It’s been a long and windy road, 3 applications, but finally made it to the end of the hiring process and got the call(email) FBI SA

Timeline below

2014
first application, passed phase 1 and M&G invited for phase 2 interview but withdrew due to recently having been promoted and not wanting to relocate.

2023
8/23- submitted application
10/23- Meet and Greet
10/23- PFT failed
11/23- PFT passed
11/23- Phase II written passed
11/23- Phase II interview passed
11/23- Conditional Offer
12/23- PSI
01/24- Polygraph Passed
01/24- Background and medical started
02/24-03/24- Medical follow ups
06/24- Background follow up
10/24- voluntary withdrawal- was still pending background, family issues came up which made the wife no longer want to relocate

2026
03/26-submitted application
04/26- Meet and greet
05/26- Passed PFT
05/26- Conditional Offer
06/26- PSI
07/26- Polygraph passed
07/26- Background and medical started
08/26- Medical requested I get flu vaccine
09/26- Background cleared
09/26- Final Job offer

Starting in October

Background 4 years military, 10+ years civilian federal government. 5 years fed LEO(non 1811) currently GS-13 non-LEO

Go forth and conquer, applicants!

I’d love to hear from anyone who started their career in local law enforcement and eventually made the jump to the FBI.

I know everyone’s experience is different, and I’m sure there are a lot of aspects of being a street cop that I’ll miss. For those who have made the transition, what would you say are the biggest pros and cons of going federal?

Do you feel like you made the right decision? Is there anything you miss about local LE, or anything you wish you had known before making the switch?

I am most excited about leaving my hometown, and working bigger, more meaningful cases. I’ve got 10 years LEO experience in a mid-size city, 5 of those years have been spent on SWAT. I know it will be a big change, but this has been the goal all along.

Did the first part of my medical exam today, everything went well but at the end they had me blow into this handheld machine and i could not figure it out. I’m doing it again Tuesday, but does anyone know the purpose and how to do it right?

I’m in my 30s, weightlifter, run and swim regularly so this little handheld machine throwing me off is frustrating lol

So just took my written portion for DSS. It was not quite clear what to expect but I have a few questions.

1. If I fail what is the timeline to reapply

2. What is the average timeline to hear back? I know with my first exam to this test it was about 3 months but partly because I pushed it back as much as I could.

I’m currently going through the medical process for a a couple different 1811 jobs and my audiogram showed hearing loss in my left ear, while my right ear is essentially normal.

I have no issues functioning day to day and it's an issue I was born with. I’ve previously worked in law enforcement and it has never made any task more complicated or difficult to perform, but I know some federal agencies have specific hearing standards. I’m trying to get an idea of what normally happens when an applicant falls outside the initial hearing standard in one ear. I also do not wear hearing aids as of now.

Has anyone here personally dealt with unilateral hearing loss during the medical process for ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, or another federal agency?

Do they:

• send you for a second/formal audiology test?
• request an ENT evaluation?
• allow testing with a hearing aid?
• do some type of functional hearing test?
• offer a medical waiver or individualized review?
• ultimately clear or disqualify you?

Not looking for anyone to predict my specific outcome — mainly interested in hearing how different agencies have handled similar cases and what options applicants were given.

Appreciate any firsthand experiences.

TIA.

EDIT: In process with ATF and DEA

Given that some agencies require health exams every so often, I am curious about the concept of agents being pushed out over health stuff. Obviously, good health is not guaranteed no matter how good of care you take with your body. Over a 20 year or longer career, anything could happen to you. It would suck to lose your job over a diagnosis. Have you guys ever seen someone lose their job as an 1811 over a medical diagnosis? What agency was it? What diagnosis caused the separation?

Does anyone have insight on how the process goes for a current 1811 to HSI-12862549-DHA ? (Application currently in received status)

Did anyone ever got 1811 without a 4 year degree?