. Submitting an SF-15 with your application is encouraged. 10-point Preference (XP): You MUST submit a Standard Form 15, DD-214 listing the character of service, and the required documentation stated on the SF-15. Currently Serving: If you are currently serving on active duty, or in the National Guard or Reserves, you can submit a written signed statement from the Armed Forces certifying your dates of service, rank, campaign badge(s) and expeditionary medal(s) (if applicable), expected character of service, type of discharge and anticipated date of separation which must be within 120 days from the closing date of this announcement. Prior to entering on duty, you will be required to provide a final DD-214. 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. Can you claim an age waiver based on Veterans' Preference or previous FLEO service? If you are over the age of 40, you will need to submit proof at the time of application that you have previous federal law enforcement service covered by the enhanced retirement OR proof you are eligible for veterans' preference. If you are over the maximum age and do not provide the required documentation for an age waiver, you will not receive consideration under this announcement. If you are claiming an age waiver based on Federal law enforcement service, you MUST submit copies of your SF-50s reflecting the beginning date and end date for all creditable Federal civilian (not military) service under Title 5 U.S.C. 8331(20), and Title 5 U.S.C. 8401(17) showing Retirement Code M or O in Block 30 of your SF-50s. If you are claiming an age waiver based on Veterans' Preference, you must submit the required Veterans' Preference documents.