Summary Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, within many nationwide locations. Additional selections may be made beyond the total number of vacancies specified using this vacancy announcement. Further selections may also be made for additional organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above. Responsibilities Duty Locations: You will be asked to select your preferred location for five (5) of the following mission critical locations: Big Bend Sector Stations Blaine Sector Stations Buffalo Sector Stations Del Rio Sector Stations Detroit Sector Stations El Paso Sector Stations El Centro Sector Stations Grand Forks Sector Stations Havre Sector Stations Houlton Sector Stations Laredo Sector Stations Miami Sector Stations New Orleans Sector Stations Rio Grande Valley Sector Stations San Diego Sector Stations Spokane Sector Stations Swanton Sector Stations Tucson Sector Stations Yuma Sector Stations NOTE: Placement will be determined based on current vacancy and operational requirements. As a Border Patrol Agent you will perform the full range of Border Patrol Agent duties required in order to prevent the entry of terrorists and their weapons of terrorism; and to enforce the laws that protect America's homeland by the detection, interdiction, and apprehension of those who attempt to illegally enter or smuggle any person or contraband across our Nation's sovereign borders. This position starts at a salary of $105,383.00 (GS-13, Step 1) to $137,000.00 (GS-13, Step 10) with promotion potential to $137,000.00 (GS-13 Step 10). As a Border Patrol Agent you will serve as a secondary law enforcement officer and be responsible for: Preventing the entry of terrorists and their weapons on terrorism Enforcing the laws that protect America's homeland by the detection, interdiction, and apprehension of those who attempt to illegally enter or smuggle any person or contraband across our Nation's sovereign borders As a first-line Supervisory Border Patrol Agent you will serve as a secondary law enforcement officer and be responsible for: Directing assignments of subordinate Border Patrol Agents, specialized units, and station operations. Directing activities aimed at preventing the illegal entry of aliens into the United States by land, water, or air. Seeking out and apprehending smugglers or aliens who are illegally in the United States. Enforcing the criminal provisions of the Immigration and Nationality laws. All normal functions involved in supervising personnel, including leave approval, resolving disciplinary problems, and preparing annual performance appraisals. 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 Primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years (additional details below) You may be required to pass a background investigation and/or polygraph CBP follows the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan for drug testing procedures As an employee of CBP, you will be joining a workforce that is dedicated to accomplishing our mission while maintaining the trust of our Nation by strictly adhering to all government ethics standards. Your conduct will be subject to the ethics rules applicable to all Executive Branch employees, and to CBP employees specifically, as well as the criminal conflict of interest statutes. Once you enter on duty, these rules include obtaining approval for outside employment or business activity, to ensure such employment or business activity is not prohibited and does not interfere or conflict with performance of your official duties. Please review further details via the following link. Qualifications You qualify for the GS-13 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Interpreting and enforcing immigration or comparable laws, rules, and regulations; Gathering and analyzing intelligence from a variety of sources; Developing case work pertaining to criminal prosecutions and investigations; Identifying and investigating smuggling operations; Devising and recommending solutions to operational problems, and apprising management of identified deficiencies and solutions; and ensuring compliance with enforcement and operational practices. 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 07/29/2025. 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. Secondary Law Enforcement Officer Special Retirement Coverage: This is a secondary position subject to mandatory retirement under the special retirement provisions for law enforcement officers under CSRS and FERS 5 CFR 842.803, 5 CFR 831.903, 5 USC 8425(b), 5 USC 8335(b),5 USC 8412(d) and 5 USC 8336(c). Employees in secondary positions must meet the following conditions in order to be eligible for special retirement provisions: moved directly from a rigorous position to a secondary position without a break in service; complete 3 years of service in a rigorous position; and have been continuously employed in a secondary position(s) since moving from a rigorous position without a break in service exceeding 3 days. For more information on required years of service and retirement age, click on this link. For further information on when an employee continues or discontinues coverage under the special retirement system for law enforcement officers, see the CSRS and FERS handbook, Chapter 46 (CSRS pages 12-14, and FERS pages 41-43). If you have questions regarding your retirement coverage provisions, contact the CBP Retirement Operations Center at (202) 863-6180. Medical Requirements: Following a tentative job offer, candidates may be required to 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 regarding the medical screening process and requirements, check out our video and visit our website. 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 BORDER PATROL AGENT 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. Residency: There is a residency requirement for 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 of the last five years. If you do not meet the residency requirement and you have been physically located in a foreign location for more than two of the last five 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 who was authorized to accompany a federal civilian or member of the military who was working for the U.S. government Participation in a study abroad program sponsored by a U.S. affiliated college or university Working as a contractor, intern, consultant or volunteer supporting the U.S. government Probationary Period: All employees new to the federal government must serve a one year probationary period during the first year of his/her initial permanent federal appointment to determine fitness for continued employment. Current and former federal employees may be required to serve or complete a probationary period. Education Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position. Additional Information This announcement may be used to fill both supervisory and non-supervisory Border Patrol Agent positions at the GS-13 grade level. This position is not covered under the bargaining unit. Motor Vehicle Operation: You must have a valid automobile driver's license at the time of appointment. Shift Work/Overtime: This position requires regular and recurring shift work. You must be willing and available to work rotating shifts. You may also be rotated between assignments and duty locations. You could be required to work overtime on a daily basis and will be compensated up to an additional 25% of your base pay in accordance with the Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Act of 2014. Travel: Overnight travel may be required on a regular and recurring basis. Uniforms: This position requires you to wear an officially-approved uniform while in duty status. Security Clearance: You may be required to obtain a Secret or higher level clearance for this position. Academy Training Requirements: This position has a training requirement. New selectee(s) may be required to attend and successfully complete a paid 117-day basic training program at the Border Patrol Academy, in Artesia, NM, including a Spanish Language learning requirement. BPA Trainees may also successfully complete all USBP National Field Training Program requirements after academy graduation. You may be required to successfully complete the training requirement as a condition of employment. Failure to successfully complete the required course(s) of training in accordance with CBP standards and policies will result in placement into either a former or different position, demotion, or separation as determined by management and appropriate procedures. 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. The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.