Should I take Job?

If I were you, I'd take a shot. Can you ask to transfer back if you hate it? We have 2 airports, STT and STX. I don't know where else customs people would work, maybe the customs office on STJ.

Good luck.

You could live on that. St. Thomas & St. Croix both have airports. Try to visit before you leap into anything but I'm guessing that if you don't like it you can always transfer out.

Customs office in St. John takes care of boaters when arriving from other islands, as well as ferry traffic. The office sits in Cruz Bay and is a great area. Inside I see there are two officers on duty at the front desk. There is no airport on St. John.

St. Thomas customs office in in the beautiful port of Charlotte Amalie. Ferry traffic gets a little hectic there. Airport customs duty would be even more active.

St. Croix has an office in Gallows Bay that does not have ferry traffic but is a port for other vessels. Not much traffic there but a beautiful town and very laid back. airport is a little busier, but not much. This island would be the least amount of traffic.

St. John would be expensive, but on $45k you could do it. You just can't dine out alot.

St. Thomas would be better on $45k. You would be able to rent and get an island car for the first year.

St. Croix is even better on $45k. Rentals are about the same ad St Thomas but the other costs seem less. We don't have the tourism effect in retail and groceries so that is a little less.

This chance is a great opportunity for you. If these kind of opportunities come around alot in the government, you can always get back to the states for another duty location.

I'm not single but I have single friends and they say it is a little hard here on St. Croix to be single as there aren't a lot of available ladies to go around... but, again... that's just what they have told me and maybe that is an age issue, their personality, their attitude on dating or whatever. Anyway, I thought that if you are looking for a significant other this may be a difficult place to find them. If you are looking for a singles scene... there aint much of one here that I'm aware of.

However, it is a really fun place with a lot of great people. I don't think there is an image issue with customs jobs or any other federal/government jobs except maybe those you impose on yourself as a side affect of your position. I know several federal emp here and they fit right in like any other friends.

I guess your job will depend on what it is you do for customs. Airport or port, behind the scenes or in some other capacity and I'd imagine its pretty much the same job no matter where you do it. If you like your job now, you'll probably like it just as much down here in paradise.

I'm with everyone else, come down, give it a try. You can always go back if you want to. That salary is enough to live on here as long as your needs aren't too materialistic and you don't eat out all the time.

limetime2, shame on you! Please don't discourage a single man with a great job from moving there, especially because "there aren't a lot of available ladies to go around". When I lived there (STX), I noticed there was a distinct lack of stable single men. I met some wonderful married men, who had equally wonderful wives. There were lots of men working at Hovensa, mostly with wives/girlfriends back home, or there on short-term contracts. There were the "party people" whose idea of a good time was to drink and do drugs. I know some really smart unmarried women that have lived there for years, and stay in really awful relationships because of lack of choices. I think after a while they just decided to compromise. This is one of the things that makes me hesitate to move back there (not WAPA or crime!)

So, from what I have gathered from the replied posts to my question is that it would be a great opportunity for me and that the areas where I would work for Customs seem to be pretty nice!!! That's a good start.........Are the living conditions in these specific areas nice? I would be willing to pay $1000 give or take a little for a place to live.........Will that get me anything nice to live in? I grew up by a beach, South Padre Island, so I am used to the heat, humidity, and critters. As far as nightlife, are there many nice local hangouts to have a drink with good, fun, outgoing people? I am 25 and really would enjoy having a drink or two on my days off with some fun people. There has to be some good single women over their I would imagine, but from what I gather there aren't??? I hear that there is a pretty bad drug scene which I want no part of.............Well thanks for the replies and I look forward to hearing back from you......

Trey

You can find a nice place to stay for $1K on either island. Plenty of places to hang out & how much involvement in partying would be up to you.

Lots of interesting people to meet and talk to. I'm sure you'll find your niche. And at 25, this will be a wonderful adventure. Just keep an open mind re your expectations and you never know what you will come your way. What is that saying "life is what happens while we're busy making plans". Just come and enjoy.

What a great opportunity for you especially if the government is paying your moving expenses. All 3 islands are beautiful. Good luck.

Tammy

Thanks for all the great advice......I found out that I might get 20% more pay due to the cost of living so that would come in very handy I imagine................If there is anything else that comes to mind please let me know........What are the main things I need to do in order to start the moving process.......I am not going to be able to visit before the move for the fact that if I accept the job, and I don't know exactly when it is going to be offered (Government), I will probably have to leave shortly after......I dont have much here that I want to take other than myself and my luggage and maybe my bed.....So it wouldn't be a tough move from that viewpoint.....I have a nice fairly new truck that I would like to take.......Well if anyone thinks of anything else that would help me out in making the decision, please post it.

Thank you,
Trey

If you contact Tropical shipping they will be able to help you with shipping your stuff! They will tell you what you need for paper work if your truck isn't paid for! GL 🙂

Trey: I know that some federal employees get extra pay, also some assistance with housing. Do they send you here for a specified period? Six months or a year? If so, you should be fine. You can see if this place is to your liking and re-up or go on to your next adventure. You have the best of both worlds.

And I promise to have my passport open and Customs declaration signed before I get in your line! 😉

Yes, I just read that we get 25% more if we are stationed in the VI.....That should take my income to over 50k, so I should be fine from that aspect. If I accept the job I would be their for atleast 2 years. I have just begun the research on the VI and what the Dept. of Homeland Security does for its employess moving to the Vi.......It looks promising so far........

Thanks,
Trey

Trey: If you do take the job, could you suggest that they put some sort of radar out there between St Martin and us and also between the BVI and us? I believe a lot of illegal immigration could be stopped. Heck, sailing into Guadeloupe, the French Customs people came out and greeted us. They had been following us on radar from our last destination.

Customs like most federal gets cola, which is closer to 25% here, but customs does not get any housing money, just the cola and leap. But the stt and stx offices are pretty bad. Try calling up to talk to some of the agents. PM me and I'll give you names on stx. Coming from border patrol, customs might be a big let down. But if you want to live in the caribbean bad enough I guess its a fair trade. What level are you coming in as? Are you coming in as an 11 or 12? What step?

i was raised a "border patrol brat" move around while you're single, it's a rotten way to raise a kid unless you have more than one and they can keep each other company,i did 7 different schools in 3 different states before i graduated high school

Trey,

I work for Customs in St. Croix. Feel free to PM or email me and I can give you very specific information.

Darrin

Border Patrol no longer moves their agents around the way the did in the "old days". You get stationed to a area and you stay there unless you put in for a transfer/promotion and get it. Many agents go on "details" where they go to a different station for a month, and make good money doing it. And maybe the occasional training, but thats about it. My grandmother told me when granddad was in borderpatrol way back when they made them move every month.

Darrin,

Hey it's Trey. Thanks for the reply. Do you work in the VI by choice? My main concerns in making my decision are; the job of course, the pay, living conditions, and the cost of living on a Customs Officers salary. Is the COLA and LEAP pay enough to average everyhting out. Right now I get paid AUO and that bumps up my pay about $11,000 a year. Is that about the same as Customs? I would be going over there as a 7 or possibly a 9. What would an average salary with COLA and LEAP be? How's the work? With BP I am use to a fast passed enviornment for the most part, but we do have a few boring days here and there. Any information that you have about the job and life style on the islands would be great. Thanks alot....

Trey

I saw three Customs/Border Patrol vehicles with sirens blaring, driving east this morning. I am awaiting the 5 pm news to see what was up!