Job opening: Refugee Officer
Salary: $64 957 - 122 459 per year
Published at: Aug 09 2023
Employment Type: Full-time
This position is located in the Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate, Refugee and International Operations.
As a Refugee Officer (Domestic) you will adjudicate refugee applications, support refugee-related screenings, adjudicate other benefit applications managed by the Refugee, Asylum, and International Operations directorate to determine immigration benefit eligibility.
Duties
The responsibilities described are for the full performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope performed with less independence, and limited complexity.
Review applications, conduct interviews, and adjudicate requests of applicants for refugee status to determine benefit eligibility and determine final eligibility to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
Research immigration laws, policies, and relevant country conditions to analyze testimony, documentation, and credibility to determine eligibility for benefits.
Interpret and apply U.S. immigration laws and policies to make final eligibility determinations and produce written assessments supporting decisions for refugee status.
Review security checks information to identify individuals who are ineligible due to national security or other grounds of inadmissibility.
Work with external federal agencies and non-governmental organizations, and/or private sector stakeholders involved in refugee resettlement.
Screen affidavits to determine eligibility for family reunification refugee cases.
Assist in additional projects as assigned, such as, responding to congressional inquiries, drafting policy documents, statistical analysis of program trends, and review of fraudulent applications and referring for further investigation.
Qualifications
The qualifications for this position must be met by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on 08/18/2023.
Current Federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the lower grade or equivalent grade band in the Federal service. The Time-in-Grade requirement must be met by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on 08/18/2023.
GS-09: You qualify at the GS-09 level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience, which is equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the federal government, that equipped you with the skills needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. You must have experience performing the following duties:
Assisting individuals applying for immigration benefits by examining supporting documentation for authenticity and relevance, as well as researching and analyzing appropriate information for eligibility;
Interpreting and applying immigration laws, policies and procedures as they relate to an individual's eligibility for immigration benefits; OR
You may substitute a Master's degree or 2 full years of graduate education leading to such a degree in any field or a J.D. or L.L.B. degree for experience required at the GS-9 grade level. Such education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise two years of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 36 semester or 54 quarter hours.
GS-11: In addition to the requirements at the lower grade level(s), to qualify at the GS-11 level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience, which is equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the federal government, that equipped you with the skills needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. You must have experience performing the following duties:
Recommending final determinations on or representing applicants in non-sensitive, routine hearing or appeal requests involving immigration matters that includes determining applicant credibility, analyzing evidence, and applying statutory requirements, regulations and judicial and administrative precedents; OR
You may substitute a doctoral degree (PhD or equivalent degree) or three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in any field, or L.L.M., if related, for experience at the GS-11 grade level. Such education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise three years of graduate study. If that information is not available, use 54 semester or 81 quarter hours.
GS-12: In addition to the requirements at the lower grade level(s), to qualify at the GS-12 level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience, which is equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the federal government, that equipped you with the skills needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. You must have experience performing the following duties:
Preparing legal briefs or other written memoranda that advocate for sensitive and complex hearing or appeal cases involving eligibility for asylum, suspension of deportation, or other immigration benefits; or
Making final determinations on complex asylum, refugee, or other immigration cases involving eligibility for protection and resettlement and writing final determinations with legal analysis to support decisions.
Please read the following important information to ensure you submit everything we need to consider your application: It is your responsibility to ensure that you submit your responses and appropriate documentation prior to 08/18/2023. Your resume will be used to determine your qualifications for the position advertised in this announcement. Therefore, your resume must highlight your most relevant, significant experience related to the requirements found in the qualification section of this announcement, as well as any applicable education. USCIS will only review the first 5 pages of your resume to determine your initial eligibility/qualifications for a position. As such, please be sure to include content to support your eligibility/qualifications for this position within the first 5 pages. Please note that your full resume will be made available to the hiring manager if you are referred. Be clear and specific when describing your work history since Human Resources cannot make assumptions regarding your experience. Your application will be rated and ranked based on your responses to the online questions.
Please ensure EACH work history includes ALL of the following information:
Job Title (include series and grade if Federal Job)
Duties (be specific in describing your duties)
Employer's name and address
Supervisor name and phone number
Start and end dates including month, day and year (e.g. June 18 2007 to April 05 2008)
Start and end dates for each grade/pay level if you've held a federal position.
Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
Salary
Determining length of General or Specialized Experience is dependent on the above information and failure to provide the above information may result in a finding of ineligible.
Note: Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.
Federal Experience: If you are using current or prior federal experience as a basis for qualifying for this position, the grade levels and length of employment (mm/dd/year) at each grade level must be listed in your work history. This information will be further validated if selected for this position.
National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build criteria competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer service. Please provide the dates and amount of time/hours worked earning this experience.
Education
COMBINING QUALIFYING EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION (at the GS-09/11 level/s only): If you do not qualify based on experience or education alone, you may be able to qualify based on a combination of your experience and education. For more information on combining education and experience, visit the following website:
General Schedule Qualification Standards.
Transcript required: If you don't submit a transcript, we will not use your education when deciding if you're qualified for the job. For verification purposes, the transcript submitted must include your name and educational institution.
Training: If you have not already done so, you will be required to attend the training that relates to this position as required by the agency. The trainings may last multiple weeks and may be held in-person or virtually. The trainings must be completed successfully according to the standards of the agency. Failure to do so will be grounds for mandatory removal from the position. Such failure will result in either reassignment to a different position, demotion, or separation by appropriate procedures.
Travel: Occasional travel will be required. Circuit rides to overseas locations will last 45-60 days. Domestic travel may be required in some circumstances to support other RAIO or USCIS benefits. While overseas, a Refugee Officer performs work in a variety of locations, some of which may be physically challenging and may involve working in inhospitable climates, in remote camp settings, or in environments of high security. Political or other unpredictable events may sometimes force sudden adjustments of schedule or work hours. The officer must possess the ability to adjust to unexpected changes in work assignments while maintaining a courteous and professional demeanor. The officer must be physically adaptable and flexible enough to adjust to living and working in demanding conditions that sometimes involve extreme temperatures, harsh working environments, austere living facilities, and long arduous travel.
Medical Requirements: As a condition of employment, you will be required to obtain and maintain a U.S. Department of State Class 1 medical clearance certifying that you are eligible to complete work assignments worldwide. Medical inoculations/vaccinations may also be required. You will be required to undergo a periodic physical examination to qualify for deployment to international overseas locations where adequate medical care is not always readily available. Vaccinations and other precautionary and/or prophylactic measures may be required before traveling to countries with high risk for infectious diseases.
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