Become a U.S. Border Patrol Agent

Border patrol agents work for the Border Patrol Agency, or BPA, and patrol and protect the U.S. Borders with Mexico and Canada, with most agents stationed at the Mexican border. Border patrol agents function in a law enforcement capacity, and agents carry weapons while driving around borderlands looking for suspicious activity. To become a border patrol agent, you’ll have to meet a variety of physical and emotional requirements, and the application process can be quite lengthy. You’ll also have to acquire a college degree or demonstrate 3 years of work experience in a related field. Finally, you’ll have to graduate from the BPA Academy after your preliminary application is accepted.

Steps

Fulfilling the Requirements

1. Get 3 years of work experience or a college degree. To apply for a position with the U.S. Border Patrol Agency, you need to have 3 years of work experience in an investigative or law enforcement capacity. The BPA also specifies that they accept applicants familiar with dangerous or high-stress occupations, like people with experience in firefighting or security. If you don’t have 3 years of experience, the BPA will accept a college degree in any field instead.{{greenbox:Tip: Minor or double-major in Spanish or French at school. The majority of border patrol agents work at the U.S.-Mexican border, so knowing Spanish is a big plus. Knowing French will help if you get assigned to a post on the Canadian border.}}
   • While it isn’t mandatory, majoring in criminal justice, psychology, or forensic science will give you a slight edge in the application process, and may entitle you to faster promotions in the future.
   • 3 years of experience or a college degree allows you to enter the BPA as a GL-5, the lowest designation with the lowest pay. If you have special military or law enforcement experience, you can enter as a GL-7 or GL-9.
2. Meet the eligibility requirements to carry and use a weapon. As a border patrol agent, you will carry a weapon while working. This means that you are disqualified if you have a felony conviction, or have been denied a permit to carry or purchase a weapon, since you won’t be able to get a license to carry a gun.
   • The BPA prefers that applicants have experience with shooting, but it isn’t mandatory.
3. Have a valid driver’s license and clean driving record. The borders are big, and most border patrol agents have to drive for dozens of mile a day to patrol a section of it. Consequently, all border patrol agents are required to hold a valid driver’s license. If you’ve ever failed a driver’s exam or had a license revoked you may not be able to apply. You cannot apply if you’ve ever had a DUI.
4. Be ready to travel frequently along the border. Border patrol agents have to travel a lot. Agents frequently drive between posts, deliver goods or prisoners, and have to move if they’re reassigned to a different position. For these reasons, border patrol agents have to be prepared to move at a moment’s notice. If you have a family that you can’t leave or a personal responsibility to a specific city or town, border patrol may be the wrong career for you.
   • Although it’s incredibly rare, you could be transferred from the Canadian border to the Mexican border and vice versa.
   • You will be placed at a specific post after you graduate the BPA Academy, so there’s no way to know where you’re going to have to go.
5. Choose a specific division of the BPA before you apply. You’ll have to decide whether you want to send an application in for a position as a standard border patrol agent, a customs border protection officer, or an air enforcement agent. A standard border patrol agent patrols the border trying to deter crime, illegal immigration, and protect the United States. Air enforcement agents patrol the skies around the US borders, while customs agents focus on terrorism, preventing drug smuggling, and enforcing trade regulations.
   • To apply as an air enforcement agent, you have to have a pilot’s license first.
   • Customs border agents and air enforcement agents have additional applications and training that they have to complete.

Completing the Application

1. Fill out the initial paperwork to initiate an application. Go to https://www.cbp.gov/careers, and open the link to any openings on the USAJobs board that relate to your inquiry. Upload your resume, college and high school transcripts, age requirement documents, and any additional documents that prove you have law enforcement or military experience.Template:Greenbox:'''Warning:''' All documents must be submitted in English. If you attended a foreign university, you’ll have to check to see if the BPA accepts your educational background.
   • The BPA has a special format that they prefer for resumes. Look up their specific resume requirements on their careers page.
2. Wait for a reply and study for the border patrol entrance exam. You will receive links via email regarding the border patrol entrance exam 2-3 weeks after you apply if the BPA is interested in you as a potential employee. Schedule your exam at a nearby test center, and practice for the exam by studying with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection study guides. You can find the guides at https://www.cbp.gov/careers/car/study-guides.
   • Prepare to be asked questions regarding changing laws, legal precedents, and investigative skills.
3. Complete and pass the border patrol entrance exam. The border patrol entrance exam comes in 2 parts. The first part takes 1 hour to complete, and requires you to document your work experience and explain how it relates to a border patrol position. The second part is a logical reasoning exam and takes 2 hours to complete. It is administered in a heavily-monitored testing center.
   • The first part of the exam can be completed at home and is quite straightforward. You are asked short essay questions about your work experience and how it has informed your decision to become a border patrol agent.
   • The second part is multiple choice, and will ask questions regarding legal issues, logical reasoning, investigational methods, and logical deduction.
4. Wait for the background investigation to be completed. If you pass the exam, you will have to wait for the Federal Government to perform their background checks. You will have to upload several documents to verify your identity and wait for the background investigation to be performed. If the Border Patrol Agency wants to move forward, they will contact you via phone or email.

Passing Additional Tests

1. Meet the medical requirements and get a doctor to document it. Border agents must be physically fit, since they often have to complete physically rigorous tasks. Schedule an appointment with your doctor to complete the pre-employment medical exams. You will also have to take a vision and hearing test.
   • You have to have 20/20 corrected distance vision and 20/100 distant vision acuity without correction in order to qualify as a border patrol agent.
   • You must be able to hear in the frequency range of 500-2000 Hz.
2. Complete the fitness tests to demonstrate that you can do the job. You may have to use force when you’re on the border, so you have to demonstrate that you’re strong and quick enough to do the job. You’ll have to take 2 fitness tests at an assigned facility. The first test involves sit-ups, push-ups, and a 14 inch (36 cm) repetitive step. The second test involves push-ups, sit-ups, a sprint, and a 1.5 mile run.
   • In the context of the application, the fitness tests are referred to as the PFT-1 and the PFT-2. The PFT-2 is administered right before you start the job.
3. Complete the structured interview with a board of current border patrol agents. You will have to demonstrate your ability to make sound judgements, use interpersonal skills, and maintain emotional stability to do the job. You will do this by completing an interview with a group of veteran agents that will ask you a series of tough hypothetical questions.
   • You can review the structured interview format at https://www.cbp.gov/careers/car/bpa-interview.
   • There are no practice materials for the structured interview. The idea is that the BPA want to assess how you’ll respond in a high-pressure environment with no preparation.
4. Pass the polygraph and drug test before going to the academy. You will have to pass a drug test at a federal facility. Additionally, you will have to complete a day-long polygraph exam. You will be asked a sequence of questions relating to your personal background, work experience, and family history. In order to pass the exam, you simply have to answer questions honestly.Template:Greenbox:'''Tip:''' Bring water and snacks with you. The polygraph exam will take all day, and you will be given breaks in between question sections to eat and refresh yourself.
5. Graduate from the Border Patrol Agent Academy. After your application is accepted and you’ve passed your additional tests, you will have to complete a 117-day program at the Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, New Mexico. The program will teach you the laws, rules, and regulations of your new profession, and train you on how to deal with difficult situations. The program is pass/fail, so do your best to learn as much as possible before finishing the curriculum!
   • If you are not fluent in Spanish, you have to attend an additional 40-day language training program.
   • If you don’t pass every class in the Border Patrol Agent Academy, you may have to retake the class. If you fail more than 1 class, you may need to reapply and complete elements of the application process over again.

References

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