Expert: William Payne - 12/18/2007

Question
Hello I'm Carl and I am currently looking at my possible career choices and have decided to look more closely into law enforcement. I currently live in Hampshire, England.
I would particularly like to know my elegibility as an officer in an American Police Force.

I am currently 16 and going for 8 GCSEs in school all at B grade or higher.
I am going to college to study Maths, Music, Computing and Psychology at "A-Level"
My main/birth language is English however I do speak some Spanish.

I understand that you need to be a U.S citizen to apply/work     
for a federal agency which means I would have to spend 5+ years in the US in a different job.

I have some questions though.

1. Is it worth me going to university and studying Psychology at a Major Degree level?
2. What ways can I prepare myself for a job in law enforcement other than keeping fit?
3. Is it worth re-studying Spanish?
4. Will a police department in the US sponser me to help me acquire a "green card" to work legally in the US?
I have read that some companies would sponsor me to get a green card if I had the qualifications for a specific job.

Any help will be much appreciated, Thanks.


Answer
Carl,

Thanks for the question.

Any college is a benefit. It can only help. Psychology is a great course of study for someone interested in a criminal justice career.

See if you have any kind of police explorer programs in your country. It's not part of, but it is affiliated with the Boy Scouts. This is a great program for someone looking to get into law enforcement. See if any of the local police agencies in your location have volunteer programs that you can participate in and learn.

If you have been paying attention to the immigration issues here in the United States, it could only benefit you to study the Spanish language. They are the fastest growing segment of population here and will continue to be for a long time.

I am not sure if any police departments sponsor foreign individuals. You might check with the United States Department of State, or the U.S. Immigration Office.

Good luck and best wishes!