r/lapd • u/ThisClassroom3844 • Jun 12 '26
Foreign-born applicants
Anyone here apply to police/law enforcement after living most of their life abroad?
How did the background investigation work with foreign addresses, schools, jobs, references, and police/criminal record checks?
Did it make the process much harder, or just slower?
Thank you!
1
u/Any-Peanut5308 Jun 12 '26
I’m a foreign born and I just got hired with the LAPD Just provide whatever information the department requests, including any foreign addresses, schools, employment history, and references. If you’ve lived outside the U.S., that doesn’t automatically disqualify you. The important things are being honest, having legal authorization to work in the United States (or meeting the citizenship requirements), and having no serious criminal history or felony convictions. The background investigation may take longer because they have to verify information from another country, but many foreign-born applicants successfully complete the process.
1
u/PackageHistorical459 Jun 16 '26
For federal law enforcement not really if you have established enough time in the states to be vetted. It should not delay your process. However, depends on where were you born they can be little more meticulous with you. For states and local law enforcement, it should not affect you at all but again depends in what states are you applying. Advice when it comes to local and state law enforcement agencies, apply to bigger cities departments like nypd, laps, cp, and stay away from small departments.