Border Patrol Agent

[SHU]

.................

[Klumper23]

Does anyone know what the average paycheck for a GL-9 is in the academy?

[battlewagon]

Does anyone know what the average paycheck for a GL-9 is in the academy?

25.47 is the hourly rate for a GL-9/1 for RUS pay. If you're going to Cali or something, it will be more as you still get your locality pay increase despite not living/working in that location at that time.

Academy is flat 80 hour pay periods for the most part, so 25.47 x 80 is 2037.60 pre tax and pre everything.

If there's one piece of advice every current agent or gov employee will agree on, it is set your TSP at 10% when you are at sector doing your EOD paperwork. If this is a pay raise for you from your current job, set it higher. There is nothing stupider than leaving your TSP at 1-5% and then forgetting to increase it until you remember six years later.

[Ohio1994]

What’s the hourly break down for GL-5 at the academy

[battlewagon]

$20.06, $1604.80 a paycheck

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-over...20(LEO)_h.aspx

[Radio Raheem]

Amen to that. Currently the pension is only about 34 percent of the average of your three highest earning years. Abundantly invest in (max-out) your TSP. You will thank yourself later in life when you have enough to retire without having to get another job. Those years go by super fast. Twelve years ago seems like yesterday for me. Then I look forward and think, Wow (Christopher Walken voice) I only have 8 years to go!

[Exbpa340]

34 percent at 20 years. One can work longer (and/or buy back any active duty military time) to add to that percentage. Plus you have the FERS Supplemental (a percentage of SS paid at retirement age until age 62). Plus TSP. Some places may have a better pension percentage but overall FERS Covered retirement is not bad especially when you figure in the Supplemental and TSP.

[Ohio1994]

What’s the holiday schedule like when at the academy? I’ll be there during Thanksgiving and Christmas, do we just keep on working right through it or what?

[Srhernza115]

No you do not. I am currently at the academy and we got 4th of July off but went back the next day.

[Klumper23]

I will be there still as well. what it sounds like is that for thanksgiving there might be a chance that we get that friday off. But it is a very small chance. and for christmas is on a wed. we will be working tue and thursday. when do you start the academy?

[battlewagon]

What’s the holiday schedule like when at the academy? I’ll be there during Thanksgiving and Christmas, do we just keep on working right through it or what?

It's fed holidays off. SOMETIMES and I mean rarely, if Christmas falls on a Thursday for example, they'll have an admin day the Friday. But the they never tell you far enough in advance if you're going to get it to make plans. So bet on just fed holidays and nothing more.

[Buck_Macdonald]

I was on the Customs and Border Patrol website and according to this info

(*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.*)

Am I reading and understanding this right? That like you can just literally show up and do the bare minimum and become a Border Patrol Agent??? Like PFT1 was basically nothing, are they really not concerned with the actual physical fitness of their agents???

[battlewagon]

I was on the Customs and Border Patrol website and according to this info

(*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.*)

Am I reading and understanding this right? That like you can just literally show up and do the bare minimum and become a Border Patrol Agent??? Like PFT1 was basically nothing, are they really not concerned with the actual physical fitness of their agents???

PFT1 is pass or fail. The thing you are reading is in reference to PFT2; it is now no longer pass or fail. As long as you show up and participate, you go to the academy. Those who 'fail' it (at least by the old pass/fail standards) will be straightened out and fixed in the Academy or sent home then.

[Lovetocamp]

That's so stupid, I thought it was a good idea to reinstate the PFT-2 because we had so many PT failures at our academy. One dude showed up weighing 270lbs. Holy ****, such a waste of money.

[battlewagon]

Just came down to numbers. CBP poly had a 79.8% fail or declination rate in 2017. Then, the few who passed that, about 20%, 50% of those were failing the PFT2. Basically leading to the 133 applicants to make one agent statistic. Guess they figured they can beat you into shape 6 months.

[Radio Raheem]

Was it a Goldberg 270lbs or a Rakishi 270lbs?

[Ohio1994]

Trying to plan financially for the time between my last check from my current job and my first check with bp so I don’t miss any payments on my bills. How long do you wait for a check when you get hired? My current job was basically a month before I got paid, figure it works the same with them.

[Lovetocamp]

Nothing close to that. You'll get paid depending on when you start the pay period.

Right now we are on PP14 and pay day is Friday 26th or Monday 29th depending on your bank. And its every 2 weeks for a new pay period.

So if you come in halfway through PP15 you'll get a check at the end of that pay period for 1 week of work. Longest you will wait is 2 weeks for that first pay check to come thru.

[MadameAshley]

If you passed your poly, how long will you have to wait to go to Academy?

[Ebbo1227]

Good evening, i just a question.. how long was it from When you applied to when you did your polygraph?

[Ebbo1227]

Im Sorry I meant when you passed your structured interview to when you did your polygraph?

[Lovetocamp]

Depends on your background. I did my poly in like August 2017 and didnt get the call for the academy until Feb 2018. EOD end of Feb.

[battlewagon]

If you passed your poly, how long will you have to wait to go to Academy?

There will be a few follow up steps after (if you haven't already done them), urine drug test, etc. But the poly is the last major step, unless you have medical pending, but you shouldn't if you did the poly. So I'd expect a call imminently.

[MadameAshley]

Oh okay. Thanks. How long was the process for you at they point?

[battlewagon]

2+ years. I was hired back when it took 2+ years to get picked up. I think the shortest hire time in my class was a guy at 1.5 years. BP and OFO, under an EAD whose name I can't remember, made major steps to fix the broken hiring in 2016. Which is good for new applicants and the agency

[Kyoz25]

How often do they put out announcements on USAjobs for BPA? I noticed the current one ends July 31.. will they continue? I wont be able to apply till Summer 2020.

[battlewagon]

How often do they put out announcements on USAjobs for BPA? I noticed the current one ends July 31.. will they continue? I wont be able to apply till Summer 2020.

Pretty much continuously. Why can't you apply now? Just asking in case you're wrong and you can actually apply now.

[Kyoz25]

Pretty much continuously. Why can't you apply now? Just asking in case you're wrong and you can actually apply now.

Thank you.
I'm active duty and my contract isnt up till Jan2022. I read I should apply 12 months before my ETS. Unless they are able to hold ky spot over a year?

[Tropictac]

I applied (VRA) in Dec 2018 Im still waiting for BI and DT... If you have a long employment history apply a year and 3 or 4 months out, with that you will have a 6 months window to plan all the movements.

[Kyoz25]

Thank you! how long have you been in? I'm sure my background investigation will take a long time since I spent 7 years overseas and my wife is a Japanese citizen.

[Buck_Macdonald]

Finally got accepted after 9 months of waiting so im
pretty excited. Just need to wait on my offer letter via email and I’ll be golden. Can somebody run me through what my first day is gonna be like and what I should expect after that?
thanks in advance and god bless!

[Lovetocamp]

You ever look at those Marine Corps day 0 at Parris Island? **** like that but milder.

Instructors will be yelling at you til like week 2. PT instructors are the same way throughout the whole academy.

If you're prior military its kinda funny. Bit of a joke. PT wasn't though, even I huffed and puffed after 100s of body builders. Drenched in sweat and a shoulder injury to boot. Good times.

[FNG41YR]

Basically a wannabe Marine Corps boot camp.

[Exbpa340]

FNG41R did you attend the BP academy?

[TheArcher]

How intense is the job history deal? Am I going to have to put down jobs all the way back to sacking groceries in high school in like 2005?

[TheArcher]

battlewagon well it says "no one thing will necessarily disqualify you" so I'll just have to see what they say. If they reject me for it I'll just get the surgery and wait.

[battlewagon]

Not sure what you're reading because one thing can certainly DQ you and remove you from the process. Here are the vision requirements

Specific Medical Requirements:
Vision

Distant vision acuity - must be equal to or better than 20/100 in each eye without correction, i.e., without eye glasses or contact lenses
Corrected distance vision must be 20/20
Monocular vision is generally disqualifying
Depth perception must be equal to or better than 70 seconds of arc
Peripheral vision must be normal
Color vision - must demonstrate normal color vision, without the use of an x-chromatic lens or any other artificial device
Refractive surgery/LASIK – minimum of 90 day recovery period following procedure, free from significant untoward side effects of surgery, e.g., glare, contrast sensitivity

[TheArcher]

battlewagon Its above where you copy and pasted, I found it here:
https://www.cbp.gov/careers/frontlin...s/bpa/app-proc


"After tentative selection, candidates must undergo a pre-employment medical examination and be found medically qualified to perform the position's full range of duties safely and efficiently. Any disease or condition that may potentially interfere with the safe and efficient performance of the job's duties or training may result in medical disqualification. No condition is automatically disqualifying; each determination is made on a case-by-case basis. The medical determination may involve recommendations for additional information and/or testing."

[Talonderiel]

TheArcher, depends on the the commander.... they may have already heard from the Commander. But I may take the information. :P