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United States Border Patrol Requirements

In this website it will tell you what you need to join.

Major Requirements:

• Associate's degree or a bachelor's degree in criminal justice
• You must be a US citizen with a valid driver's license.
• You must pass a drug test
• You cannot be a convicted criminal
• You must pass the CBP Border Patrol entrance exam.
• Other medical and physical requirements.

BPA Overview, As a Border Patrol Agent, you are focused 24/7 on securing our international land border and coastal waters, safeguarding the American people from terrorists and their weapons, drug smuggling and illegal entry of undocumented aliens.

Border Patrol Agent Duties As a Border Patrol Agent, you a valuable member of the Federal Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) profession. Typical assignments include:

• Patrolling international land borders and coastal waters
• Detecting and preventing the illegal entry and smuggling of aliens into the United States
• Detecting and preventing terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering into the United States
• Preventing the illegal trafficking of people, narcotics and contraband into the United States

Typical Border Patrol activities include:

• Detecting, preventing, and apprehending undocumented aliens, smugglers of aliens, and illegal narcotics at or near the land borders by maintaining surveillance from covert positions
• Responding to electronic sensor alarms in remote areas
• Interpreting and following tracks, marks and other physical evidence of illegal aliens and smugglers
• Using cutting edge technology, such as infrared scopes during night-time operations
• Performing linewatch duties, traffic checkpoint operations, city patrols, transportation checks and other law enforcement duties, as assigned
• Communicating and/or giving verbal commands in Spanish to Spanish-speaking illegal aliens and smugglers
• Additional Duties and Responsibilities for BPAs
Being a border agent opens up many opportunities as your career advances. In your career you may have the opportunity to do the following:
• Horse Patrol: The Horse Patrol Program is comprised of a group of skilled horse riders that conduct targeted enforcement operations in terrain challenged, environmentally protected, and privately owned sensitive geographic locations. Regions in which the Horse Patrol operate are inaccessible to other patrol methodologies and would otherwise remain unpatrolled and susceptible to transnational criminal activity.
• Bike Patrol: Bike Patrol operations facilitate the apprehension of all cross-border threats by utilizing the unique tactical law enforcement advantages of stealth, mobility, agility, and accessibility.
• K-9 Unit: Use canines to detect concealed humans and narcotics, Search and Rescue (SAR), Patrol (Special Response), Human Remains Detection (HRD), and Tracking/Trailing (TT).
• Riverine Operations: The Off-Road Vehicle Unit is comprised of specially trained agents that utilize different off-road packaged vehicles such as All-Terrain Vehicles, Dirt Bikes and other vehicles specifically designed for accessing terrain that is not compatible with regular motor vehicles.
• Off-Road Vehicle Unit: Secure areas of the border that are inaccessible to regular vehicles and intercept drug runners and illegal aliens.
• BORTAC: The Border Patrol Tactical Unit is specially trained and equipped team used for rapid response into situations involving threats to national and border security requiring specialized tactics and techniques. Trained to operate in especially sensitive situations and in extraordinarily harsh environmental conditions. Respond to emergency situations such as riots, disturbances in detention facilities and mass immigration emergencies. Train local law enforcement at home and abroad in conducting traffic check operations, tracking, patrolling, and land navigation.
• BORSTAR: The Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue Team is a specialized unit capable of responding to emergency search and rescue situations anywhere in the United States. They are nationally registered Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) with advanced medical skills trained in advanced technical rope rescue tactics, air rescue, swift water rescue, and advanced search and rescue techniques.
• Mobile Response Team: The Mobile Response Team is a national group of organized, trained, and equipped Border Patrol agents who provide a rapid response capability to fluctuating levels of risk along the border.
• Chaplaincy: The U.S. Border Patrol Chaplaincy Program is a group of dedicated Border Patrol Agents that serve Border Patrol employees and their families by providing spiritual care and fostering a work environment rich in resources that will enable employees to overcome adversity and empower them to attain the highest level of professionalism. A USBP Chaplain is a resource for guidance, assistance, and support, both spiritual and non-spiritual to USBP Employees and their immediate families in both personal and professional issues and in crisis situations.
• Peer Support Program: The mission of the Peer Support Program (PSP) is to offer confidential assistance and support to all Border Patrol employees and their family members in times of personal need or due to traumatic incidents. The PSP works in conjunction with the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and does not replace psychological treatment. The objective of the PSP is to minimize psychological trauma that Border Patrol employees and their families may experience throughout their career and render assistance in an attempt to accelerate normal recovery to abnormal events, some of which are unique to the Border Patrol environment.
• Honor Guard: The USBP Honor Guard is a unit of volunteer agents whose primary duties are to render final honors and conduct memorial services in honor of those law enforcement personnel who die in the line of duty. The Honor Guard must be ready and able to represent the U.S. Border Patrol in exhibiting the most polished appearance and performing with the finest discipline. Other duties include representing the U.S. Border Patrol at special functions if deemed appropriate by the USBP Chief and/or his designee.

More on Salary: Border Patrol Agent 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 one year in each grade level, with supervisor approval. For example if you started as a BPA in December 2017 you could:

Start as a BPA in December 2017 as a GL-5 and make $52,583 per year

CBP offers substantial leave benefits and unique training opportunities to reward and reinvest in its employees. Below is a summary of paid time off from the job:

Entry level: Entry level positions consist of the GL-5, GL-7, and GL-9 positions that you can apply to on USAJobs.

New agents are usually assigned to a station along the southwest border after completion of the Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, New Mexico.

Journeyman: As you progress to the journeyman positions, you typically gain responsibilities, learn new duties, and are held accountable to higher performance standards.

Promotion up to the GS-12 level is non-competitive, meaning you are eligible for promotion every year, with supervisor approval.

Supervisory: At the supervisory level, you become responsible to lead others and accept more responsibility.

Leadership can be challenging but also very rewarding.

Executive: Beyond the GS-15 level is the Senior Executive Service (SES), which makes up CBP’s executive leadership.

SES typically make organizational decisions, provide vision for the organization, and interact with Congress and other executive external stakeholders.

Staff health is of the utmost importance to CBP. Agents are eligible to choose from a variety of premium federal health insurance programs. Programs available include:

Generous Retirement:

Employees that retire from CBP can count on the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) to enjoy life after working. FERS includes the following three streams of income:

Similar to a 401(k) plan, the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is a defined contribution plan designed to give federal employees the same retirement savings related benefits that workers in the private sector enjoy with 401(k) plans. Contributions to the plan are automatically deducted from each paycheck, the amount which is chosen by employees, and is transferable if you change employers. An additional benefit to the TSP is employer matching contributions; up to 5% of your base salary. Learn more.

Border Patrol Agents that serve in federal government with at least 20 years of law enforcement service are eligible for the generous FERS basic annuity. This guaranteed lifetime pension, paid to retirees is a percentage of your highest average basic pay you earned during any 3 consecutive years of service.

You receive social security retirement payments, the benefits of which are transferable when you change employers. Learn more about Social Security retirement benefits.

Law Enforcement 6(c) Retirement Coverage: Being in a frontline position at CBP qualifies you for 6(c) retirement coverage. What does that mean? 6(c) retirement coverage means you can retire at any age after 25 years of service or at age 50 with at least 20 years of service. 6(c) eligibility is a factor for determining your FERS basic annuity.

Additional Benefits:

Employees may also be eligible for the following benefits:

Tuition Assistance Program (TAP): The TAP reimburses CBP federal employees for off-duty post-secondary education costs of tuition, fees, and books. Employees may apply for benefits up to $1,500 per course and $4,500 per calendar year for professional certification or for any two- or four-year degree. This includes all degrees – associates, bachelors, masters, doctorates.

Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) Members

Lenny Feldman is a Senior Member and serves on the Operating Committee of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg,

P.A. Lenny innovatively and efficiently advises importers, exporters, customs brokers, freight forwarders, carriers, couriers and others to develop and adopt

best practices and compliance strategies in the import and export context regarding the numerous regulatory agencies affecting the supply chain.

Prior to joining the firm, Lenny served nine years as a senior attorney with U.S. Customs & Border Protection (formerly the U.S. Customs Service)

responsible for issuing national rulings, decisions and directives relating to import and export compliance and enforcement and for training customs officials globally.

He then served as the Chief Compliance Officer of a software development company created to automate global import and export regulatory requirements.

Over the years, the Vice President of the United States, the World Customs Organization, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Florida Customs Brokers and Forwarders

Association as well as other associations and trade publications have recognized Lenny for his accomplishments.

By serving as Chairman of the World Trade Center Miami and on local and national boards and task forces Lenny passionately advocates for laws, policies and strategies that increase two-way trade and stimulate international business.

Mr. Feldman was reappointed to the 15th term of the COAC.

Lisa Gelsomino

Committee Member – COAC Trade Co-Chair

Lisa Gelsomino is the President/CEO and founding partner of Avalon Risk Management, a leading provider of customs bonds and other insurance solutions for the international trade and logistics industry.

Lisa has over 25 years of experience in the industry, and is an active member of the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association (NCBFAA), the Pacific Coast Council (PCC),

and the Trade Support Network (TSN). She serves on the NCBFAA ISF subcommittee and is part of the Trade Leadership Council for the TSN co-chairing the Supply Chain Security subcommittee that assisted with CTPAT Portal outreach.

She also serves on the TSN Revenue, eBond, and Surety Account subcommittees. Ms. Gelsomino is on the Board of the International Trade Surety Association and works with CBP through the Customs Surety Executive Committee (CSEC).

Ms. Gelsomino has conducted extensive outreach to help the trade better understand CBP’s trade and enforcement initiatives. Ms. Gelsomino is the licensed corporate insurance holder for Avalon nationwide and is pursuing her ARM, CPCU,

and CCS professional designations. She holds an M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business and B.S. (Magna Cum Laude) from Northern Illinois University.

During the 14th Term of COAC, Ms. Gelsomino served as the Trade Co-Chair for the Trade Enforcement & Revenue Collection (TERC) subcommittee and continues to be the trade lead for the AD/CVD, Bond, Forced Labor,

Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ), and Pipeline Working Groups. She also serves on the COAC 1USG, Global Supply Chain, and Trade Modernization subcommittees,

which provide guidance to CBP on ACE, eCommerce, CTPAT, CBP Centers, in-bond regulations, international engagement, and other important trade matters as they arise. Ms. Gelsomino was reappointed to COAC for the 15th term.