Air and Marine Agents, CBP Officers and U.S. Border Patrol Agents must be medically and physically capable of performing the essential job functions and duties of their respective positions safely and efficiently without aggravating existing health problems or endangering the health and safety of the individual, others, or national security.
After tentative selection, applicants must undergo a pre-employment medical examination and be found medically qualified to perform the position's full range of duties safely and efficiently. Any disease or condition that may potentially interfere with the safe and efficient performance of the job's duties or training may result in medical disqualification. No condition is automatically disqualifying; each determination is made on a case-by-case basis. The medical determination may involve recommendations for additional information and/or testing. If medical information is recommended beyond that provided by the initial medical examination, it is provided at the expense of the candidate.
Scheduling the Exam
CBP will provide and pay for the pre-placement medical examination. CBP designed this exam to provide you with the information you will need to move quickly through the medical process. Not understanding the purpose of the examination or not providing the required medical documentation may cause a delay. It is your responsibility as the applicant to demonstrate that you are qualified for the position. To expedite the process, make sure you have the information listed below with you when you arrive for the examination.
A representative from the company contracted to provide these medical examinations will call you to schedule your exam. You have 10 days after that call to schedule and complete your exam. If no one contacts you within one month of receiving your tentative offer, please send an email to cbphiringmedfitappt@cbp.dhs.gov. If no medical issues arise from your exam, expect to complete the medical review process in about 60 days. If the exam does identify any medical issues, someone from the CBP Hiring Center’s Medical Processing Unit will contact you via email.
What To Do
- If you wear corrective lenses (glasses or contacts), you are required to bring them with you to the exam.
- Avoid excessive noise levels, such as in an environment where you would have to shout to carry on a normal conversation, for at least 15 hours prior to your exam.
What To Bring
- Federal or State Government issued identification with a picture (e.g. a driver’s license, passport, etc.). Other types of identification are not acceptable.
- Medical documentation confirming resolution of any ongoing or recent medical conditions.
- All disability or injury award documentation (Veterans Affairs (VA), Social Security Administration, worker’s compensation, etc.) showing the award and its status. For example, an applicant receiving VA compensation would provide his or her VA Disability Evaluation and Rating Report, which identifies the specific medical conditions, an analysis of each, and the VA’s final decision.
- A copy of your most recent eyeglass or lens prescription.
We will review the results of your medical examination and any documents you provided at the time of the exam. If we need more information after this review, we will contact you. You will have to pay the costs associated with obtaining any additional documentation or medical evaluations from your physician.
Requests for Medical Information
Under federal regulations, an agency may require applicants to provide medical information and submit to medical examinations in order to determine the nature of any medical conditions that could affect the safe and efficient performance of job duties. See 5 C.F.R. Part 339.
For a summary of the medical requirements and application process for CBP frontline positions, you may visit the careers page of CBP’s website at https://www.cbp.gov/careers.
No. After you have received a job offer from CBP, the ADA does not prohibit the agency from requiring you to provide medical information in order to determine the nature of any medical conditions that could affect the safe and efficient performance of job duties. Your job offer from CBP may be conditioned on the results of a medical evaluation. See EEOC Enforcement Guidance: Pre-employment Disability Related Questions and Medical Examinations (The Post-Offer Stage) at https://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/preemp.html.
No. The regulations commonly known as the HIPAA Privacy Rule controls the disclosure of a person’s medical information by health plans, health care clearing houses, and health care providers. See 45 C.F.R. Part 164. However, HIPAA does not prohibit CBP from requiring you to provide medical information in order to determine the nature of any medical conditions that could affect the safe and efficient performance of job duties. For more information about HIPAA, you may visit the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services website at https://www.hhs.gov/programs/hipaa/index.html.
No. The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) provide certain protections for veterans seeking employment. However, these laws do not prohibit CBP from requiring applicants, including veterans, to provide medical information after they have received a job offer from CBP. The job offer from CBP may be conditioned on the results of a medical evaluation. See EEOC Enforcement Guidance: Pre-employment Disability Related Questions and Medical Examinations (The Post-Offer Stage) at https://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/preemp.html; Understanding Your Employment Rights Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): A Guide for Veterans at https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/publications/ada_veterans.cfm.
Yes. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) requires employers to treat any medical information obtained from a medical examination or disability-related inquiry as confidential medical records. Employers may share the information in limited circumstances with supervisors, managers, safety personnel and officials investigating compliance with the ADA. See EEOC Enforcement Guidance on Disability-Related Inquiries and Medical Examinations of Employees Under the Americans with Disabilities Act at https://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/guidance-inquiries.html.
In addition, the Privacy Act of 1974 prohibits federal agencies from disclosing your personal information, such as your medical records, without your approval unless a statutory exception applies. See 5 U.S.C. § 552a(b). One such exception is that the medical records may be shared with officers and employees of the agency who have a need for the record in the performance of their duties. See 5 U.S.C. § 552a(b)(1).
