Border Patrol Agent

[anuj1985a]

I was wondering if you can combine your leave days into one or use them sporadically throughout the year? For example, after 3 years you get 20 days per year, can you combine them into one or use them separately different times of the year?

[Russ81]

See post below for correct information. Thanks battlewagon for the info.

[battlewagon]

I was wondering if you can combine your leave days into one or use them sporadically throughout the year? For example, after 3 years you get 20 days per year, can you combine them into one or use them separately different times of the year?

Combine them into one what? You can take your leave however you see fit. One day here, three days next month, two weeks whatever. Some sectors have policies that over 3 or 4 weeks of leave continuously requires sector approval, things like that. You can keep 240 hours and roll them over to next calendar year (not FY like stated above). If you roll into pay period one of the following year, anything over 240 is lost. There are some exceptions.

[SyntaxError]

Quick question, did anyone with uncorrected vision worse than 20/100 were able to get a medical waiver and pass the medical? I'm thinking about applying but I don't want to go through the whole process just to be told no because of my uncorrected vision is worse than 20/100. My corrected vision is 20/20 with soft contact lenses.

[Alexr3496]

Does anyone know if BPA and CBPO have the same vision requirements? Is there any BPA with red green color deficient?

[battlewagon]

I had a classmate who was straight up red green color blind. But he somehow passed the vision and it was never an issue again. I'm talking can't tell which color is lit up on a stop light color blind, other than going off orientation of the lights.

[Alexr3496]

battlewagon
Thanks I really appreciate it. I'm only waiting on my medical to clear from CBPO. So I might also apply BPA (VRA) and let the majority transfer over

[beeyoh]

How is this shutdown going to effect us applicants in the hiring process?

[Mf821]

Academy is halted, hiring is essentially paused.

[Llopez94]

I received a job offer and I was told I would start academy on March 4. Will I be affected?

[Mf821]

Turns out academy got a waiver to keep training. No idea what it means for hiring.

[sarah_rod25]

I take the written for Border Patrol Agent next week. I know that’s super early in the process but I just want to see if anyone has any tips for me? I am in a lot of debt due to a recent divorce. My credit isn’t good at all. I am getting that all figured out. What are my chances with that? Other than that I am currently in Law Enforcement as a Correctional Officer in Illinois. Nothing in my past or present (other than the debt) should make me disqualified. What are your thoughts and opinions? Anything helps. Thank you!

[Levithane]

If you get to the Background Investigation phase, be upfront about your issues. As far as debt goes, before you even talk to the investigator have a payment plan setup to start paying down your debts. Also provide documentation that you are in fact paying down your debts. Also be upfront about the reason for divorce.

[sarah_rod25]

I will do that ASAP! Thank you!

[sarah_rod25]

I took the written today. It was a lot harder than I expected. I don’t think I did very good. I guess we will see what happens.

[DP23]

I took BP written test twice & CBPO's once. The one that was hard(BP) I scored 13 & 16 points higher than the one I thought was easy (CBP). Have faith & best of luck.

[Buck_Macdonald]

anyone know roughly how long the structured interview will go on for? I've only had one done before for a State Police job but even then it was only like 45 minutes of them asking what I would do in X scenario.

I ask because I'd like to do some touring of DC while I'm there and I'm trying to join some travel groups or a tour the day of!

[Mf821]

45 minutes max. Closer to like 20 minutes.

[battlewagon]

The whole thing is 20 minutes max. However if there are 10 people doing interviews, there's no particular order so you may be in there 15 minutes, but be the last to go three hours later

[Anthony_525]

Is the hiring process halted during the shut down? I got my NOR 12/19/18. Test was harder than I expected but still scored a 92.

[wheresthebeef]

I just noticed this on the CBP website today:

"BPA applicants applying to announcements 17-3 and later will no longer be required to obtain a passing score, only participation in the test will be required. BPA applicants who applied to announcements prior to 17-3 will be required to take and pass the PFT-2 in order to have continued employment consideration."

Current announcement is 19-4.

Just thought Id post it since I didn't see any discussion of it here.

[Russ81]

Applies to CBP as well, they attempt pft-2 before the academy, BPA attempt pft-2 at the academy.

[Buck_Macdonald]

I heard somewhere that before we go to the academy that we get sent to a school or something? Anyone have details on that?

as far as I know I’ve got the polygraph left and that’s it so I’m pretty excited! Not sure what else I can do to prepare for the PFt2 like according to the website you have to run a mile and a half in 15 mins, I think you’d be hard pressed to find someone who couldn’t do that who wasn’t morbidly obese...

[Russ81]

You report to your assigned duty station for 3 days then fly to the academy. You are responsible financially for the travel to and lodging @ your duty station for the 3 days

[WaitingonWord]

Here's some interesting information for y'all if you haven't learned this already. The hiring contract that CBP has with Accenture has been partially stopped due to, what seems like, frustrations with their output. So, with the government shutdown, this may impact applicant timelines, although from what I've read, it seems like CBP is on top of it. Because you shouldn't trust a random link in a forum like this I won't include one. Just go to the Federal News Network and look for "CBP issues partial stop work order on Accenture hiring contract" if you'd like to read more. (its a month old story)

[battlewagon]

I heard somewhere that before we go to the academy that we get sent to a school or something? Anyone have details on that?

as far as I know I’ve got the polygraph left and that’s it so I’m pretty excited! Not sure what else I can do to prepare for the PFt2 like according to the website you have to run a mile and a half in 15 mins, I think you’d be hard pressed to find someone who couldn’t do that who wasn’t morbidly obese...

The PFT2 is participation only now. Show up and finish the 1.5 in whatever time, and you go to the academy. Even if 20 minutes. You inprocess at your EOD, at the sector HQ for where your station is. They will do a few hours of military drill marching instruction for those who aren't prior mil since academy is paramilitary. There shouldnt be any PT or anything.

TSP 20% is all you need to remember from now until your EOD at sector.

As far as the contract for recruiting, it has been a terrible failure. I have personally recruited more people who had never heard of BP or werent considering it who are at the academy now than that contract, and I'm not even with BP anymore. It is a joke, but it has no effect on the hiring process or the timelines.

[Buck_Macdonald]

The PFT2 is participation only now. Show up and finish the 1.5 in whatever time, and you go to the academy. Even if 20 minutes. You inprocess at your EOD, at the sector HQ for where your station is. They will do a few hours of military drill marching instruction for those who aren't prior mil since academy is paramilitary. There shouldnt be any PT or anything.

TSP 20% is all you need to remember from now until your EOD at sector.

As far as the contract for recruiting, it has been a terrible failure. I have personally recruited more people who had never heard of BP or werent considering it who are at the academy now than that contract, and I'm not even with BP anymore. It is a joke, but it has no effect on the hiring process or the timelines.

Not sure what TSP is.

also I was under the impression that agents did their pft2 at the academy? If it’s participation only then how can I trust any barrier to entry at this job? I hope the academy has a more strict pt plan or something...

[Mf821]

TSP is Thrift Savings Plan. The PT is known as being one of the toughest in all FLEO so don't worry. You have to get much better scores to pass the academy than the pft2 lays out.

[battlewagon]

Don't need to know, just remember TSP 20% and it'll ring a bell at the appropriate time.

They made it participation because the PFT 2 was the very last step, and it had like a 40% fail rate for OFO. And BP had a 79.8% fail or declination rate for the poly. So only 21% were making. So both BP and OFO were losing a huge chunk of the small percentage that even got that far in the process. I guess they see it as they'll best you into shape at the BP academy. The academy is pass fail at graduation

[Levithane]

Since you're from that agency, what is the leading reason the fail rate is 79.8% for BP?

[battlewagon]

I was. I was working on a detail that worked with EAC to fix the hiring and retention problems so I got to see the issues on a statistical and first hand basis. Right as I left BP, they were running the new pilot poly. I had heard at that time the fail rate was about 40% with the pilot, which is inline with other fed and large city agencies.

The polygraph was very subjective, not objective. I personally recruited 8 very close friends and family numbers outside of my short time doing actual recruiting. Of those 8, 6 failed the poly. All who failed were either immediate blood relatives that I know to the core (1, who then passed another fed LE poly a few months later with flying colors), and the other 5 failures were current LE or military. The poly was a joke. Hopefully now they are on the right track.