Job Description of an Immigration Inspector
Immigration inspectors are hired by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency to aid in processing and validating individuals that are applying to enter the United States legally and to help apprehend those who attempt to enter the country illegally. There are more than 8,000 miles of international boundaries comprised of both land and water that inspectors and U.S. border patrol agents must guard and protect, and every year thousands of individuals apply for citizenship.
Other People Are Reading
-
Job Duties and Responsibilities
-
Immigration inspectors hold varying duties and responsibilities and the exact job description is usually defined by the specific location that an inspector is working. An immigration inspector living in New York City or Chicago is certain to have very different responsibilities from an immigration inspector living in areas where Mexico or Canada directly border the United States. There is an explicit duality to the job of an immigration inspector. Inspectors may solely work as agents that regulate the entry of individuals into the country in accordance with immigration laws. Duties associated with the position include examining passports, applications, and visas; conducting interviews; and interpreting laws to determine eligibility for citizenship. Some immigration officers patrol borders and apprehend individuals attempting to enter the country illegally. In these cases, an immigration officer acts more as a law enforcement officer and may make arrests, or detain and arrange for the deportation of individuals attempting to enter the country illegally. Many immigration inspector jobs consist of some combination of these diverse duties and responsibilities.
Education Requirements and Other Qualifications
-
All employment as a patrol agent or in law enforcement with a federal agency requires a bachelor's degree, related work experience, or a combination of the two. This applies to immigration inspector jobs because the job involves enforcing laws and occasionally making arrests. Candidates must be U.S. citizens. Some jobs where patrolling borders on foot, horseback or over rough terrain may be required, individuals must meet specific physical qualifications. Applicants must pass an examination that proves that the applicant has the required knowledge of U.S. immigration law and procedure, as well as proper interview and documentation review techniques. Candidates should possess excellent social skills and an extremely high level of communication abilities and employees are all subjected to random drug screening when working for the federal government.
-
Job Challenges
-
Immigration inspectors must possess a high level of personal motivation and accountability in order to keep up with a system where the regulations, procedures and laws governing immigration are constantly changing. English is usually a second language for individuals attempting to immigrate into the United States. When language barriers can pose a daily challenge, being fluent in more than one language can be vital to success and may be required for some jobs. Immigration inspectors may become threatened by violent and/or overemotional individuals. The ability to safely restrain, calm and detain these individuals is essential in this line of work.
Job Outlook
-
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics "Occupational Outlook Handbook," competition should be expected for jobs in state and federal agencies and that there will be more competition for jobs in federal and state law enforcement agencies than for jobs in local agencies. Employment of police and detectives, which is the job category that immigration inspector falls under, is expected to grow 10 percent over the 2008 to 18 decade. This is about as fast as the national average for all occupations in the United States. In this field bilingual applicants with investigative experience, a bachelor's degree and several years of law enforcement or military experience will have the best opportunities.
Job Salary
-
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that police and sheriff patrol officers, the job field that immigration inspectors fall under, had median annual wages of $51,410 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $38,850 and $64,940. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $30,070, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $79,680. Median annual wages were $46,620 in the federal government, which hires immigration inspectors.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit liberty and flag image by zampa from Fotolia.com
