Each Friday, the Wizard joins us to share an answer to one of the questions asked during the week.
Question
I received notice that I passed the exam. What happens next?
After passing the exam, an application (CBP 3124) must be filed at the port where you want to transact customs business. The application must be accompanied by a $200 application fee, plus a fingerprint check and processing fee. The application must be filed within 3 years after passing the exam.
In addition to the initial fees, brokers are required to pay a yearly fee for each permit and provide a status report every three years. The list of fees brokers are required to pay is found in 19 CFR §111.96.
Each broker license applicant must undergo a background investigation that includes a fingerprint analysis and a review of character references, credit reports, and any arrest record. A CBP officer will contact you to set up a time to discuss your application. Arrests or convictions do not necessarily preclude the issuance of a license. It is better to tell the truth when asked because lying does not demonstrate the integrity and character required to obtain a license. The length of time it takes to complete the license application process can vary depending on multiple factors. Some of the factors include but are not limited to the number of different locations where the applicant has lived , the workload of the agent conducting the background investigation and the national security threat level. Do not get too discouraged because an application can take from 8 to 12 months to process. Try to relax and be happy that you have passed the exam!
Question
I received notice that I passed the exam. What happens next?
After passing the exam, an application (CBP 3124) must be filed at the port where you want to transact customs business. The application must be accompanied by a $200 application fee, plus a fingerprint check and processing fee. The application must be filed within 3 years after passing the exam.
In addition to the initial fees, brokers are required to pay a yearly fee for each permit and provide a status report every three years. The list of fees brokers are required to pay is found in 19 CFR §111.96.
Each broker license applicant must undergo a background investigation that includes a fingerprint analysis and a review of character references, credit reports, and any arrest record. A CBP officer will contact you to set up a time to discuss your application. Arrests or convictions do not necessarily preclude the issuance of a license. It is better to tell the truth when asked because lying does not demonstrate the integrity and character required to obtain a license. The length of time it takes to complete the license application process can vary depending on multiple factors. Some of the factors include but are not limited to the number of different locations where the applicant has lived , the workload of the agent conducting the background investigation and the national security threat level. Do not get too discouraged because an application can take from 8 to 12 months to process. Try to relax and be happy that you have passed the exam!
Do you have a question for the Wizard? Submit your question by clicking on the link in the space for “Ask the Wizard.” See you next Friday!
6 comments:
I passed the Oct. 2008 exam and still do not have my license. I think I fell into the heavy officer workload issue and that delayed many items. I do know that my references were called a few months ago. Who should I contact now to find a status?
-Steve
Wizard to Steve
Who did your interview? Call the officer assigned to your case.
If you don't know how to contact that person, contact your local port office to see if they can direct you to the right person.
They used to assign these things to the agents at the local ports. They would come out to do the interview of the applicant, conduct reference checks, etc.
Wizard,
It was an ICE officer in my local port and I will try to contact them again. In general my messages are not returned and that is why I was looking for another source. Thank you -Steve
Steve, it takes a long time. I passed my exam in 04/07 and my license is dated 07/08. That's over a year. I should note that there was also a delay in getting my exam results because this was the time Hurricane Katrina happened,in fact, I actually called CBP HQ to learn my results, then I got the letter a week later.
Anyway, I got my credit report right away and sent everything to CBP. If I remember correctly, ICE does there check and then hands the file over to CBP who does their own check. By the time CBP got my file, my credit report was more than six months old, and I had to get a new one and fax it to them. Getting the second credit check hurt my FICO, but I had no choice.
Call the brokers' management office (BMO) and ask for the BMO number at HQ. I think that's what I did. Good luck! Dave
Same thing is happening here.
Passed the exam Oct 2008. Submitted my app. on Nov. 2008. had my first interview on March 2009. , Second Interview April 2009. No news until 2010 Jan.(They said it would be done within 30 days. But NO, it didnt happen) As I called ICE to ask on my status, they got very upset with me saying I cannot call for status. They said that is a Federal government department, and there was no tracking or status update available for me. O_o.
So after a while, they called me in for my THIRD Interview was on April 2010. then my references were called on May 2010.. Now CBP still have no news ICE came back to them.
During my third Interview, the special agent did say sorry that they are backed up and will process mine ASAP. But this does not seem like the case.
I have no where to turn. we can ask Port director to push CBP officers, but how about ICE, who can we ask in the ICE team? I will hit my 2 year anniversary by Nov.
This is very upsetting situation :(
Wizard,
I just had my interview 2/9/2011 , application submitted 12/15/2010. Questionnaire based interview with questions on criminal background, drug usage, loyalty to u.s. government. Then I signed my name asserting everything i said was true. Is this standard procedure for all applicants? If they had anything to dig up from the past, wouuld they have presented that information during the interview?
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