U.S. Border Patrol announced a 10-day women-only recruitment period open through Dec. 10.
A Title 5 waiver sought by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to close the hiring window to women only for a short time was approved by the Office of Personnel Management, according to the Associated Press.
The announcement on CBP's site says there is a "critical need" for female agents on the Southwest Border. "Restricted to female applicants only," it reads.
The hiring push comes after a huge increase in the number of women crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. In fiscal year 2013-14, 121,000 female border-crossers were recorded, up 173 percent from 2011.
Of the 21,000 agents currently employed with CBP, only five percent are women. The agency says they want to diversify the ranks.
"We know that the females are really underrepresented as Border Patrol agents within the ranks," said National Border Patrol Council San Diego spokesman Gabe Pacheco. "And so the thousand females that come on will be a great compliment to our line."
The additional female agents would assist in screening those women crossing the border.
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Pacheco said of the 1,600 recruits anticipated through the current fiscal year, CBP hopes to take on 1,000 women.
"We're looking for a specific type of personality," Pacheco said. "A female who likes to go outside, likes to shoot guns, likes to drive 4x4s, likes to work in the dark and likes to do shift work."
The requirements are the same, he said, as they are for male applicants. Prospective recruits should be between 18 and 37 years old, U.S. citizens, able to pass background, polygraph and drug screenings and be in good physical health. Applicants over the age limit must have military backgrounds.
Permanent full-time positions are being filled immediately in California, Arizona and South and West Texas, according to the job listing.
The Border Patrol training facility is located in Artesia, N.M. and the academy is roughly three months long. Pacheco said Spanish is not an immediate requirement and training is provided, but active recruits must have enough proficiency to do their job.
For information on recruitment, clearances and salaries, view the job listing here.
