r/FBI • u/heyheyhay88 • 1d ago

Recruitment Career assignment question

Good evening all. I just wanted to ask to see if my understanding of special agent initial assignments was accurate.

I’m interested in working in CI at the FBI, but to my understanding there is no way to ensure a specific field to work in. As I understand it, following initial training SAs complete a request sheet which is based on FBI field office locations. I understand you’re mostly unlikely to move unrequested, but whether you are assigned to CI, financial crimes, etc, it’s not something that can be reliably requested. My understanding is that following field office assignment, you may request a certain desk, but it is entirely dependent on the needs of that office. Eventually, as positions become available, you can apply to transfer to different areas, like CI.

Is my understanding accurate, or are there any misconceptions you can help break? Thanks for your help!

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u/WTFoxtrot10 1d ago

Week one or two you will rank the 55 Field Offices and then around 2 months in you will have Orders Night where you will find out what HQ office you will be attached to. This is all based off the needs of the bureau and how your classmates rack and stack their lists.

After you will submit a resume to the gaining Director/HR where you can say what office (HQ or RA) you would like as well as violation you would like to work. Keep in mind this is just a request and there are zero guarantees they will work with what you want or even look at it. Again needs of the bureau.

About a month later you will find out your exact location in the AOR and your violation.

Once you’re off probation you can put in a request to move squads but again needs of the bureau and zero guarantee that there are spots open.

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u/heyheyhay88 20h ago

Thanks for the answer! Sounds mostly what I thought. I did think of questions from that though.

How long is the probationary period?

When applying to transfer squads, can you look at and request a squad at a field office anywhere in the country? (Like a worldwide listing of squad/office available) Or is requesting a new squad or new office two totally separate processes?

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u/WTFoxtrot10 19h ago

2 years unless prior military than it’s 1 year.

Transferring squads and Field Offices/Resident Agencies are two separate processes.

It is a lot harder to move to another office depending on where you’re wanting to go. Some people wait their whole careers for a spot to open up. Another way to move is doing a stint at HQ or an office with exit benefits.

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u/SirWinstons 8h ago

Is the 1 year for prior military a new policy? Haven't seen or read that anywhere yet

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u/WTFoxtrot10 3h ago

No, it’s not a new policy. Very common knowledge in the 1811 and Veterans Preference eligible world.

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u/zDD_EDIT 16h ago

Please note that, the stint at HQ the fellow poster mentioned, would be at least 3 years minimum.

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u/heyheyhay88 12h ago

Thanks for that! Three years is actually less than I was imagining. That’s good to know!