Border services, customs, and immigration officers
High opportunity occupation
Career Overview
Border services, customs and immigration officers work for government agencies.
This group includes government officers who carry out and enforce laws and regulations related to immigration, customs and border crossing.
Job Titles
Duties
Border services officers and customs officers perform some of or all the following duties:
- Question persons at border points to determine the admissibility of goods and assess duty
- Conduct interviews at border points as part of the primary and secondary inspections for immigration, food, plant and animals and customs program functions
- Apply legislation, policies and procedures when screening and inspecting people and goods
- Inspect baggage to detect undeclared merchandise, or contraband
- Inform manufacturers and shippers of customs and laws and procedures
- Observe fabrication of articles affected by customs laws and conduct appraisals
- Board carriers arriving from foreign countries to determine nature of cargo to ensure compliance with customs and commerce laws
- Inspect goods imported by mail
- Operate firearms and use defensive tactics and physical force, when necessary, in the performance of duties
- May arrest and detain individuals suspected of having committed a criminal offence under the Customs Act or certain other designated Criminal Code offences until police intervention is possible
Immigration officers perform some or all of the following duties:
- Determine admissibility of persons seeking entry into Canada by examining documents and conducting interviews
- Grant landed-immigrant status, admit persons or order detention or deportation
- Locate and apprehend persons presumed to be infringing on immigration laws
- Assist in the removal of deported people by seeking authorization from receiving countries and securing necessary travel documents
- Appear as a witness in cases related to immigration appeals
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
1,475% Employed Full Time
78%Work in this occupation is typically performed in a structured environment, such as an office.
Career Pathways
Border services officers must be willing to work anywhere in Canada, including rural and remote areas.
Progression to managerial positions in these fields is possible with experience.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
- Must complete secondary school
- Border service officers must complete a four-week online training and a four-and-half month specialized training at the CBSA College
- Border service officers must pass the officer trainee entrance exam (OTEE), the Canadian Firearms Safety Course (CGSC) and the Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course (CRFSC)
- Must pass a psychological assessment, physical abilities requirement evaluation (PARE) and a medical exam
- Border services students officers must complete Control and Defensive Tactics (CDT) training
- Completion of specialized government training is usually needed
- Must have a driver's license
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Criminal Justice/Criminology
- Criminology/Criminal Justice
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
1,475Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 0 | 0.0% |
| Kootenay | 85 | 5.8% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 1,225 | 83.1% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 25 | 1.7% |
| Northeast | 0 | 0.0% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 65 | 4.4% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 75 | 5.1% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
550Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | Not available | Not available |
| Kootenay | 10 | -0.2% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 500 | 2.0% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 10 | -0.7% |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 10 | 0.5% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 20 | 0.6% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Public Administration | 540 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 10 |
Resources
Resource information is currently not available.
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