43203 Border services, customs, and immigration officers

What this occupation covers

Border services, customs, and immigration officers administer and enforce laws and regulations related to immigration, customs and border crossing. They are employed by government agencies.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 14 main duties for this code.

• Conduct interviews, using inspections and information-seeking techniques, at border points as part of primary and secondary inspections for immigration, food, plant and animals, and customs program functions
• 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
• Apply applicable legislation, policies, and procedure when screening and/or inspecting people and goods
• May conduct an arrest, detention, or conduct personal search of individuals suspected of having committed a criminal offence under the Customs Act or certain other designated Criminal Code offences until police intervention is possible
• Operate firearms and use defensive tactics and physical force when necessary in the performance of 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.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 3 of its 14 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 12104 Employment insurance and revenue officers
• 40011 Government managers - economic analysis, policy development and program administration
• 40010 Government managers - health and social policy development and program administration
• 41403 Social policy researchers, consultants and program officers

Excluded from this code

• Employment insurance and revenue officers (See 12104 Employment insurance and revenue officers)
• Government managers - economic analysis, policy development and program administration (See 40011 Government managers - economic analysis, policy development and program administration)
• Government managers - health and social policy development and program administration (See 40010 Government managers - health and social policy development and program administration)
• Social policy researchers, consultants and program officers (See 41403 Social policy researchers, consultants and program officers)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

adjudication officer - immigration · border services officer (BSO) · border services student officer · border services trainee officer · case review officer - immigration · citizenship registration examiner · claims processing officer - immigration · customs appraiser · customs baggage inspector · customs collector · customs examiner · customs inspection supervisor · customs inspector · customs inspectors supervisor · customs investigator · customs officer · Immigration Act enforcement officer · immigration agent - government services · immigration appeal officer · immigration examiner · immigration examining officer · immigration inspector · immigration officer - government services · immigration officers supervisor

Employment requirements

• Completion of secondary school is required.
• A four-week online training and a four-and-half-month specialized training at the CBSA College are required for border services officers.
• Successful pass of the officer trainee entrance exam (OTEE), successful completion of the Canadian Firearms Safety Course (CGSC) and the Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course (CRFSC) is required for border services officers.
• Must pass psychological assessment, physical abilities requirement evaluation (PARE) and medical exam to be a border services officer.
• Border services student officers must complete Control and Defensive Tactics (CDT) training
• Completion of specialized government training is usually required.
• A driver's license is required.