What are the minimum eligibility requirements to apply for an ICE agent position?
Executive summary
Minimum eligibility for most entry‑level ICE law‑enforcement roles, as described in ICE and reporting on hiring drives, consistently includes U.S. citizenship, a valid driver’s license, eligibility to carry a firearm, medical/drug screening and physical fitness standards, and submission through USAJOBS with job‑specific qualifications; age caps were reportedly removed in 2025 for many hires but some specialty roles still have age referral limits, and applicants must pass vetting and testing steps cited in agency postings [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. What the agency posts as baseline eligibility
ICE’s application guidance directs candidates to USAJOBS and emphasizes that job announcements spell out “what is required”; across ICE job listings the common baseline items are U.S. citizenship, valid driver’s license, completion of required questionnaires and documents on USAJOBS, and pre‑employment medical/drug screening and fitness testing for law‑enforcement positions [1] [3] [5].
2. Firearms, fitness and health: non‑negotiable operational requirements
Multiple sources stress that frontline law‑enforcement hires must be “eligible to carry a firearm,” be in “excellent physical condition,” and complete medical and drug screening; ICE’s recruiting material and news summaries make clear that passing these checks and a physical fitness test are prerequisites before training or final appointment [3] [2] [5].
3. Education, grade levels and experience: flexible but consequential
Entry‑level postings range from GS‑5 up to GS‑9 depending on education and experience; a bachelor’s degree typically places a candidate at GS‑7, but some entry roles explicitly state “no college degree” is required and a variety of job announcements will set the grade and educational floor [6] [5]. Applicants must read individual USAJOBS vacancy notices because education or specialized experience requirements affect which applicants are considered in the first area of selection [1] [5].
4. Age limits, waivers and recent policy changes
Reporting in mid‑2025 shows DHS declared it would remove age caps so older applicants could apply and 18‑year‑olds could sign up; Government Executive summarized Secretary Noem’s announcement that “there’s no longer a cap on how old you can be” for ICE hiring, though other role‑specific referral deadlines (e.g., for certain HSI special agent referral ages) remain referenced in guidance and historical practice [4] [7]. Job announcements still contain precise referral language applicants must follow [1].
5. Selection process: assessments, quotas and resume limits
ICE has used direct‑hire announcements with testing capacity limits (for example, funding to test the first 1,000 qualified candidates who applied for a Special Agent announcement), and applicants must complete online assessments, writing samples and an occupational questionnaire via USAJOBS; ICE also announced a two‑page resume limit for vacancy announcements as a procedural change candidates should follow [1] [8].
6. Security vetting and selective service
ICE requires personnel vetting; reporting and career guides note background investigations and security checks are part of hiring for law‑enforcement roles. Some role descriptions and reporting also remind male applicants (born after certain dates) may need to have registered with Selective Service—applicants should verify each posting’s conditions as these are repeatedly referenced in guidance to determine eligibility [9] [7] [3].
7. Where guidance diverges and what applicants must confirm
Public summaries (news and how‑to guides) align on core items — citizenship, driver’s license, firearms eligibility, fitness, vetting and USAJOBS submission — but differ on details: some job announcements advertise “no college degree” while other guidance and grade tables tie higher starting GS levels to degrees; age limits were publicly declared removed for many hires but specialty positions historically had referral ages [5] [6] [4] [7]. Applicants must read the specific USAJOBS announcement because ICE repeatedly warns that “job announcements are posted at USAJOBS” and requirements vary by vacancy [1].
8. Practical next steps and limitations of reporting
To confirm whether you meet the minimums for a particular vacancy: [10] find the exact ICE job announcement on USAJOBS, [11] review the “Qualifications/Requirements” and required documents, and [12] complete the occupational questionnaire and any listed assessments. Available sources do not mention an exhaustive single list of universal minimums that applies to every ICE role; instead, they point applicants back to each USAJOBS posting and ICE’s careers pages for the controlling requirements [1] [3] [8].
Notes on sources and framing: my summary draws on ICE’s “How to Apply” guidance and careers pages and multiple reporting and career guides that reiterate both agency requirements and recent policy changes [1] [3] [8] [2] [4] [5]. Where sources conflict on a detail (for example, education or age limits), I’ve indicated both the general rule and the need to consult the specific vacancy announcement [6] [5] [4].