Ask the CBSA!

[Squadcar]

Hi all! Could someone point me in the direction of a good resource to learn more about the CBSA? I've recently taken an interest in applying and I'm trying to learn as much as I possibly can, but unlike the RCMP or other large police services, I'm finding that information about the CBSA is somewhat limited on their websites. I've found the info on the recruiting and whatnot but I'm more interested in things like day to day duties, and information on the posting process and such.

As an aside, how difficult is it to get back to your home province? I'm in St. John's NL and would very much like to return one day.

Google and here probably have the best info. CBSA is not good at selling itself and you won’t find much of that sort of info.

Getting to NL would be challenging due to the lack of positions overall but could be accomplished eventually. Spousal transfers get priority and are often how people get home to smaller locations. Other people take leave without pay, move home, and wait for a position to open up.

Thanks for the info! I was able to find a what appears to be an internal review or something regarding recruitment, which ended up being a wealth of information.

The leave without pay thing...yikes.

What does a spousal transfer consist of?

[BoltUp]

Hi all! Could someone point me in the direction of a good resource to learn more about the CBSA? I've recently taken an interest in applying and I'm trying to learn as much as I possibly can, but unlike the RCMP or other large police services, I'm finding that information about the CBSA is somewhat limited on their websites. I've found the info on the recruiting and whatnot but I'm more interested in things like day to day duties, and information on the posting process and such.

As an aside, how difficult is it to get back to your home province? I'm in St. John's NL and would very much like to return one day.

Google and here probably have the best info. CBSA is not good at selling itself and you won’t find much of that sort of info.

Getting to NL would be challenging due to the lack of positions overall but could be accomplished eventually. Spousal transfers get priority and are often how people get home to smaller locations. Other people take leave without pay, move home, and wait for a position to open up.

Thanks for the info! I was able to find a what appears to be an internal review or something regarding recruitment, which ended up being a wealth of information.

The leave without pay thing...yikes.

What does a spousal transfer consist of?

There is some really great info that members have clearly taken a lot of time to write free in this forum. If you type spousal transfer in to the search bar at the top of this page, you'll find some great responses

[umar99]

Hey so i wrote my OTEE exam back in Oct of 2018 and passed, i received a packaged containing the following steps but since than i have not received any updates of any sort. Just wondering if there are still people who are out there that applied in October 2018 from GTA and still waiting for receive their interview. Its been nearly six months...Fingers crossed!

Thanks!

[Stathakos]

Hi all! Could someone point me in the direction of a good resource to learn more about the CBSA? I've recently taken an interest in applying and I'm trying to learn as much as I possibly can, but unlike the RCMP or other large police services, I'm finding that information about the CBSA is somewhat limited on their websites. I've found the info on the recruiting and whatnot but I'm more interested in things like day to day duties, and information on the posting process and such.

As an aside, how difficult is it to get back to your home province? I'm in St. John's NL and would very much like to return one day.

Google and here probably have the best info. CBSA is not good at selling itself and you won’t find much of that sort of info.

Getting to NL would be challenging due to the lack of positions overall but could be accomplished eventually. Spousal transfers get priority and are often how people get home to smaller locations. Other people take leave without pay, move home, and wait for a position to open up.

Thanks for the info! I was able to find a what appears to be an internal review or something regarding recruitment, which ended up being a wealth of information.

The leave without pay thing...yikes.

What does a spousal transfer consist of?

It also involves going on leave without pay. Some officers wait over a month before getting picked up, even with spousal...

[Stathakos]

Question for fellow BSOs

If I want to get to inland, is air mode really my best bet? Or can I still have a fighting chance from a land port, say one in Southern Ontario?


Thanks!

[MakingItTrue]

Hey all. Getting close to rigaud, I'm curious if there is any math involved while you're there? I know the aptitude tests of course had it, but do they include it in rigaud? Thank you

[Stathakos]

Hey all. Getting close to rigaud, I'm curious if there is any math involved while you're there? I know the aptitude tests of course had it, but do they include it in rigaud? Thank you

Not like in the test nope. But you are gonna be expected to know some very basic math

[LobsterCop]

Just trying to get a realistic idea of where people are getting deployed when it comes to small communities. That's the stream I am in, I have passed everything up until the second psych eval, I am just waiting for that to happen.

I saw someone post about their location, a population under 100, 120km away from even a hospital. Is this level of remoteness common? I live in what I would call a small community, under 5000 people, but we at least have the ability to get medical help with out driving 120km

Could anyone from a small community share their story?

[Campin16]

Hey so i wrote my OTEE exam back in Oct of 2018 and passed, i received a packaged containing the following steps but since than i have not received any updates of any sort. Just wondering if there are still people who are out there that applied in October 2018 from GTA and still waiting for receive their interview. Its been nearly six months...Fingers crossed!

Thanks!

I'm in the exact same situation as you. I emailed recruitment a few weeks ago asking if everyone that passes the OTEE is guaranteed an interview or if there is a point when you need to reapply? The answer I got was that everyone eventually gets an interview, you just have to be patient....

[CdnShield]

Regarding the assignment of work location of new hires....how much does CBSA try to accommodate the recruit's preferred locations?

Do most folks end up being sent to one of the locations they indicated they wanted to work at? Does anyone have experience of being sent somewhere they really did not want to go and how that played out?

[Stathakos]

Just trying to get a realistic idea of where people are getting deployed when it comes to small communities. That's the stream I am in, I have passed everything up until the second psych eval, I am just waiting for that to happen.

I saw someone post about their location, a population under 100, 120km away from even a hospital. Is this level of remoteness common? I live in what I would call a small community, under 5000 people, but we at least have the ability to get medical help with out driving 120km

Could anyone from a small community share their story?

I'm from Toronto and got deployed to south Western Manitoba. The community I live in is just under 1000. There is basic necessities in town like a grocery store (co op) and post office, gas etc. And a hospital for minor injuries/doctor check ups..If I want 'normal' city life i have to drive over an hour to Brandon MB or 3 hrs to Winnipeg. It's tough but the officers I work with and the support you have from management knowing you're away from your home makes up for it 10 fold.

[Stathakos]

Regarding the assignment of work location of new hires....how much does CBSA try to accommodate the recruit's preferred locations?

Do most folks end up being sent to one of the locations they indicated they wanted to work at? Does anyone have experience of being sent somewhere they really did not want to go and how that played out?

They'll let you trade spots in Rigaud if both parties are interested. Thats about it for accommodation. Im from Toronto and was supposed to go to Northern B.c. but I traded with a classmate and ended up in SW Manitoba. Youd have to prove the CBSA has a duty to accommodate you with actual legislation that's in place. So far I'm not in my ideal place, but the staff and the working experience has not been bad at all. I'm just 2400km away from where I want to be

[Cookie Monster]

Hey so i wrote my OTEE exam back in Oct of 2018 and passed, i received a packaged containing the following steps but since than i have not received any updates of any sort. Just wondering if there are still people who are out there that applied in October 2018 from GTA and still waiting for receive their interview. Its been nearly six months...Fingers crossed!

Thanks!

Hey Umar ! Don’t worry ! I waited 7months before receiving my date for the interview. Where do you come from ?

[Jumb34t]

Hey so i wrote my OTEE exam back in Oct of 2018 and passed, i received a packaged containing the following steps but since than i have not received any updates of any sort. Just wondering if there are still people who are out there that applied in October 2018 from GTA and still waiting for receive their interview. Its been nearly six months...Fingers crossed!

Thanks!

I'm in the exact same situation as you. I emailed recruitment a few weeks ago asking if everyone that passes the OTEE is guaranteed an interview or if there is a point when you need to reapply? The answer I got was that everyone eventually gets an interview, you just have to be patient....

Also did my OTEE on October 2018 and I just did my interview last friday. Really just gotta wait for it to come. Good luck

[cb681]

They'll let you trade spots in Rigaud if both parties are interested. Thats about it for accommodation. Im from Toronto and was supposed to go to Northern B.c. but I traded with a classmate and ended up in SW Manitoba. Youd have to prove the CBSA has a duty to accommodate you with actual legislation that's in place. So far I'm not in my ideal place, but the staff and the working experience has not been bad at all. I'm just 2400km away from where I want to be

Hey Stathakos, thanks for taking the time to answer some well needed inside knowledge, I was under the impression that letting recruits trade their assigned port was a trial run, is that the norm now? I remember reading this was the case for intake 9.