CBP Customer Service (2024)

FAQs

Do I have to answer CBP questions? ›

You have the right to remain silent and do not have to discuss your immigration or citizenship status with police, immigration agents or any other officials. You do not have to answer questions about where you were born, whether you are a U.S. citizen, or how you entered the country.

If you are unable to find the information you need, the CBP Information Center is open Monday-Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern time. You can submit your question, compliment, complaint, or tip online or by calling 1-877-CBP-5511 (877-227-5511).

It is quite hard to become a CBP officer.

The process involves multiple steps and is very lengthy. To become a customs and border patrol officer you must first apply. If you make it past this step, you are then required to take a two-part entrance exam.

Know your rights

If you're an American citizen, you can refuse to unlock your devices for CBP agents and still enter the country. (This may not be clear from the information sheet agents are supposed to give you during the search, which says the process is “mandatory.”)

Polygraph test failures are not a new concern for Border Patrol agents. Two out of three CBP applicants who took a polygraph failed, The Associated Press reported in 2017. The FBI and Secret Service's failure rates were about half that, according to the same report.

On a typical day, CBP processes about 1.13 million passengers by air, sea, and land . However, more than 700 people are denied entry each day.

CBP agents may swipe through your phone or look through the documents on your com- puter. The government also claims the authority to copy the data on your electronic devices.

Additional Information For more information, visit "ACE: Modernization Information Systems" at www.cbp.gov/modernization or send an email to: ACE.Support@cbp.dhs.gov. You may also call the Technology Service Desk at: 1- 866-530-4172, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Our toll free number is 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833) and our hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm Eastern. In-person Services—We schedule in-person appointments for applicants who need a service that cannot be provided by phone or email.

The average U.S. Customs and Border Protection salary ranges from approximately $39,700 per year for Employment Specialist to $162,668 per year for Director of Human Resources.

How long is CBP hiring process? ›

CBP offers competitive salaries and federal benefits, and has a hiring process that typically takes between 3 to 12 months, but can be streamlined for qualifying veterans.

The SI results are good for 3 years if you pass.

The background investigation will include credit and criminal history checks, records checks to verify citizenship of family members, verification of date of birth, education, employment history, and military history.

Prior to collecting information from social media, CBP employees will determine whether the posting is protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and whether the collection of information is permissible under the Privacy Act, as applicable.

If I do not successfully complete the CBP polygraph examination, will that preclude me from applying for other federal law enforcement positions? No. Other agencies can request the status of your application process with CBP, but the results do not preclude you from applying for other jobs.

As CBP is overwhelmed with the out-of-control crisis at our southern border, they also are facing a recruitment problem. Approximately 2/3 of applicants fail the polygraph test, which comes at one of the last steps in an extensive, long hiring process. "The polygraph is an interrogation tool," Rep. Crenshaw said.

Tester continued: “Customs and Border Patrol's (CBP) own staffing models show a current shortage of more than 1,000 officers, and I continue to hear from officers that frequent reassignments to the southern border are negatively impacting security at the northern border, officer morale, and staffing levels.

No. For security reasons, CBP does not store bank account information in ACS.

Additional Information an Officer Can Get About You

Any criminal history you have. Your citizenship status. Employment information. Your phone numbers.

What is the 6 month rule CBP? ›

Visitors traveling to the United States are required to be in possession of passports that are valid for six months beyond the period of their intended stay in the United States.

It's totally legal for a US Customs and Border Patrol officer to ask you to unlock your phone and hand it over to them. And they can detain you indefinitely if you don't.

Most of the time, friends or relatives might ask you to get a new iPhone while traveling from USA to India. Carrying one sealed box of iPhone might not be an issue but if you are carrying 3-4 devices, you will have to show the receipts of your purchases and might even have to pay a customs duty.

U.S. Customs officers have broad legal authority to search and seize the possessions of individuals (U.S. citizens and non-citizens) seeking to enter the United States; this includes searching and seizing laptops and other electronic devices.

Travelers may check their admission status at https://I94.cbp.dhs.gov and clicking on the 'View Compliance' tab. E-mail notifications will come from travelercompliance@cbp.dhs.gov.

For additional questions or concerns, please contact CBP by e-mail, cbp.goes.support@dhs.gov, or by phone, (866) 530-4172.

Average U.S. Customs and Border Protection Customs Officer yearly pay in the United States is approximately $56,684, which is 23% above the national average.

USCIS field offices do not allow walk-ins. You must have an appointment to visit an office.

Therefore, electronic filings are not affected by the fact that USCIS does not accept deliveries on Saturdays, Sundays, or federal holidays, and USCIS does not apply the regulatory definition of “day” to extend the filing period for benefit requests filed electronically.

If you enter your password incorrectly multiple times, you will get a notification saying you are locked out of your account. Wait 20 minutes for the system to reset, and then try logging in again. If you still cannot access your USCIS online account, send us a message using this link: my.uscis.gov/account/v1/needhelp.

What is the passing rate for CBP? ›

The pass rate for the CBP broker exam is between 3% and 20%. I read an interesting take on this comparing the Customs Broker Exam to some of the more well known professional exams. You can read it here. I've updated with relatively recent published pass rates to help put this all in perspective.

Border patrol agents are usually responsible for larger areas, such as off-road regions with few or no other security measures. CBP officers work almost exclusively at ports of entry, such as airports, and may spend more time inspecting packages and processing paperwork than interacting with people.

U.S. citizenship is required. CBP career opportunities feature competitive starting salaries and the potential for performance-based increases, flexible hours, and the ability to achieve and maintain a balanced lifestyle. for a Federal Civil Service Position!

Trusted Traveler Program: Monday -Friday: 8:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Electronic System for Travel Authorizations (ESTA), Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS) and Traveler Compliance: 24 Hours a Day 7 Days a week (24/7) except Federal Holidays.

Each Border Patrol Agent trainee must complete a 940 hour (117 training days) paid, resident course of instruction in U.S. law, Border Patrol operations, physical training, firearms instruction, driving, law enforcement and Border Patrol tactical training, and Spanish.

Border Patrol agents have a choice of being issued either the Glock 47 or the Glock 19M pistol in 9mm caliber. The Glock 47 can contain as many as 18 rounds of ammunition (17 in the magazine and 1 in the chamber), while the Glock 19 can contain as many as 16 rounds.

Customs and Border Patrol are also conducting roving patrols and may also attempt to pull you over. They must have reasonable suspicion that the driver or passengers in your car committed some immigration violation or a federal crime, and they must have a probable cause to continue the stop.

Customs Officers work 40 hours a week. However, overtime is a condition of employment, so you are expected to work overtime.

If you are a U.S. citizen, you need only answer questions establishing your identity and citizenship, although refusing to answer routine questions about the nature and purpose of your travel could result in delay and/or further inspection.

Can CBP revoke green card? ›

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have the power to decide whether returning green card holders are living outside the United States. If they believe you are, they will take steps to have your green card revoked (cancelled).

Credit problems, including bankruptcy, don't automatically exclude you from being a border patrol agent.

If you have been denied entry with a visa, you have the right to: An exclusion hearing before a judge to determine your admissibility; An administrative appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals; A judicial review or appeal of any, or all, of the above decisions.

CBP now gathers travelers' arrival/departure information automatically from their electronic travel records. Now at the land border, travelers will be issued I-94s electronically and will no longer receive a paper I-94 stub.

What about the data on my phone, computer, or other electronic device? CBP agents may swipe through your phone or look through the documents on your com- puter. The government also claims the authority to copy the data on your electronic devices.

Unlike other law enforcement, border authorities don't need a warrant to search your device. They may conduct a basic search — in which they scroll through your device inspecting texts, photos or anything else they can easily access — even if they don't suspect you of wrongdoing.

With a supervisor's sign-off, CBP officers can also seize an electronic device — or a copy of the information on the device — “for a brief, reasonable period of time to perform a thorough border search.” Such seizures typically shouldn't exceed five days, although officers can apply for extensions in up to one-week ...

Do I have to provide a password to unlock my phone or laptop? CBP can ask for your password or request you unlock your electronic device. Your decision to refuse or comply may rely squarely on your legal status in the U.S.: U.S.

CBP's top priority is to keep terrorists and their weapons from entering the U.S. while welcoming all legitimate travelers and commerce. CBP officers and agents enforce all applicable U.S. laws, including against illegal immigration, narcotics smuggling and illegal importation.

What happens if you lie to CBP? ›

Lying to an immigration officer can have extreme consequences including permanent inadmissibility, deportability, and not being allowed to apply for U.S. citizenship. Need Immigration Help? We've helped 85 clients find attorneys today.

(Though travelers with brand new phones, or ones that contain no data, might also arouse suspicion and lead to an interrogation). Get Data Sheet, Fortune's technology newsletter. As for the border patrol, the agency believes searches of social media and travelers' devices are well within its rights.

Currently, police officers have the authority to demand that you unlock your mobile phone using face recognition and fingerprint identification. When unlocking your phone, police officers have no right to demand that you disclose your passcode or pattern.

Every time you cross the border, customs officials have the right to look at anything in your possession, including the content on your laptop, handheld device, cell phone, USB memory stick and digital cameras, Gurley said.