CBP officer

[Dfrank]

So i'm TSU for dulles 6/9/2009. and i'm sure everyone else is with me in thinking this is the most frustrated experience ever. is there anything that i could do to figure out how long this wait could be. even a ball park?

[TuffStuffCBP]

So i'm TSU for dulles 6/9/2009. and i'm sure everyone else is with me in thinking this is the most frustrated experience ever. is there anything that i could do to figure out how long this wait could be. even a ball park?

Nope, nothing. We are playing a game of musical chairs and somebody forgot to turn the music off.

[Buckeye23]

Just an update for you guys. I received a nopa and responded in January. My case is still in the security office. I'm not really expecting a response anytime soon, just waiting and not worrying about it. BTW, she called me in april and said to call her in a month, she said they are working on it. I'm thinking that if they were going to dq me they would have done it already. I guess this is how the government works, oh well.

Do you know if you are disqualified due to a NOPA can you reapply down the road or are you out for good? I'm sure that I'm going to get a NOPA and am just trying to prepare myself on how to handle it.

[barnaj]

Do you know if you are disqualified due to a NOPA can you reapply down the road or are you out for good? I'm sure that I'm going to get a NOPA and am just trying to prepare myself on how to handle it.

They will normally give you an opportunity to withdraw and if you do then you can apply for other federal positions. If you opt not to, and are found unsuitable, you MAY be debarred from federal employment for UP to 3 years.

[kc12]

They will normally give you an opportunity to withdraw and if you do then you can apply for other federal positions. If you opt not to, and are found unsuitable, you MAY be debarred from federal employment for UP to 3 years.

Although if you are unable to overcome the NOPA, the action(s) leading to the NOPA would probably have been disqualifying for another three years anyway.

[merlin436]

It is very, very, difficult to beat a determination of unsuitability. You are almost most certainly going to be better off putting a few years behind your problems and re-applying later, rather than trying to deal with the original problems plus an unsuitability determination several years down the road.

Generally, if you've the time to wait...and the issue is one like past MJ use years ago where timing is a huge factor, you're just much better off withdrawing, waiting until 10 years have past since last usage, and then re-applying.

[barnaj]

"It is very, very, difficult to beat a determination of unsuitability. You are almost most certainly going to be better off putting a few years behind your problems and re-applying later, rather than trying to deal with the original problems plus an unsuitability determination several years down the road."


Granted most people wouldnt be on forums bragging about being found unsuitable, but it seems many people beat NOPA's. As a matter of fact i havent heard from too many people who answered one and didnt get past it. But like i said, the ones who dont probably just quit posting.

[kenpo1]

I am new to this forum, so I apologize in advance if this question has been asked.
I took my written test in May '09 and passed with a score of 88. I have since gone through all other criteria to join CBP and passed (fitness test, medical exam, VBT, etc.) with the exception of the BI. Just last week, I received a letter from Homeland Security stating I was unsuitable for employment with CBP because of credit issues. I was also told I could appeal this decision.
I did appeal by providing a letter explaining the reason for my poor credit, which is a long story, but related to me losing my job when the economy went sour. I also provided a credit report from a year and a half ago showing my credit history prior to losing my job was excellent, along with recent bankruptcy paperwork to show this debt is about to be discharged.
Can anyone tell me if I can still be rendered suitable for employment after appealing this decision regarding my credit? Has this happened to anyone else?

[barnaj]

I am new to this forum, so I apologize in advance if this question has been asked.
I took my written test in May '09 and passed with a score of 88. I have since gone through all other criteria to join CBP and passed (fitness test, medical exam, VBT, etc.) with the exception of the BI. Just last week, I received a letter from Homeland Security stating I was unsuitable for employment with CBP because of credit issues. I was also told I could appeal this decision.
I did appeal by providing a letter explaining the reason for my poor credit, which is a long story, but related to me losing my job when the economy went sour. I also provided a credit report from a year and a half ago showing my credit history prior to losing my job was excellent, along with recent bankruptcy paperwork to show this debt is about to be discharged.
Can anyone tell me if I can still be rendered suitable for employment after appealing this decision regarding my credit? Has this happened to anyone else?

Dont take it as the gospel, but i believe you will be okay. Credit issues are usually a matter of being irresponsible. In your case it seems it was due to bad luck and unfortunate circumstances. Did you have a face to face with an investigator?

[kenpo1]

I won't hold you to it, but that is good to know. I have not had a face to face with an investigator. All correspondence has been via mail/phone. I don't live anywhere near the hiring center and have had to travel quite a ways just for my written exam and VBT. However, I have not made any attempts to contact an investigator. So far, everything has gone smoothly and fairly quick compared to some of the others I've seen on this site, so I have not had a reason to. The letter of unsuitability I recently received really took me back after all I've gone through to get this far.

[barnaj]

I won't hold you to it, but that is good to know. I have not had a face to face with an investigator. All correspondence has been via mail/phone. I don't live anywhere near the hiring center and have had to travel quite a ways just for my written exam and VBT. However, I have not made any attempts to contact an investigator. So far, everything has gone smoothly and fairly quick compared to some of the others I've seen on this site, so I have not had a reason to. The letter of unsuitability I recently received really took me back after all I've gone through to get this far.

Yeah there is no reason or way for you to call an investigator unless they contact you. The hiring process is not an exact science and seems to be different for everyone. The steps you completed are the quick part. Its the BI and getting hired on after being placed in TSU that hold things up. Aside from that, having hiccups in your BI process will also significantly slow things down. Try and stay positive and just wait to be contacted. And remember, when it comes to the BI, no news is good news!

[merlin436]

Granted most people wouldnt be on forums bragging about being found unsuitable, but it seems many people beat NOPA's. As a matter of fact i havent heard from too many people who answered one and didnt get past it. But like i said, the ones who dont probably just quit posting.

I would agree, most NOPA's are usually beaten.
Then again, some aren't.

The trick is understanding when to give it up, walk away and avoid an unsuitability determination. Many unsuitability determinations are handed out on issues that are likely mitigated by the passage of time, like past drug use. What may be a killer issue today might not be all that insurmountable 5 years from now.

Unsuitable determinations however...will follow a person forever.

[barnaj]

I would agree, most NOPA's are usually beaten.
Then again, some aren't.

The trick is understanding when to give it up, walk away and avoid an unsuitability determination. Many unsuitability determinations are handed out on issues that are likely mitigated by the passage of time, like past drug use. What may be a killer issue today might not be all that insurmountable 5 years from now.

Unsuitable determinations however...will follow a person forever.

I agree with your logic. I believe though that if something is serious enough to warrant an unsuitability today, will probably still be a hang up in 3, 5, even 10 years. I say that if you are youngster, withdraw and try again after college or whatever. But, if your in your 30's for example, i'd just roll the dice and take my chances as you have less time to spend dreaming of the future. Let me ask you this, do you feel that any NOPA that is unlikely to be beaten would be preceeded by a request to withdraw? I know for a fact that not all who recieve NOPA's were previously advised to withdraw.

[kenpo1]

Yeah there is no reason or way for you to call an investigator unless they contact you. The hiring process is not an exact science and seems to be different for everyone. The steps you completed are the quick part. Its the BI and getting hired on after being placed in TSU that hold things up. Aside from that, having hiccups in your BI process will also significantly slow things down. Try and stay positive and just wait to be contacted. And remember, when it comes to the BI, no news is good news!

Thanks so much for the feedback and positive words. Just what I needed.

[merlin436]

I agree with your logic. I believe though that if something is serious enough to warrant an unsuitability today, will probably still be a hang up in 3, 5, even 10 years. I say that if you are youngster, withdraw and try again after college or whatever. But, if your in your 30's for example, i'd just roll the dice and take my chances as you have less time to spend dreaming of the future. Let me ask you this, do you feel that any NOPA that is unlikely to be beaten would be preceeded by a request to withdraw? I know for a fact that not all who recieve NOPA's were previously advised to withdraw.

A lot of moderate MJ use as a teen/early adult tends to become less and less of a deal-breaker after 10 or so years. Same to with one-time minor arrests for violations or low-level misdemeanors. So...what will kill you off quickly at 25 might not be all that hard to beat at 33, depending on the circumstances.
As you said...when age is a factor then it might be worth being more agressive and pushing fate a bit more.

As far as offers to withdraw go, yes, I'll bet that generally people on the quick path to defeat are offered the chance to withdraw. I wouldn't count on it though. It's as much a courtesy as anything else.