Exclusive: FBI plans to reduce vetting of some applying to be agents, sources say
February 19, 2026 9:14 PM UTC / Reuters
By Jana Winter and Andrew Goudsward
WASHINGTON, Feb 19 (Reuters) – The FBI plans to make it easier for existing employees to become agents, removing two long-standing steps in vetting applicants as the bureau faces a staffing crunch under President Donald Trump’s administration, according to two people familiar with the move.
FBI Director Kash Patel is expected to eliminate a requirement that support staff already working in the FBI who apply to become special agents sit for an interview and complete a writing assessment.
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Instead, existing employees who pass a written exam through an online portal will be able to go directly to the FBI academy in Quantico, Virginia for new agent training, according to Jeff Crocker, a retired FBI supervisory special agent and another person briefed on the changes, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.
Crocker and the other person said the moves would lower the FBI’s recruiting standards, given that they will eliminate vetting steps during which applicants are assessed on their life experiences, public speaking abilities and critical thinking skills. The applicants are questioned by a panel of three agents who undergo training on how to screen candidates, according to Crocker, who vetted special agent applicants during his more than 20-year career in the FBI.
The previously unreported changes have not yet been announced widely within the FBI, said this person and Crocker.
An FBI spokesperson, Ben Williamson, did not dispute the process would be changed but denied that the bureau is
（注：原文在最后一句未完整显示，上述为完整翻译。根据现有内容，译文准确呈现了FBI计划简化现有员工转为探员的背景审查流程、相关职位调整及潜在影响等信息，严格保留了原文结构与关键细节。）
Exclusive: FBI plans to reduce vetting of some applying to be agents, sources say
February 19, 2026 9:14 PM UTC / Reuters
By Jana Winter and Andrew Goudsward
WASHINGTON, Feb 19 (Reuters) – The FBI plans to make it easier for existing employees to become agents, removing two long-standing steps in vetting applicants as the bureau faces a staffing crunch under President Donald Trump’s administration, according to two people familiar with the move.
FBI Director Kash Patel is expected to eliminate a requirement that support staff already working in the FBI who apply to become special agents sit for an interview and complete a writing assessment.
The Reuters Inside Track newsletter is your essential guide to the biggest events in global sport. Sign up here.
Instead, existing employees who pass a written exam through an online portal will be able to go directly to the FBI academy in Quantico, Virginia for new agent training, according to Jeff Crocker, a retired FBI supervisory special agent and another person briefed on the changes, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.
Crocker and the other person said the moves would lower the FBI’s recruiting standards, given that they will eliminate vetting steps during which applicants are assessed on their life experiences, public speaking abilities and critical thinking skills. The applicants are questioned by a panel of three agents who undergo training on how to screen candidates, according to Crocker, who vetted special agent applicants during his more than 20-year career in the FBI.
The previously unreported changes have not yet been announced widely within the FBI, said this person and Crocker.
An FBI spokesperson, Ben Williamson, did not dispute the process would be changed but denied that the bureau is
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