SUMMER EMPLOYMENT 2026: CBSA Student Border Services Officer

  • Location: Various locations, Canada
  • Deadline: September 18, 2025 at 5:00 pm

Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP)

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)

Location

Abbotsford (British Columbia),
Dorval (Québec),
Halifax (Nova Scotia),
Hamilton (Ontario),
Kelowna (British Columbia),
Mississauga (Ontario),
Montréal Island (Québec),
Ottawa (Ontario),
Prince Rupert (British Columbia),
Québec (Québec),
Regina (Saskatchewan),
Richmond (British Columbia),
Saskatoon (Saskatchewan),
Sidney (British Columbia),
St. John’s (Newfoundland and Labrador),
Toronto (Ontario),
Vancouver (British Columbia),
Victoria (British Columbia),
Whitehorse (Yukon),
Winnipeg (Manitoba)

Contact information

SBSO_Recruitment-Recrutement_AESF@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca

FSWEP eligibility criteria

Work locations

Deadline to apply: September 18, 2025

What you will do

As a Student Border Services Officer (SBSO), you will protect Canada’s border security and economy by ensuring the flow of admissible people and goods, while supporting national security and public safety.

If you are looking for a hands-on job in law enforcement, look no further.

You will work alongside Border Services Officers at an international airport, international mail processing centre, cruise ship operation, or telephone reporting centre. SBSOs work at these locations but those hiring for Summer 2026 are listed in this job poster.

Job duties include but are not limited to:

  • Serving and educating the public with professionalism, respect, and integrity.
  • Interviewing travellers.
  • Examining documents.
  • Verifying declarations and goods.
  • Referring travellers and goods that require further examination.

When will you work?

  • Full-time from end of April 2026 to early September 2026 (may vary by location and operational needs).
  • If you still meet the eligibility criteria for FSWEP, you could be rehired to work part-time for Fall 2026 and Winter 2027.

Apply Early

  • Apply early because the hiring process is long.
  • Many hiring managers start reviewing applications before the job poster closes. You will only be contacted if your application is selected for consideration.
  • A pool of qualified candidates will be established from this selection process. Not all applicants will be contacted, interviewed or hired.
  • Qualified candidates may be considered for a Summer 2027 job if they still meet the eligibility criteria for FSWEP.
  • If you do not hear from us by November 2025, you will not be considered for summer 2026 positions. We encourage you to re-apply next year if you are still eligible.

Our Ideal Candidate

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 in good physical condition. You’ll need strength, endurance and agility to pass control and defensive tactics training. This training is physically strenuous and covers use of force, defense strategies, and control tactics.

Is this job right for you?

Do you:

  • like interacting with the public;
  • handle challenging people and situations confidently and professionally;
  • want a hands-on job because a traditional desk job isn’t for you;
  • like working a rotating shift schedule that includes nights and weekends?

Are you eligible to apply?

To be eligible to apply (and be hired and work as an SBSO), you must meet all the eligibility criteria:

    • this includes persons with disabilities considered to have full-time status by their academic institution
  • be a full-time student during the entire hiring process (academic terms: Fall 2025 and Winter 2026)
  • be returning to full-time post-secondary school in September 2026
  • be at least 18 years old by the time training starts in April 2026

Important

  • You must provide proof of full-time post-secondary education throughout the hiring process.
  • What is your working ability in Canada’s official languages?
    • When answering this question in your application, only choose “Bilingual – English and French” if you can fluently speak, read and write in both English and French. Otherwise, choose “English” or “French” as it applies to you.
  • Preference will be given to candidates with Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status over non‑Canadians 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.
  • All information collected during the hiring process, including behaviour and communication, from the time of application to the end of the process, may be used to assess candidates and make hiring decisions.
  • Communication for this process will be done by email. You are responsible for providing accurate and up-to-date contact information. 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 will affect your candidacy.

Conditions of employment

As part of the hiring process, you must pass the online Officer Trainee Entrance Exam (OTEE) and an interview. After successfully completing these assessments, you must meet the following conditions before you are hired and while you are employed:

  1. Depending on the work location, you may need a valid, unrestricted driver’s license* that allows you to drive a motor vehicle in Canada.

*Note: A valid driver’s licence is a full driver’s licence. It does not include a driver’s licence with restrictions as part of any provincial/territorial graduated licencing. You will be asked to present an original, unrestricted driver’s licence.

  1. If you are considered for a job, you must meet the following requirements (the CBSA will coordinate the administrative procedures):
  1. Complete and meet the standards of a Health Canada medical examination, where required.
  1. Obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
  1. Once hired, obtain and maintain, in the weeks after being hired, a Restricted Area Identity Card or Port Pass, where required.
  1. Successfully complete the paid, mandatory five-week SBSO training which takes place from end of April / early May to June 2026.
  • Training includes strenuous physical activity pertaining to the Control and Defensive Tactics (CDT) course needed to carry, use, and maintain CBSA issued defensive equipment (except a duty firearm), where required.
  • For more information on training, visit Become a Student Border Services Officer.
  1. Wear and maintain a uniform, as per the CBSA Uniform Policy and Standard of Appearance.
  1. Carry, use and maintain CBSA-issued defensive equipment (handcuffs, oleoresin capsicum spray, baton), in accordance with the CBSA’s policies and directives.
  1. Work full-time hours and various shifts, including shiftwork, weekends and holidays.
  1. Work overtime, where required.
  1. Operate a government vehicle, where required.

Additional information

  • Relocation and Transportation Expenses

If you are hired as an SBSO, you will be fully responsible for any travel, accommodation, and relocation costs associated with the job. Only apply for locations where you are willing and able to work and/or relocate independently, at your own expense. Please carefully assess your financial and personal circumstances before applying.

  • Self-declare

The CBSA is working to create a diverse workforce that represents the public it serves. Therefore, candidates from under-represented employment equity groups will be prioritized in the hiring process.

If you are a member of one or more of the following groups, we strongly encourage you to self-declare when you apply so that your application is prioritized:

  • Indigenous Peoples of Canada
  • Persons with disabilities
  • Visible minorities
  • Women

Learn more at Self-declaring for Government of Canada Jobs.

  • Do you need an accommodation?

We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need an accommodation when applying to the job, please contact SBSO_Recruitment-Recrutement_AESF@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca.

If your application is selected, we will provide you more information about the assessments and requesting assessment accommodations. All accommodation related information received will be kept confidential.

  • Hiring for locations not listed

To meet changing operational needs, the CBSA may need to hire for locations not listed in this job poster.

Deadline to apply: September 18, 2025