Trainee Border Immigration Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Summary
Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Training and Development, U.S. Border Patrol Academy located in Artesia, NM.
Additional selections may be made beyond the total number of vacancies specified using this vacancy announcement. Further selections may also be made for additional organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above.
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Duties
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This announcement has been amended on 07/27/2026 to extend the closing date to 08/03/2026.
This announcement has been amended on 08/03/2026 to extend the closing date to 09/02/2026.
As a re-employed annuitant CBP may allow a waiver of Salary Offset (Dual Compensation Waiver). Reemployed annuitants with a dual compensation waiver receive both their full basic annuity and full salary.
Annuitants who are reemployed with a salary offset (dual compensation) waiver are NOT eligible for:

• Additional retirement coverage (other than Social Security coverage).
• TSP Contributions.

In this Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Course Developer Instructor position you will become a key member of a team of homeland security professionals responsible for planning and teaching assigned courses. This position will allow you to use your expertise in the instruction of courses related to illegal entry of noncitizens into the United States by land, water, or air; enforce criminal provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Laws. Apply for this exciting opportunity to strengthen the department's ability to protect the homeland. Participate in the planning and development of training courses and materials for Border Patrol trainees and instructors. Prepare lesson plans, student and instructor texts, and instructional aids, ensuring alignment with agency objectives.
This position starts at a salary of $109,383.00 (GS-13, Step 1) to $142,199.00 (GS-13, Step 10).
Major duties includes:

• Participating in the planning and development of training courses and materials for Border Patrol trainees and instructors by preparing lesson plans, student and instructor texts, and instructional aids, ensuring alignment with agency objectives.
• Monitoring and assessing ongoing training programs to ensure relevance and consistency with current enforcement trends, policies, and procedures while conducting research to incorporate new developments and recommending curriculum updates.
• Providing technical expertise in specialized areas of Border Patrol operations by delivering lectures, demonstrations, and scenario-based exercises, and assisting with training for federal, state, local, and foreign law enforcement agencies.
• Planning, assigning, and reviewing work for subordinate instructors and trainees while coordinating training schedules, evaluating performance, resolving grievances, and managing the administrative aspects of training sessions.
• Preparing session reports, managing training budgets, identifying and addressing training needs and shortfalls, ensuring compliance with safety and conduct standards, and reporting significant incidents to senior leadership.

Requirements
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Conditions of employment

• You 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)
• All pre-employment processes will be conducted in English
• You may be required to pass a background investigation and/or polygraph
• CBP follows the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan for drug testing procedures

Who May Apply: Retired Border Patrol Agents, who have retired within the past five (5) years.

• Must meet eligibility for reinstatement as defined by 5 CFR 315.401.
• Must have passed the Border Patrol Academy and post-Academy prior to leaving CBP.
• Must have successfully completed the requirements of a probationary or trial period.
• Must have satisfactory or pass performance appraisals during the last three years of federal employment.
• Must have been separated at the applicant's choice with no disciplinary action taken within the last three years of CBP employment and with no disciplinary proceeding pending.
• Must have held a competitive permanent position with the Full Performance Level of GS-13.

Retired applicants must have been retired one (1) year before the closing date of this announcement.TERM Appointment: To meet agency needs, this position will be filled on a term basis not-to-exceed (NTE) 1/20/2029. The minimum time in this appointment is one year.
Qualifications
Specialized Experience: You qualify for the GS-13 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Interpreting applying U.S. Customs and Border Protection statutes, regulations, policies, and operational guidance related to border security and law enforcement activities.
• Providing guidance, counseling, and on-the-job instruction to personnel, while resolving complex work issues that require coordination and collaboration with other operational units.
• Collecting, analyzing, and reviewing evidentiary materials, and preparing, organizing, and assessing case files for presentation in criminal and administrative actions.
• Locating, apprehending, and conducting searches of individuals in violation of immigration laws, seizing contraband and assets, and interviewing violators and other involved parties.

Language Requirement: Must be proficient in the Spanish language. (i.e., able to speak and read in Spanish).
Mandatory Prerequisite for Secondary Administrative LEO Retirement Covered Position: This position has been identified as Administrative, that is, an executive, managerial, technical, semiprofessional, or professional position for which experience in a primary/rigorous law enforcement or firefighting position, or equivalent experience outside of the Federal government is a mandatory prerequisite,
as defined by 5 CFR 831.902 (CSRS) and 5 CFR 842.802 (FERS).
Note: if you currently serve in a permanent Secondary LEO Retirement covered position, you are exempt from this mandatory prerequisite
Language Requirement: Must be proficient in the Spanish language. (i.e., able to speak and read in Spanish).
Firearms 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.
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.
You must:

• Meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process; and
• Meet all applicable Time in Grade requirements (current federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band in the federal service) by 09/02/2026.

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
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Additional information
This is a Non-Bargaining Unit status position.
Motor Vehicle Operation: You must possess the ability to operate a Government Owned Vehicle. A valid, non-restricted driver's license is required.
Supervisory Probationary Period: You may be required to serve an 18-month probationary period upon appointment to this position. You may also be required to complete an appropriate supervisory training course within 90 days of assignment to this position.
Shift Work/Overtime: This position requires regular and recurring shift work. You must be willing and available to work rotating shifts. You may also be rotated between assignments and duty locations. You could be required to work overtime on a daily basis and will be compensated up to an additional 25% of your base pay in accordance with the Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Act of 2014.
Travel: Overnight travel may be required on a regular and recurring basis.
Uniform/Grooming Standards: This position requires wearing an officially approved uniform and complying with established grooming standards found here, as established by the Border Patrol's Uniform and Grooming Standards Policy #IOP-5320-02A-UGSBPA. Please note that in accordance with these standards, tattoos and/or brandings on the head and face are not permitted. Obscene, racially/ethnically derogatory and/or gang tattoos or brandings shall not be visible.
The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.