CBP officer

[Hal29]

I'm going to Nogales! Finally received my TSU email yesterday and my background email today. I have employers in multiple cities so I;m guessing one of many of my investigators contacted me today to let me know that my background investigation is beginning. I did put in for provisional clearance though. Hopefully that speeds up the process!

You got a tsu letter but they are just now starting your bi. Mine started a while back but have not been contacted by an investigator or a tsu email. I am provisional for Nogales as well. What was your announcement?

[dbnicole]

TSU email let me know I was missing a form. Still progress I'd say. I emailed my case manager before hand and next day I received that email. Then i received the email from an investigator the following day saying she was initiating my investigation. It could also be that they are in need of females and maybe that's what is speeding up my process? I have no idea really... My announcement was 18-2 I believe. Applied in November....I think. I'm not too sure on times

[dbnicole]

eurb I put in for Nogales. There is a 33% incentive, which I would assume it's because they are short since no one typically wants Nogales. So yes, I'm pretty sure I'm getting Nogales. It's also been listed on every announcement to this day, I'm sure it's because they are still in need.

[Fed306]

What exactly is involved in the BI interview with the investigator? Is it more like introduction, and explaining the job and going over your forms, or is it a probing interview? Do you have to call your references and stuff there with you?

[ES90]

Your BI will likely have already spoken to your references by the time they sit down with you. It will be a probing interview, not much more should be said for the sake of integrity.

[Hou33guy]

18-8 vra, finally at 25% as of this morning , eqip, fitness both green, gonna be awhile for medical lol, si on the 18th

[Bolichi702]

Morning guys I have a question and any positive feedback would be appreciated if I already accepted my final offer over the phone and I have an EOD is it possible to still change my POE to a different one? Or would I have to re-apply again I'm lost and confused thought I had made the right choice for my POE but Im having second thoughts.

[cs333]

Are you direct hire or location negotiable?

[Bolichi702]

My location is negotiable not DH but I already picked my POE but having second thoughts I want to switch to a different POE now but I don't know if it's to late

[2ndXthecharm]

Anybody see this madness for 18-12? Hiring expo where you can knock out the Application, Entrance Exam, Medical Exam, Fitness Exam, and Structured Interview all within a couple of days.

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/506148900

Wow, what a joke to those of us moving slowly through this process.

I might just re-apply and go to that event. I still haven't gotten my SI and I applied 6 months ago.

[2ndXthecharm]

18-3

just got notified today that I got an unfavorable on my poly. Can’t appeal. Can’t reapply for two years (and I never will again!) this whole process has been such a crock! I failed the section about serious crimes against persons. A little background on me, I’ve worked in a hospital since I was 17, mainly as an emergency Room tech/EMT, and I served a decade in the army as a medic. This whole process is a crock, and especially the Poly. DHS can go to hell.

https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-18-487

Page 34: Polygraph pass rates

2015 - 28%

2016 - 22%

2017 - 26%


Yeah, that is right, their PASS rate is lower than other agencies FAILURE rate.

[2ndXthecharm]

I find it interesting that they would "change" the poly. It makes it even more ridiculous if someone failed the old one and passes the new one. If the thing was accurate, it should not be changed. Them adjusting it undermines the credibility of the whole thing.

If they want to use it in tandem with the background that would be fine, but as a single disqualifying item it is pretty ridiculous.

I really hope your friend is right.

[merlin436]

This friend had better be in Congress...because the polygraph is in place due to the requirements of federal law.

[dbnicole]

I don't think that eliminating the poly is going to do any good to be honest. I'm sure there are certain things in the exam that could be eliminated or certain questions that could be put in place of others but I don't think the poly should be eliminated altogether. It would be a #### storm if that were to happen.

[merlin436]

CBP went for years without a polygraph and, at least in the case of OFO, it really wasn't much of an issue. OFO would survive without the polygraph, undoubtedly.

[bcmking3]

18-10 VRA Here.
Closed 7/14/18
NOR: 7/23/18
SI Scheduled: 7/23/18 (8/7 scheduled date)
e-Quip info: 7/24
e-Quip submitted: 7/28
e-Quip rejection: 8/2
e-Quip resubmit: 8/3
PFT-1 info received: 8/1 (requested test vs. waiver)
PFT-1 vendor info received: 8/3

[Foxx310]

Anybody know if you can possibly squint through the vision test when they check you without corrective lenses to get a 20/100 or better lol

[vicali1213]

Hey guys
so i logged on to check my status and my fitness test 2 now says not applicable and the only things pending are my drug test which I took Tuesday, and my final offer. Do you guys know why the test is not applicable? Is it being waived?

[2ndXthecharm]

PFT2 has been removed for a while. The only fitness test, is the first one with the pushups, sit ups, and step test.

[vicali1213]

Sweet so now I guess I just wait for the drug results to post.
Would you happen to know how long that takes?
Thanks

[dbnicole]

From my understanding, "announcements 17-3 and later will no longer be required to complete a PFT-2."
https://www.cbp.gov/careers/car/cbpo-pft-2

[Hal29]

Are you direct hire or location negotiable?

Hmmm.......i know for me I am direct hire with location negotiable, with provisional. With my selected location is nogales.

[bcmking3]

Hey guys
so i logged on to check my status and my fitness test 2 now says not applicable and the only things pending are my drug test which I took Tuesday, and my final offer. Do you guys know why the test is not applicable? Is it being waived?

no more PFT-2. They discontinued that a while ago.

[Hal29]

How long after poly clears does an investigator contacts you? It has been almost 2 months. My references haven't been contacted but they told me my background started a while back.

[dbnicole]

I have yet to be called by an investigator. all i got was an email letting me know that it was starting up. The email I got from TSU was to submit the missing form and telling me "Once we reach your name and have an available vacancy we will contact you". I completed my drug test last week. I emailed my case manager to see how things were looking and thats when I got my emails.

[Hal29]

I received an email saying I had to recertify my eqip and once I do it will start the field portion of my investigation but that was from my case manager not tsu. When I talked to MY case manager she said my bi started a while ago. When MHC called me they said my file was just sitting there, waiting for an investigator to pick it up. Then I talked to my recruiter and she said my file was in the hands of a third party investigator but no contact to me or references.

[dbnicole]

That's crazy that you're getting the run around from them. I've never had to contact anyone besides my case manager. I was also switched to a different case manager sometime last month. For 'HR' reasons is what they told me. Prior to my emails this month, I have never needed to make contact with my case manager. I got the email to recertify my eqip July 24th. After submitting eqip I received an email it was released to OPR July 30th. Then the next day, July 31st, I emailed my case manager asking if I was already assigned an investigator. Then, Aug 1st I received an email letting me know that my background investigation had progressed to the Personal Security Process. I then received the email from TSU requesting I submit a form and saying "Once we reach your name and have an available vacancy we will contact you." the same day, Aug 1st. I received the email from the background investigator Aug 2nd after the TSU email.

[epesguerra]

Same here, passed poly in June...All I get is mine is forwarded to Personnel Security Process. My Eqip went back to pending. Just need to stay positive.

[kli0211]

Hey everybody! This is my first time posting to this forum. I’ve been following it for awhile. I am prior Coast Guard veteran of 6 years. I applied in Nov 2017 for the 18-2 announcement as GS9. I’ve noticed that there hasn’t been many others in this forum that applied for the 18-2 announcement?
I’ve completed my medical, PFT1, SI, and polygraph. Still waiting to complete my drug test and my eqip was recently released to OPR. They contacted two of my references from my BI yesterday and will be meeting with them in person this weekend and next week. Does anybody have any idea of a timeline from this point forward? I understand it takes awhile.
Also, does anybody have any idea how the process works when assigned to a unit? On USAjobs I had chosen Raymond Montana, and was curious how likely you are to get the position that you chose from on the application.
Any info and assistance is appreciated. Good luck everybody!

[LouieK]

The order of my timeline was a little different. But, BI is basically the final step. After I had met with the investigator it took about a week or so until I had received the phone call for EOD and fletc.
If the location you had originally applied to has openings still, that will still be offered, along with other locations.

[kli0211]

LouieK awesome thanks for the the info!

[cs333]

Hey everybody! This is my first time posting to this forum. I’ve been following it for awhile. I am prior Coast Guard veteran of 6 years. I applied in Nov 2017 for the 18-2 announcement as GS9. I’ve noticed that there hasn’t been many others in this forum that applied for the 18-2 announcement?
I’ve completed my medical, PFT1, SI, and polygraph. Still waiting to complete my drug test and my eqip was recently released to OPR. They contacted two of my references from my BI yesterday and will be meeting with them in person this weekend and next week. Does anybody have any idea of a timeline from this point forward? I understand it takes awhile.
Also, does anybody have any idea how the process works when assigned to a unit? On USAjobs I had chosen Raymond Montana, and was curious how likely you are to get the position that you chose from on the application.
Any info and assistance is appreciated. Good luck everybody!

To my knowledge it depends on the posting you applied too. Some are location negotiable aka they'll give you options that are open and then some postings are for set ports.

[N.N.]

Well, confirmed with MHC today, if any of us that started the process before July 1st want to apply to one of the new announcements, we'd be forced to re-take the entrance exam. -_-

Guess I'm 100% going to the SWB after I'm thru the process now since I'm Direct Hire. Oh well.

[cs333]

N.N. yeah thats what i meant ive emailed them a few times and have never gotten a reply

[Hal29]

Dbnicole mine went to personal security unit as well. They said I was assigned to an investigator. Just haven't been contacted. I know Nogales has vacancies. I'll just wait and see. It is the weekend. So I won't hear anything until next week if I'm lucky.

[Hal29]

Dbnicole. What announcement are you? Why you have to recertify? Just out of curiosity. They told me I had to recertify because I exceeded 120 days. And to make any updates for the investigator.

[epesguerra]

N.N. I just re-applied for 18-11. I haven't received any notice to retake or schedule the entrace exam. When I applied for 17-9, I got the email just a few hours after submitting my application so hopefully mine gets transferred.