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Customs/Border Protection Officer

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AVG. SALARY

$54,020

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EDUCATION

Post-secondary training +

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JOB OUTLOOK

Stable

Interviews

Insider Info

Think immigration is boring? "We've met the Pope!" says Paula Bennett. She is the manager of citizenship and immigration at an international airport.

"We've cleared immigration papers for Hollywood movie stars coming [here] to make films," she adds. "But most of the time, we deal with ordinary people, ordinary families who want to come here to visit or to live."

Bennett has worked with immigration for 25 years. "I've worked overseas in Asia and Africa. I always seem to come back to the airport!

"It felt right. I walked right into it. I liked the people aspect and I liked the international aspect. I find it quite interesting," she says. In a typical day, Bennett's staff interviews people arriving from international flights.

"We might be issuing student authorization or issuing employment authorizations. We also grant permanent residence to immigrants that have been selected overseas. We examine documents looking for evidence of fraud.

"We deal with refugees, people seeking asylum. We interview, determine why they need...protection and make a judgment about the honesty of their answers. We have to try and keep the right people out and let the right ones in.

"We also have what we call 'baby Fridays.' This is when couples return from China, bringing home the baby girls they've adopted. In China, baby girls aren't valued, so these couples adopt them and bring them back home. It's a heartwarming experience to process the immigration documents for these families."

Other experiences aren't quite so happy. Sometimes Bennett must deal with kidnapped children or with children who are brought in by alien smugglers, then discarded.

If you're interested in this career, Bennett has some advice. "Do some traveling yourself so you know what it's like on the other side of the counter. Get a job -- summer employment -- in an area that gives you lots of public contact. It will help in the long run," she says.

"I'm an example of somebody that started off at the very low level working in the record room and had the ability to move upwards. There's lots of opportunity within this department, if you want to take the position that you will do anything that comes across your path and are open and flexible."

Kenneth Peck is the port director at Sumas, Washington. He began his career s a part-time inspector in central Montana. "I wanted to serve my country. All my friends were going to Vietnam and I couldn't pass the physical. So I looked for another way to serve."

Peck didn't originally intend to stay in customs and border protection for so long, but he liked the work. "I had six postings in 26 years. There's lots of opportunity for travel and to see how other places do their work. I like the variety, the excitement," he says.

"I worked for 20 years in the trenches before I moved into management. On a typical day, I spend my time trying to pick the one smuggler out of the hundreds of law-abiding citizens. It's a challenge. You learn to analyze behavioral characteristics."

Customs and border protection officers are peace officers. They are authorized to arrest suspected lawbreakers. U.S. officials carry firearms. "We actually make more arrests of felony violators than any other federal law enforcement agency, including the FBI," says Peck.

"The most typical smuggled items are drugs, currency and items protected by copyright or trademark."

Wes Ferris is acting manager of program services with a customs service. He calls customs and immigration work exciting and stressful, but always rewarding.

"You have to always have it in your minds that it is like a game. People are trying to get past you with things that aren't being declared. Most of the time you deal with law-abiding citizens. You have to balance law enforcement with good public relations."

A typical day for Ferris is pretty hectic. "You arrive at work and you go into action right away. If you're working in the booth at the border, it's back and forth between inside and outside work," he says. "There's continuous conversation, discussion, answering questions, analyzing, searching vehicles, confirming declarations or answering inquiries either in person or over the phone.

"When you work inside the booth, you're waiting for the referrals that come in from the officers working outside. You collect duty and taxes, answer questions, sometimes become involved with enforcement actions and may be required to arrest individuals.

"If there are questions about their citizenship status or right to enter the country, that person would be referred to the immigration officers, who are also stationed at ports of entry."

Ferris has been stationed in airports, borders, postal offices and marine ports.

"It's the best decision I ever made. I like the diversity and the people and the issues that arise. I like dealing not only with travelers, but with my own staff. There's lots of people contact."

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OCAP believes that financial literacy and understanding the financial aid process are critical aspects of college planning and student success. OCAP staff who work with students, parents, educators and community partners in the areas of personal finance education, state and federal financial aid, and student loan management do not provide financial, investment, legal, and/or tax advice. This website and all information provided is for general educational purposes only, and is not intended to be construed as financial, investment, legal, and/or tax advice.