About this role
Job SummaryOrganizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, International Operations and Advisory Directorate (IOAD), International Field Office, Preclearance, located at various Preclearance locations. This announcement will be used until approximately 04/12/2026. After that time, when the new announcement is posted, you must re-apply to that announcement to continue to receive consideration.
QualificationsYou qualify for this position if you are currently serving or have served as a full-time permanent GS-12 with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and are currently serving or have served in the 1895 series within the last five years. Your experience as indicated in your resume must demonstrate the following: Conducting prearrival targeting and intelligence vetting and gathering and analyzing information from all available sources Performing primary inspections of cargo, conveyances, and travelers and secondary inspections of referrals from primary Developing, planning, and performing tactical operations in cargo and passenger environments Employing a variety of investigative techniques and preparing accurate reports regarding inspections, gathered intelligence, and incidents Interacting with internal and external contacts and mentoring lower level CBP officers and officers new to the port, environment, or work unit NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional resume requirements. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. This is a primary position subject to mandatory retirement under the special retirement provisions for Customs and Border Protection Officers (5 CFR 842.1003; 5 USC 8425(b); 5 USC 8335(b); and 5 USC 8412(d)). For more information on required years of service and retirement age, click on this link. If you have questions regarding your retirement coverage provisions, please contact the CBP Retirement Operations Center at (202) 863-6180. The customs and border protection officer mandatory separation provisions of 5 USC 8425 do not apply to an individual first appointed as a customs and border protection officer before July 6, 2008. You must: Meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process; and The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Background Investigation: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a federal law enforcement agency that requires all applicants to undergo a thorough background investigation prior to employment in order to promote the agency's core values of vigilance, service to country, and integrity. During the screening and/or background investigation process, you will be asked questions regarding any felony criminal convictions or current felony charges, the use of illegal drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, methamphetamines, ecstasy), and the use of non-prescribed controlled substances including any experimentation, possession, sale, receipt, manufacture, cultivation, production, transfer, shipping, trafficking, or distribution of controlled substances. For additional information on the preemployment process, review the following link: Applicant Resources | CBP Careers Polygraph Examination: The CBP Officer (Preclearance) position is a polygraph-required position. If you are not a current CBP employee in a law enforcement position, you may be required to take a polygraph exam and have favorable results in order to continue in the pre-employment process. Please see Polygraph Examination. Polygraph Reciprocity: CBP may accept the results of a prior federal polygraph exam in lieu of a CBP polygraph exam. You will receive information to request reciprocity in your Background Investigation Package. Polygraph Waiver: Certain veterans may be eligible to obtain a polygraph waiver. You will receive information to request a waiver in your Background Investigation Package. Tour of Duty: The employee will serve a two (2) year initial tour, with an opportunity for the Employee to apply for two (2), two (2) year extensions. As an exception to this general rule, tour duration is subject to the host country and the Department of State. At the end of the reassignment, you will be returned to a position at the same level as this Preclearance position. At the discretion of management, the assignment may be extended for additional periods, up to a maximum of six years. You may be returned at any time to your former position or to a different position of equivalent grade as this Preclearance position. Employees who have not served 2 years at a domestic duty station, subsequent to their initial overseas tour of duty, should not be considered for a second tour of duty in any foreign assignment. Return Rights: No more than one hundred and fifty (150) calendar days before the end of tour, but not less than ninety (90) calendar days prior to the end of the initial tour, as well as the conclusion of any extensions, employees are expected to formally request, through a fully completed Notice of Intent (NOI), express intent to return to the United States. Please refer to Article 40 Section 6 of the National Collective Bargaining Agreement for additional information with regards to Extension Request and Return Procedures. Annual Leave Accumulation: Employees assigned to Preclearance ports may carry over 360 hours of annual leave to the next leave year (as opposed to 240 hours). Home Leave: In addition to annual leave, you will earn five, ten, or fifteen days home leave on each two year assignment depending on your foreign post assignment and the post differential rate. This leave is granted to you when you have your Preclearance assignment extended for another tour and is to be used between tours. The Government pays your per diem and transportation expenses from your post of duty in a Preclearance station to your former official residence in the United States. In addition, it also pays for the transportation expenses of your dependents who accompany you on home leave to your residence in the United States. You must be admissible to the country you are selected for before a final offer is issued. Employees must select the locations of interest and review the admissibility requirements of those countries. You must certify that if accompanied, your family members, are admissible to enter and temporarily reside in the country. Follow this link to the admissibility requirements of each country. You should review the below concerning inadmissibility: If you are not admissible to a specific country, your applications for that location will not be considered further. If your fail to certify that you have reviewed the admissibility requirements of the country you are applying for, your application will not be considered further. If you certify that you are admissible, and the Agency later learns that you were inadmissible, your application will not be considered further, and the Agency may pursue other appropriate action, as necessary. If you are selected and report to the country, and the Agency later learns that you were inadmissible, the Agency may curtail the assignment, and require you to return to your permanent position in the United States. The Agency may pursue other appropriate action, as necessary. Any additional questions for applicants on Preclearance can be sent to: [email protected]
Major DutiesWHERE WILL POSITIONS BE FILLED UNDER THIS ANNOUNCEMENT? Positions filled under this announcement are in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Preclearance Field Office, in various overseas locations. You will be asked to identify your duty location preferences in the on-line application process. In some cases, the duty stations may not have a vacancy during the life of this announcement. If you are selected for and accept this position, once you enter on duty, you will no longer be referred for other locations under this announcement. Geographic Location: You may select up to two (2) locations where you would be willing to work. This announcement is for a CBP Officer (Preclearance), GS, 12. We are no longer issuing certificates from the previous announcement OFO-IMP-PC-12885769 that announcement has been discontinued. You must re-apply to this current vacancy 13083587 announcement to continue to receive consideration. Applicants previously selected need not re-apply for the location they were selected for, but must apply to be considered for other location(s) WHEN IS THIS ANNOUNCEMENT OPEN AND WHAT IS THE LAST DATE TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION? We are currently accepting applications from Tag Open Date to Tag Close Date. You must apply on-line by 11:59 p.m. ET, 10/19/2026 to receive consideration under this announcement. Please refer to the "How to Apply" section for further guidance. You must meet the qualifications and eligibility by to be considered eligible under this announcement. Eligible applicants may be referred and selected at any time after the closing date. However, if selected, you will be promoted/reassigned only after you have met all job requirements such as qualifications and time-in-grade requirements. Employees who meet the qualifications and other job requirements (as explained in this announcement) by 10/19/2026, are encouraged to apply during the open period. If you do not apply by 10/19/2026 you WILL NOT have an opportunity to apply for this position and will not receive consideration for selection until the next open period. This position starts at a salary of $78,581.00 (GS-12 Step 1) to $102,157.00 (GS-12, Step 10). Salary above excludes COLA. Please see here for specific COLA Rates. Salary above includes special rate for Customs and Border Protection Officer positions in foreign areas. In this position you will become a key member of a team of homeland security professionals responsible for detecting and preventing terrorists and instruments of terror from entering the U.S. Typical work assignments include: Performing inspection, intelligence analysis, examination, and law enforcement activities including apprehension, detention and arrest relative to arrival and departure of persons, conveyances and merchandise at Ports of Entry (POE). Conducting developmental level officer duties to protect the U.S. homeland, enforce federal laws, and efficiently facilitate legitimate trade and travel. Developing, planning and participating in tactical operations. Interacting with carriers, other agencies and foreign entities to exchange information and provide guidance on admissibility/compliance. Responsibilities for Preclearance Employees Who Are Stationed in Canada with Privately Owned Vehicles: In accordance with 3 FAM 4124, All U.S. direct-hire Americans under Chief of Mission authority must obtain appropriate provincial vehicle registration, provincial license plates, provincial driver's licenses, and local insurance if they or their family members operate a privately-owned vehicle. This is a Reassignment Opportunity Bulletin: You must be currently serving or have served as a full-time permanent GS-12 with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and are currently serving or have served in the 1895 series within the last five years in order to qualify under this Bulletin. If you are currently serving in the 1895 series as a GS-13 or higher or have done so within the last five years and are willing to take a change to lower grade (at the end of your Preclearance assignment, you will be reassigned at the same grade level as this Preclearance position, unless selected for a higher graded position), you will also be considered for this position. This position will be filled through reassignment on a permanent basis through time-limited rotational assignments with a minimum tour of two years. At the end of the reassignment, you will be returned to a position at the same level as this Preclearance position.RequirementsYou must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this position Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with Selective Service Primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years (additional details below) You may be required to pass a background investigation and/or polygraph CBP follows the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan for drug testing procedures You and your dependents must pass a State Department medical examination You and your dependents must obtain a valid passport You must be able to obtain and maintain a CBP Travel Card You must attend a one to two-week FACT course in VA or WV prior to deployment You and your dependent(s) must be able to obtain a valid UAE Visa You will be required to carry a firearm and maintain firearm proficiency DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify including your rights and responsibilities. Firearm Requirement: This position requires that the incumbent meet initial and continuing qualifications in the use of firearms as outlined in the Gun Control Act of 1968, amended by the Lautenberg Amendment of 1996. An applicant whose background includes any of the following will be ineligible for consideration: 1) convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year; 2) has any outstanding warrants or is a fugitive from justice; 3) unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance; 4) adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to a mental institution; 5) illegally or unlawfully in the United States; 6) renounced U. S. citizenship; 7) subject to a court-ordered restraining (protection) order from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner (spouse, former spouse, parent of applicant's child, individual who cohabitates or has cohabitated with the applicant), or child; or 8) convicted under Federal, State, or Tribal Court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence against an intimate partner or child. Motor Vehicle Operation: You must possess the Ability to operate a Government Owned Vehicle. A valid, non-restricted driver's license is required Bargaining Unit: This is a bargaining unit designated position, covered under the National Treasury Employees Unions- NTEU. NTEU. For local chapter contact information see Chapter Websites - National Treasury Employees Union - NTEU.