Sunday, 23 January 2000
The Immigration and Naturalization Service is reacting to a
shortfall in the hiring of Border Patrol agents by offering a
$2,000 bonus to each successful applicant.
Agents who begin duty between Jan. 10 and Sept. 30 will receive
their bonuses soon after reporting to the Border Patrol academy.
Base pay averages more than $30,000 per year.
The bonuses will be in the first paychecks, provided the new hire
signs an agreement to remain employed by the Justice Department
for at least 12 months, said INS spokeswoman Sharon Gavin. The
Border Patrol is part of the INS, which is part of the Justice
Department.
``We established this hiring bonus to give INS a competitive edge
in attracting high-quality applicants in this strong economy,''
INS Commissioner Doris Meissner said in a written statement.
Last year the INS fell 631 agents short of adding the 1,000 agents
funded by Congress. Meissner blamed the shortfall on the many
job opportunities the growing American economy is offering applicants.
The INS is also sending out recruiters to colleges, universities,
military bases and job fairs to reach potential recruits.
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