Quick Answer: New CBSA officers earn 15 days of vacation per year, growing to 20 days after 8 years and 25 days after 16 years of service. They also receive 15 days of sick leave annually. These are set by the collective agreement between CBSA and the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU).
Leave entitlements are one of the most practical questions applicants ask — and the answer is genuinely good compared to most private sector employment. Here’s what the collective agreement provides.
Annual Vacation Leave
Vacation entitlements under the FB group collective agreement are based on years of continuous service:
| Years of Service | Annual Vacation Days |
|---|---|
| 0 to 7 years | 15 days (3 weeks) |
| 8 to 15 years | 20 days (4 weeks) |
| 16 to 27 years | 25 days (5 weeks) |
| 28+ years | 30 days (6 weeks) |
These are working days — so 15 days means three full calendar weeks when combined with weekends.
Vacation is earned on a prorated basis throughout the year rather than granted as a lump sum on January 1. In your first year of employment, you accrue vacation as you work.
Sick Leave
CBSA officers earn 15 days of sick leave per year, credited at the start of each year. Unused sick leave accumulates indefinitely — there’s no use-it-or-lose-it rule for sick leave in the federal public service. Officers who rarely use sick leave build up a significant bank over their career that provides income protection during extended illness.
This accumulation feature is a meaningful benefit compared to private sector sick leave policies, many of which cap at a few days and don’t roll over.
Statutory Holidays
Federal public servants receive 13 paid statutory holidays per year, including standard Canadian holidays plus any additional federal statutory days. Officers who are scheduled to work on a statutory holiday receive premium pay under the collective agreement.
Other Leave Types
Beyond vacation and sick leave, the collective agreement provides for:
Family-related leave: Leave for caring for a sick family member, attending medical appointments, and family emergencies.
Bereavement leave: Paid leave following the death of an immediate family member.
Maternity, parental, and adoption leave: Federal employees have access to top-up provisions under the collective agreement that supplement EI parental benefits — bringing income during parental leave closer to regular salary levels than EI alone provides.
Personal days: Some provisions for personal leave exist depending on operational context.
Leave without pay (LWOP): Officers can apply for extended unpaid leave for various reasons — personal development, family situations, or other needs — subject to operational requirements and management approval.
Scheduling Vacation as a Shift Worker
One important nuance: vacation scheduling for BSOs is subject to operational requirements. You can’t simply book off any time you want unilaterally. Vacation requests go through a scheduling process that must account for port-of-entry staffing levels.
At most ports, there’s a formal vacation bidding process — officers submit requests for preferred periods, and scheduling is worked out based on seniority and operational needs. Senior officers generally get their preferred periods; junior officers have less flexibility, particularly for peak periods like summer and Christmas.
This doesn’t mean you won’t get vacation — it means you need to plan ahead and work within the system. Officers at well-staffed ports typically get their preferred vacation periods the majority of the time.
Sick Leave Bank and Long-Term Disability
The accumulated sick leave bank serves as a bridge during illness before long-term disability insurance kicks in. Federal employees who exhaust sick leave and require extended absence can access long-term disability benefits through the federal group insurance plan.
This two-layer protection — accumulated sick leave followed by LTD coverage — is significantly more robust than what most private sector employers offer.
The Big Picture
Three weeks of vacation to start, growing to four after eight years, plus 15 sick days annually that accumulate, plus 13 statutory holidays, plus robust parental leave top-ups. The federal leave package is one of the genuine advantages of a public service career and reflects decades of collective bargaining by the CIU.
For the full compensation picture including salary and pension, see the CBSA salary guide. For shift scheduling context that affects when you can actually take that vacation, the shift work and schedules article covers how BSO scheduling works in practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many vacation days do new CBSA officers get?
15 days (3 weeks) per year for the first 7 years of service.
Does unused sick leave carry over at CBSA?
Yes. Unused sick leave accumulates indefinitely under the federal collective agreement.
Can CBSA officers take vacation whenever they want?
Vacation is subject to operational scheduling. Requests go through a bidding process based on seniority and staffing requirements.
How many statutory holidays do CBSA officers get?
13 paid statutory holidays per year. Officers who work a stat holiday receive premium pay.
