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What To Do Now? Immigration Officer Career Training

by Karen Jo Shapiro
Online Education Columnist

Throughout it's history, the U.S. has allowed people from all over the world to move and become citizens here. At the same time, America has also had to deny entrance at times because the influx of immigration can simply be too high for the economy to support. Immigration is an area of law enforcement that deals with monitoring people entering and leaving the country. Retraining as an immigrations officer through online career retraining courses is one way to improve your skills for this interesting and complex career.

Career Skills of Immigration Officers

Immigration officers have a background in law enforcement. They are tough-minded, able to communicate clearly, and have a solid understanding of immigration regulations. You must also be able to demonstrate that you're a law-abiding citizen and have a history of responsible behavior and honesty.

Immigration officers communicate with people coming to the United States from all over the world. They interview and examine people seeking legal entrance to this country. Career skills that are important for this occupation include cultural sensitivity and understanding, and the ability to work well with all kinds of people. You must also be good at documentation, explaining policy, and understanding when exceptions can be made.

Interested? Career Advice for Retraining

To begin as an immigrations officer, you must first be in law enforcement. Law enforcement professionals can have diverse backgrounds, ranging from high-school diplomas to four-year degrees. Additionally, there are many different tests (including physical) that an officer has to take in order to qualify for a position in this field. You must pass a background check, and you need to be a citizen of the United States. Online immigration training courses can be quite useful as you retrain, giving you specialized information to improve your skills for this particular field.

More about Immigration Officer Career Training & Immigration Officer Schools Online


University of Phoenix

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    Karen Jo Shapiro is a psychologist who specializes in leadership and career development in addition to personal coaching. She is the owner of Your Next Steps Coaching and is on adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, NC. She leads workshops for women on achieving their dreams through action planning, and also on powerful connections through networking. Karen Jo has undergraduate degrees in English and Spanish from Colby College and a Psy.D. from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology. She has published two books of humorous poetry for children.