CBP Officer

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this position
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with Selective Service
• You may be required to pass a background investigation and/or polygraph
• Upon appointment, you may be required to undergo random drug testing
• You and your dependents must pass a State Department medical examination
• You and your dependents must obtain a valid passport
• You must obtain a valid driver's license
• DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify including your rights and responsibilities.
• 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.
• You must be able to obtain and maintain a CBP Travel Card
• You must attend a one to two week FACT course in VA or WV prior to deployment
• Bargaining Unit: This is a bargaining unit designated position, covered under the National Treasury Employees Unions- NTEU. NTEU. For local chapter contact information see Chapter Websites - National Treasury Employees Union - NTEU.
• You and your dependent(s) must be able to obtain a valid UAE Visa.
• You will be required to carry a firearm and maintain firearm proficiency (Abu Dhabi and Canadian locations)
  
  

Qualifications

This is a Reassignment Opportunity Bulletin: You must be currently serving or have served as a full-time permanent GS-12 with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and are currently serving or have served in the 1895 series within the last five years in order to qualify under this Bulletin. If you are currently serving in the 1895 series as a GS-13 or higher or have done so within the last five years and are willing to take a change to lower grade (at the end of your Preclearance assignment, you will be reassigned at the same grade level as this Preclearance position, unless selected for a higher graded position), you will also be considered for this position. This position will be filled through reassignment on a permanent basis through time-limited rotational assignments with a minimum tour of two years. At the end of the reassignment, you will be returned to a position at the same level as this Preclearance position.

You qualify for this position if you are currently serving or have served as a full-time permanent GS-12 with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and are currently serving or have served in the 1895 series within the last five years.

Your experience as indicated in your resume must demonstrate the following:

• Responsibility in performing the full range of CBP Officer duties;
• Applying a comprehensive range of Federal laws, rules, regulations and procedures relating to inspection, inspection-related investigations; and
• Compliance activities governing the admission of travelers or the import/export of cargo in and out of the United States.
  
  

NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional resume requirements.

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.

You Must

• Meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process; and
• Meet all applicable Time in Grade requirements (current federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band in the federal service) by 07/12/2024.
  
  

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are 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.

Background Investigation: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a federal law enforcement agency that requires all applicants to undergo a thorough background investigation prior to employment in order to promote the agency's core values of vigilance, service to country, and integrity. During the screening and/or background investigation process, you will be asked questions regarding any felony criminal convictions or current felony charges, the use of illegal drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, methamphetamines, ecstasy), and the use of non-prescribed controlled substances including any experimentation, possession, sale, receipt, manufacture, cultivation, production, transfer, shipping, trafficking, or distribution of controlled substances. For additional information, review the following links: Background investigation and the e-QIP process.

Polygraph Examination: The CBP Officer position is a polygraph-required position. If you are not a current CBP employee in a law enforcement position, you may be required to take a polygraph exam and have favorable results in order to continue in the pre-employment 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.

Probationary Period: Current and former federal employees may be required to serve or complete a probationary period.

Tour of Duty: The employee will serve a two (2) year initial tour, with an opportunity for the Employee to apply for two (2), two (2) year extensions. As an exception to this general rule, tour duration is subject to the host country and the Department of State. At the end of the reassignment, you will be returned to a position at the same level as this Preclearance position. At the discretion of management, the assignment may be extended for additional periods, up to a maximum of six years. You may be returned at any time to your former position or to a different position of equivalent grade as this Preclearance position. Employees who have not served 4 years at a domestic duty station, subsequent to their initial overseas tour of duty, should not be considered for a second tour of duty in any foreign assignment.

Return Rights: No more than one hundred and fifty (150) calendar days before the end of tour, but not less than ninety (90) calendar days prior to the end of the initial tour, as well as the conclusion of any extensions, employees are expected to formally request, through a fully completed Notice of Intent (NOI), express intent to return to the United States. Please refer to Article 40 Section 6 of the National Collective Bargaining Agreement for additional information with regards to Extension Request and Return Procedures.

Annual Leave Accumulation: Employees assigned to Preclearance ports may carry over 360 hours of annual leave to the next leave year (as opposed to 240 hours).

Home Leave: In addition to annual leave, you will earn five, ten, or fifteen days home leave on each two year assignment depending on your foreign post assignment and the post differential rate. This leave is granted to you when you have your Preclearance assignment extended for another tour and is to be used between tours. The Government pays your per diem and transportation expenses from your post of duty in a Preclearance station to your former official residence in the United States. In addition, it also pays for the transportation expenses of your dependents who accompany you on home leave to your residence in the United States.

Education

Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position.

You must be admissible to the country you are selected for before a final offer is issued. Employees must select the locations of interest and review the admissibility requirements of those countries. You must certify that if accompanied, your family members, are admissible to enter and temporarily reside in the country. A link to the admissibility requirements of each country is located at: https://cbpgov.sharepoint.com/sites/OFO/FO/pre/HR/PreDeprt/Pages/default.aspx

You Should Review The Below Concerning Inadmissibility

• If you are not admissible to a specific country, your applications for that location will not be considered further.
• If your fail to certify that you have reviewed the admissibility requirements of the country you are applying for, your application will not be considered further. If you certify that you are admissible, and the Agency later learns that the you were inadmissible, your application will not be considered further, and the Agency may pursue other appropriate action, as necessary.
• If you are selected and report to the country, and the Agency later learns that you were inadmissible, the Agency may curtail the assignment, and require you to return to your permanent position in the United States. The Agency may pursue other appropriate action, as necessary.
  
  

Any additional questions for applicants on Preclearance can be sent to: [email protected]

Basic Training:You may be required to attend approximately 18 weeks of training at the CBP Academy at FLETC. Candidates selected for certain duty locations may receive an additional 6 weeks of Spanish language training.

Living Quarters Allowances (not payable if claiming temporary lodging allowance): Employees receive payment of an annual tax-free quarters allowance for housing while in a Preclearance station. This allowance is intended to cover the cost of suitable, adequate living quarters for the employee and his/her family, plus the cost of heat, light, fuel, gas, electricity, and water. However, at some duty stations government subsidized housing is provided.

Temporary Lodging Allowance (not payable if claiming living quarters allowance): A temporary lodging allowance is a tax-free quarters allowance that is granted to you for the reasonable cost of temporary quarters, which are incurred by you and your family for a period not to exceed (1) 60 days after first arrival at a new post in a foreign area, or a period ending with the occupation of permanent quarters, if earlier; and (2) 30 days immediately preceding final departure from the post subsequent to the necessary vacating of residence quarters.

Education Allowance: Payment for most actual costs of education for each dependent are determined by the Department of State and are subject to change.

Age Requirement: Pursuant to Public Law 110-161, this position is covered under enhanced retirement provisions for Customs and Border Protection Officers which allows for the imposition of a maximum age requirement. In accordance with Department of Homeland Security Directive 251-03, the day before an individual's 37th birthday is the maximum age for original appointment to a position as a Customs and Border Protection Officer.

• NOTE: The Executive Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Field Operations has approved a temporary increase in the maximum allowable age for original placement into a CBPO position, therefore candidates must enter their original appointment before reaching their 40th birthday. In accordance with Department of Homeland Security Directive 251-03, unless the below criteria applies, you must meet this age requirement by the date of referral to the hiring manager.
  
  

Creditable law enforcement officer service covered by Title 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) or Title 5 U.S.C. 8412(d), or creditable service covered by Title 5 U.S.C. 8401(36) as a Customs and Border Protection Officer on or after July 6, 2008, may be applied toward the maximum age requirement. This age restriction may not apply if you are currently serving in a federal civilian (not military) law enforcement position covered by Title 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) or Title 5 U.S.C. 8412(d).

Veterans' Preference Eligibility: To ensure compliance with statutes pertaining to the appointment of preference eligible veterans as determined by the Merit Systems Protection Board in its recent decision of Isabella v. Dept. of State, the maximum age for original appointment articulated above shall not apply to the hiring of individuals entitled to veterans preference eligibility under 5 U.S.C.

• 3312. You must submit proof of Veteran's Preference (DD-214 Member 4 Copy) at the time of application.
  
  

If you are not a current GS-1895, and you are selected, you will have to meet the following medical/physical standards:

Physical and Medical Requirements: Because the duties of the position are of a strenuous nature and require a high degree of interaction and responsibility to the public, you must undergo and successfully pass our medical screening process. We will schedule, provide and pay for the required basic medical examination. For more information, go to https://www.cbp.gov/careers/frontline-careers/cbpo/app-proc

Physical Fitness Requirement: You will be required to successfully pass the Pre-employment Fitness Test-1. Please see the Pre-employment Fitness Test-1 Readiness Program for additional information. This is a 6 week program designed to assist you in achieving a level of physical fitness that will help you successfully pass the CBP fitness tests.

Additional information

Firearms Requirement: Although firearms are not required for a Preclearance position, return to service in the United States after you have completed your Preclearance tour would require you to carry a firearm. Maintaining firearm proficiency is also mandatory. Any person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence cannot lawfully possess a firearm or ammunition. Candidates under consideration will be required to certify whether they have ever been convicted of such an offense. False or fraudulent information provided by candidates is criminally punishable by fine or imprisonment. This does not apply to Abu Dhabi.

Uniform: This position requires you to wear an officially-approved uniform while in a duty status.

Shift work: You will be required to perform work on a shift and rotational basis.

Overtime: You must be readily available to work overtime on a scheduled or unscheduled basis in excess of the 40-hour work week.

Physical and Environmental Conditions: The work environment includes offices, aircraft operation areas, airline passenger and cargo areas, rail passenger processing areas and marine docks. Periods of outdoor work may be required in snow, rain, or extreme heat. Occasional periods of outdoor work may be required in remote areas with no modern comfort facilities. The work may involve the use of toxic chemicals, pesticides and fumigants. Protective clothing may be required such as hard hats, gloves, goggles, hearing protection and respirators.

Primary Position: Pursuant to Public Law 110-161, this position is a primary position covered under enhanced retirement provisions for Customs and Border Protection Officers.

This position meets the criteria defined in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as an exempt position. Therefore, while serving in this foreign duty location, the FLSA code will be categorized as "Exempt". Exempt employees receive an overtime rate defined under Title 5 rather than that defined under FLSA. For more information on Title 5 pay, please see the following link: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-administration/fact-sheets/overtime-pay-title-5/

Please view the video "Protecting America 24/7" to learn more about CBP's Office of Field Operations.

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