What is an immigration officer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an immigration officer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $30.38 an hour? That's $63,184 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 3% and produce 20,600 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreImmigration OfficerUS Average
Salary
4.9

Avg. Salary $63,184

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
8.1

Growth Rate 3%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.2
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.83%

Asian 8.17%

Black or African American 11.41%

Hispanic or Latino 15.55%

Unknown 4.46%

White 59.57%

Gender

female 49.73%

male 50.27%

Age - 46
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46
Stress Level
8.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
6.6

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
7.1

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

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Immigration Officer career paths

Key steps to become an immigration officer

  1. Explore immigration officer education requirements

    Most common immigration officer degrees

    Bachelor's

    59.3 %

    Master's

    16.0 %

    High School Diploma

    9.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific immigration officer skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Background Checks22.35%
    Fraud Detection17.28%
    Conduct Interviews15.30%
    National Security12.79%
    CIS7.80%
  3. Complete relevant immigration officer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New immigration officers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an immigration officer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real immigration officer resumes.
  4. Research immigration officer duties and responsibilities

    • Manage caseload utilizing INSZoom software.
    • Interview suspects and witnesses along with serving warrants and subpoenas.
    • Take sworn testimonies, administer oaths and serve administrative subpoenas.
    • Conduct hearings and adjudicate legal decisions regarding applicants' U.S. citizenship eligibility.
  5. Prepare your immigration officer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your immigration officer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an immigration officer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Immigration Officer Resume templates

    Build a professional Immigration Officer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Immigration Officer resume.
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    Immigration Officer Resume
  6. Apply for immigration officer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an immigration officer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Immigration Officer Job

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Average immigration officer salary

The average Immigration Officer salary in the United States is $63,184 per year or $30 per hour. Immigration officer salaries range between $36,000 and $109,000 per year.

Average Immigration Officer Salary
$63,184 Yearly
$30.38 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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