CBP officer

[NYC201812]

Things are moving smooth so far. However, I imagine the BI is when it'll slow down.

CBPO 19-1 GS-7

Applied- 10/30/18
Exam- 11/01/18
NoR- 11/05/18
TO- 11/09/18
e-QIP submitted- 11/14/18
Medical- 11/19/18
SI- 12/03/18

Wow it seems like it's moving pretty quick for you.

Are there any other 19-1 applicants? How is your progress looking like?

I've applied to the 19-1 announcement and took the entrance exam on 10/19/2018 and I've yet to have receive a NoR. I've called the CBP customer service line specifically for hiring and they said it can take some time to receive the results from usajobs.com.. (up to 4-6 weeks). They also checked my file and verified that they haven't received scores yet.

[mobyfish]

CBPO 19-1 HERE. ReApplied Oct 1 , currently at 75% on the app.. just waiting on polygraph to transfer over.

[mobyfish]

That's also strange.. where did you take your exam? I know someone who took it and got NOR two days later.

[mobyfish]

I would call the testing company and verify.

[NYC201812]

They finally gave me my NoR for what its worth. Hopefully I'm able to catch up to other 19-1 applicants. Good luck on your app transfer!

[mobyfish]

Any other CBPO 19-1 specifically JFK out there?

[birddog71]

Have been searching around for a current list of what you need to bring to fletc, also anything people who have been through it recommend bringing as well.

[merlin436]

Are you driving yourself?
A person is rather limited on what he can bring if he's flying. Driving a vehicle offers a person the opportunity to bring pretty much whatever he wants...and gives him the option to go shopping in Brunswick or elsewhere...should he have need for something.

[birddog71]

Trying to figure that out. I want to drive for all of those reasons but unsure how that works. EOD at JFK, and I know the drive is about 16 hours to GA. I didn't know if I had a say in how I transport down there or not.

[merlin436]

Yeah, you ought to be able to drive without much of a problem. Talk to your admin. people in JFK and they will set you up. Let your management team know and ask if you can have your scheduling adjusted to accommodate your travel.

I would suggest anyone who can drive, do so. Life at FLETC is so much better when you have a vehicle to use in your off-time.

[birddog71]

Thanks Merlin, will certainly discuss with management when the time comes. It will definitely make life easier incase I need to get to the airport for a quick weekend flight home due to our first child being born.

[Gh3isT]

So quick question here. I just received an email on my medical, which I thought I was not going to have any issues with. My question is do I have to retrieve medical records, or can I go to my primary care physician at the moment and have them evaluate and sign off? To me it is nothing major, boxing fracture twice in right hand, once in left. No issues in my hands since. My only concern is this happened 17+ years ago. Any insight is appreciated. Now stressing a medical setback for even longer processing...lol

[Gh3isT]

Nevermind. It's amazing what you can find out if you(I) actually read the whole packet.

[Lemons29]

Anyone that has been hired already or just on the job...have you taken advantage of the tuition reimbursement or know how that works?

[merlin436]

The tuition assistance program has a long history of being underfunded and not funded. Good luck with it.

[Hal29]

Merlin Is Nogales or douglas considered small or large ports of entry? In comparison to other ports?

[merlin436]

Whether a port is small or large is most often open for interpretation.

Nogales has 300 plus Officers. It is not large by San Ysidro, Miami, or JFK standards...but it is definitely a good sized and significant port. Douglas is much smaller. I, personally, wouldn't call it small...but I can see where a large-port person might.

[JStyleszx]

Failed to submit eQip back in September for 18-11. Reapplied to 19-2. Gs-5 . Final semester of college. I’m currently 23 years of age & probably wont get hired till the age of 25...

Anybody who had to retake the entrance exam , Was it easier ? Harder ? Same stuff ? Scored better or worst ?

[mobyfish]

I scored the same. You can use a calculator on the math section now. Seemed to me like the same stuff from the exsm i took in May. If you yook the exam after august 5th you dont have to take it again.

[V_AntCBP]

Almost same stuff, they changed couple questions around, they let you use basic calculator, I scored 1pt more than last one. You were 18-11, did you take entrance prior August 5th? If you did, don't need to retake..You will receive NOR for entrance soon.... You mentioned final semester of college, so in Jan 2019, you should have your degree, reapply again for GS7, make sure your transcript has degree AWARDED DATE on last page somewhere....Very important. I requested my transcript 2 weeks after graduation to apply for jobs, well, that transcript doesn't show conferred date. so they didn't qualified me GS7. They don't care if you have 4.0, 120 credits, it has to have the date...Had to reapply all over again. so make sure...Transcript doesn't update your last semester grades and degree awarded 1-2 months after graduation.... JStyleszx

[JStyleszx]

I took my exam Aug 2nd. I was already aware i had to retake the exam. Gs7 requires for a gpa of 3.0 & above.. i am a little under 3.0 and i doubt i’ll finish this semester with straight As to reach that 3.0. Can’t wait to retake the exam ! Will keep you guys updated . Hopefully they can transfer my physical & medical results .

[JDalhoff]

Anyone applied to announcement CBPO 17-11 heard anything back? I’m still sitting at 50% complete with Polygraph pending, BI in progress, and drug test in progress. This has been over a year since I applied and still waiting.

[Hal29]

Why did you have to resubmit medical?

[JDalhoff]

Wasn’t really resubmit but I had to get more paperwork done on surgery I had. Turned in paperwork 2 days later. Was accepted and completed a month later in May.

[Hal29]

Crazy how everyone varies. I had surgery and told them but never had to submit additional info. But my medical still took two months.

[JDalhoff]

Right! I mean it went quickly for me but ever since my medical passed and my SI passed in May. It’s been crickets ever since. It’s been well over a year on this process. It kinda makes you lose hope, especially when the Poly is strict and eliminates most everyone.

[klocklear86]

I got a selected on my usajobs.gov 19-2 GS9, but I'm still waiting on BI to clear and Drug test and I've not talked to anyone. Is that true and if so how long before I do get a job offer?

[klocklear86]

Yes I have completed all but the BI and drug test. i Reapplied 2 weeks ago. Orginal 18-6 DH 5-7. I've been with the Bureau of Prisons for 3 years..Just wondering?

[AlexTejada23]

It is possible. I Reapplied from an announcement originally in September 2017 then applied to the 18-8 announcement in May of 2018. Originally trying to go to Boston switched over to go to Dulles. After everything switched, I was able to get through the Poly, Drug Test, TSU and get my dates while background pending. Never spoken with anyone until now, after I got my provisional clearance and accepted dates then I started talking with investigators and them interviewing my friends.

Poly 1 time: July 2018
Poly 2nd time: August 2018
Drug Test: September 12, 2018
TSU: September 12, 2018
Call: September 16, 2018

[klocklear86]

I know this is a dumb question. But what is TSU?

[vik2500]

klocklear86 - training and scheduling unit. That’s the email you get right before you get the call with the job offer

[N.N.]

This is random, but I was just curiously looking at the most recent CBPO announcement and noticed that Saipan was a listed location. Gotta be honest, I had no idea what that location was before looking it up lol.

[ES90]

I'm sure you mean Saipan?

[N.N.]

ES90 ah yes, autocorrect lol

[TonyJones]

I was gonna say Saigon??? N.N. that's where I was born... Saigon VietNam, lol, I had to read announcement again to make sure....

[Alexr3496]

Can anyone give me an estimate of real world pay for a GS7 in Maine?

[N.N.]

There are some useful GS pay calculators you can find with a google search. GS7 is gonna be in the 40-44K range.

[Moloaay]

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-over...f/2018/BOS.pdf
GS 7 step 1 for Maine 45707

[co5518]

I currently work for the Bureau of Prisons. Will my EOD for the BOP carry over for seniority or will I start back at the bottom in seniority with my new EOD for CBP?

[merlin436]

Your prior BOP time will count for things other than seniority. Things like time in overall service towards earning 6 and 8 hours of annual leave per pay period.

[Evolution81]

it should count for your annual vacation bid also

[merlin436]

K. Seniority will be determined by:
- 33 -
(1) For GS-1895 CBP Officers, the total time an employee has served as a GS-1895 CBP Officer, including Canine and Enforcement, and any time served as a Customs Inspector in the heritage U.S. Customs Service or as an Immigration Inspector in the heritage Immigration and Naturalization Service, including Canine and Enforcement. For GS-401 CBP Agricultural Specialists, the total time the employee has served as a GS-401 CBP Agricultural Specialist, including Canine, and any time served as a PPQ Officer, including Canine, in the heritage Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
(2) In the event it is necessary to resolve ties after step (1), the total time an employee has served in CBP and heritage agency, regardless of position, will be used. For example, the time a current GS-1895 CBP Officer spent as a PPQ Officer at APHIS will count towards seniority in this step.
(3) In the event it is necessary to resolve ties after step (2), the total time in Federal government service (i.e., SCD) will be used.
(4) In the event it is necessary to resolve ties after step (3), the methodology provided by the local NTEU Chapter President for the port of entry will be used. Such methodology shall be provided prior to the bid cycle each year. Absent identification, the default methodology will be a random process determined by CBP.
Less than full-time employment will be credited for seniority purposes in accordance with the above on a pro-rated basis.

http://www.nteu173.org/uploads/8/7/3..._attach_2_.pdf

That's pulled from the current CBA. Annual leave bids typically follow the above...unless there is some local union/management agreement to allow for bids in some other fashion.

[co5518]

merlin436 thank you!!

[ACO88]

Is overtime required at all locations on a regular basis?

[merlin436]

The technical answer is yes...the practical answer is often no...or, at least, maybe.

Lots of ports have minimal overtime availability...especially in the smallest ones. In the oddest of situations, a person might be forced out once or twice a year...but, for many CBPOs, regular, scheduled, reliable overtime simply doesn't exist...or exists only infrequently and sparingly.

[JPOL]

Do you automatically move up the GS each year until GS12?

[TonyJones]

merlin436 How you get steps increase?,automatic, like seniority promotion? or base on the training you did, and good behavior (be on time, do OT, etc..) during the time?
https://www.cbp.gov/careers/cbpo-pay-and-benefits
Just found some good info on cbp site about pay and benefits...

[merlin436]

Good behavior. It almost never happens that a person is denied a step increase.

[JPOL]

Yeah I read that website and was kind of confused how they would assume locality and overtime. I just used a GS calculator for easier reference. I know you can search up what benefits you have online when you become a federal employee, but all the specifics are still new to me.

[merlin436]

If it makes anyone feel better, I do not understand that chart either. From the looks of it, they take base GS-12 pay(which basically no one earns) then add a average of all the locality pays( Which no one earns...since, if you work in Houston, you get Houston locality pay. If you work in Pembina, ND...you get Rest of the US pay. If yo work anywhere else, you get that particular locality pay. Nobody gets averaged locality pay.) Then they add averaged shift differentials(Again, no one gets averaged shift differentials. Either you get a shift differential...or you dont.)

All that, and they come up with an earnings figure of 95K...which I would say is rather overly optimistic for the average 12/01.

[Evolution81]

Back from my temp ban due to someones sensitive *** on here.....just finished my poly on sunday..VERBAL PASS IM IN THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 17 10 GS9 applicant

[V_AntCBP]

Congrats @Evolution81
How long was the poly? Where did you take it?

[Hal29]

Why it take So long to get scheduled for poly?

[Evolution81]

Polygraph was 4 hours and I took it in texas...I got held up in medical hell for 9 months

[Hal29]

Yeah I took mine in Texas as well.