Become a student border services officer

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What we do

SBSOs protect Canada's security and economy by ensuring the free flow of admissible people and goods, while supporting national security and public safety priorities.

As an SBSO, some of your job duties will include:

• Serving and educating the public with professionalism, respect, and integrity
• Interviewing travellers
• Verifying declarations and goods
• Referring travellers and goods for further examination from primary to secondary
• Examining documents

Specific job duties vary depending on your work location.

Work locations

SBSOs work at ports of entry (POEs) across Canada. Specifically, international airports, international mail processing centres, cruise ship operations, and a telephone reporting centre.

Alberta

• Calgary: Calgary International Airport
• Edmonton: Edmonton International Airport

British Columbia

• Richmond : Vancouver International Airport, Vancouver International Mail Centre
• Vancouver: Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal
• Victoria: Ogden Point Terminal

Manitoba

• Winnipeg: James Armstrong Richardson International Airport

Newfoundland and Labrador

• St. John's: St. John's International Airport

Nova Scotia

• Halifax: Stanfield International Airport

Ontario

• Hamilton: Hamilton International Airport, Telephone Reporting Centre
• Mississauga: Toronto Pearson International Airport, International Mail Processing Centre
• Ottawa: Macdonald-Cartier International Airport
• Toronto: Toronto Billy Bishop City Airport
• Waterloo: Region of Waterloo International Airport

Quebec

• Dorval: Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
• Montréal: International Mail Processing Centre Léo Blanchette
• Québec City: Jean Lesage International Airport

Saskatchewan

• Regina: Regina International Airport
• Saskatoon: John G. Diefenbaker International Airport

Work hours

SBSOs work full-time during the summer, from the end of April or early May to September.

Depending on their POE’s operational requirements, there may also be opportunities to continue working during the fall and winter on a part-time basis, after their summer work term ends.

SBSOs work rotating shift schedules. This means the shifts assigned to you will rotate on a weekly basis and you will not work the same hours every week.

The following are just some examples of SBSO shifts. It is not an exhaustive list and is meant to give you an idea of what your schedule could look like. Your actual schedules will depend on your POE’s operational requirements.

• 5 days on, 4 days off
• Weekdays, weekends, statutory holidays
  • 5 am to 3 pm
  • 7 am to 5 pm
  • 10 am to 8:30 pm
  • 12 pm to 10:30 pm
  • 2 pm to 12 am
  • 4 pm to 2 am
• Overtime as required

Opportunities for time off during scheduled shifts are very limited. Summer is one of the CBSA’s busiest seasons. It is when travellers and goods arriving at international airports, cruise ship operations, and international mail processing centres are at a peak. The priority is ensuring that POEs are fully staffed to serve the public and keep our borders secure. SBSOs play an important role in our operations.

Pay

SBSOs are paid $17.36 to $37.53 per hour, depending on their current level of study. See Rates of pay for post-secondary school students.

SBSOs do not receive paid leave.

Our ideal candidate

Our ideal candidate is committed to serving the public and keeping Canada’s borders secure and safe. We are looking for people who:

• are professional, empathetic and driven
• excel in a fast-paced and challenging work environment
• pay attention to details and can problem solve under pressure
• are effective communicators
• value client service and working in a team environment
• are open to constructive feedback for improvement
• value growth and continuous learning

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible to apply, you must be:

• a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• a full-time student registered at a recognized post-secondary institution (CEGEP, college, university)
  • this includes persons with disabilities considered to have full-time status by their academic institution
• a full-time student during the entire hiring process (Fall 2024 and Winter/Spring 2024-2025)
• returning to full-time post-secondary school in September 2025
• at least 18 years old by the time training starts in April 2025

In addition, you must:

• be willing to wear and maintain a uniform as per the CBSA's Uniform Policy and Standard of Appearance
• possess a valid, unrestricted driver's license that allows you to operate a government vehicle (where required)
• attend mandatory 5 week training at the start of your contract. No days off are permitted.

Note: Preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents over non-Canadian students who are eligible to work in Canada. See the Directive on Student Employment for more information on the Government of Canada's requirements for student employment.

Studying outside of Canada

If you are a Canadian citizen enrolled in a post-secondary school outside of Canada, your education may not be recognized in the province where you will work. Your school must be accredited in the province where you will be working. Otherwise, you are not eligible to apply.

When to apply

To apply for an SBSO position for summer 2026, visit Federal Student Work Experience Program in early summer 2025.

Due to the lengthy hiring process, please apply as early as possible. Many hiring managers review applications well before the job poster closes.

When applying online, you can choose up to 3 cities where you would like to work. You can cross reference the cities with the work locations listed above. Only choose locations where you are willing and able to work. If you live in a city that differs from where you would like to work, you are responsible for your relocation, transportation and lodging expenses.

The hiring process

Given the nature of the job, applicants are thoroughly assessed to determine if they are suited to work as an SBSO.

If we contact you about your application, the recruitment process spans 8 to 9 months. This is from the time we contact you to the time you are potentially offered a job. Job offers are sent to candidates by early to mid April.

If considered for a job, you must successfully complete each assessment to move forward in the hiring process:

1. Officer Trainee Entrance Exam (OTEE)

You will have 2 hours and 15 minutes to complete 117 multiple choice questions. The online exam does not require knowledge of the CBSA. It assesses your reasoning skills, writing skills, analytical thinking, and client orientation.

2. Interview

You will be assessed on your ability to deal with difficult situations, effective interactive communication, judgment, and values and ethics.

3. Medical examination

You will complete a medical assessment performed by a Health Canada designated physician. The assessment evaluates your physical ability to perform the duties and control and defensive tactics training required of an SBSO.

4. Secret security clearance

To obtain a secret security clearance, you must consent to a telephone integrity interview, a credit check, and law enforcement and security database verifications. You must also submit:

• digital fingerprints
• a form that includes information about your:
  • education history
  • employment history
  • immediate relatives
  • character references
  • travel outside of Canada

5. Mandatory 5 week training

You will complete online and classroom training that includes the following:

• Customs Act
• Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations
• Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act
• Food, plant and animal legislation
• A two-week Control and Defensive Tactics (CDT) course which is required to carry, use, and maintain CBSA issued defensive equipment (SBSOs do not carry a duty firearm).

CDT training is physically demanding. It teaches use of force and the basics of defense and control tactics. Candidates must be in excellent physical condition to meet training demands, which helps to prevent training injuries.

SBSO training is mandatory. To work as an SBSO, you must successfully complete the entire training. Training cannot be rescheduled.

Full-time training takes place from the end of April or early May to June, from Monday to Friday.

After applying

Applications are randomly selected so there is no guarantee you will be contacted. Due to the large number of applications, the CBSA only contacts applicants whose applications are selected for consideration.

After applying, you must regularly check your email, including your junk/spam folder. Emails regarding your job candidacy are time sensitive, as are the responses and information we need from you. Delayed responses could affect your candidacy.

There may be long gaps between email correspondence from the regional recruitment team. This is not an indication of inactivity. They are processing many applications simultaneously. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Note: If you had applied for a summer 2025 position and did not hear from us by October 2024, then your application was not selected for consideration. We encourage you to apply for summer 2026 if you still meet the eligibility requirements.

Attend a recruitment event

Learn more about what it is like to work as an SBSO.

During the next SBSO recruitment campaign, we will be offering information sessions. Our CBSA recruiters will share stories about working on the frontline and what to expect when you are working as an SBSO. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions.

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