CBP Reminds Job-Seekers: Border Patrol Accepting Applications until Sept. 30
WASHINGTON – Anyone interested in becoming a U.S. Border Patrol agent with U.S. Customs and Border Protection has until Thursday, September 30 to apply for one of more than 2,000 vacancies the agency hopes to fill soon.
Interested applicants can go to www.borderpatrol.gov and click on the link marked “Border Patrol Agent Online Application.” To view the official vacancy information, interested applicants can go to www.usajobs.gov and search for “Job Announcement Number BPA 10-1.”
The agency is seeking qualified applicants to fill 1,000 newly created Border Patrol agent positions that will be added to the roster in fiscal year 2011 and 1,200 existing positions that are being vacated through normal attrition. The vast majority of the 2,200 vacancies are located along the southwest border, meaning that applicants must be willing to relocate to California, Arizona, New Mexico or Texas.
The primary mission of Border Patrol agents is to prevent terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the United States. Agents also detect and prevent the smuggling and unlawful entry of undocumented aliens into the United States. To carry out their duties, Border Patrol agents conduct roving patrols, line-watch duties, transportation checks and other law enforcement activities. Depending on their location, motivated Border Patrol agents can volunteer for a diverse selection of details including all-terrain vehicle patrols, bicycle patrols, horseback patrols, special response teams, search and rescue teams and canine duties.
Border Patrol agent positions are filled at federal general law-enforcement grades 5, 7, or 9, with a starting salary ranging between $38,619 and $63,259 per year, depending on individual qualifications.
Requirements for successful applicants are as follows:
They must:
• Be at least 18 years old
• Be referred for selection before reaching their 40th birthday
• Be a U.S. citizen and resident of the U.S. for at least past three years
• Have a valid driver’s license
And, they must pass:
• A thorough background investigation
• A written examination
• Medical and drug screenings
• Two pre-employment physical fitness tests
• An oral hiring board, which is conducted by three uniformed Border Patrol agents
–CBP–
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terriost weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.