Job opening: Immigration Officer
Salary: $79 766 - 158 432 per year
Published at: Nov 08 2023
Employment Type: Full-time
This Fraud Detection and National Security position is embedded in the Refugee, Asylum and International Operations (RAIO) Directorate's Asylum office in:
San Francisco, CA
Houston, TX
As an Immigration Officer, you will provide guidance, conduct research for the purpose of enhancing current policies and procedures, and identify, articulate, and pursue suspected immigration benefit fraud.
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.
Identify, articulate, and pursue suspected immigration benefit fraud, public safety, and national security concerns.
Conduct administrative investigations and site visits to obtain documents, conduct interviews, perform system checks, and make determinations regarding potential administrative and/or criminal violations.
Serve as a liaison to law enforcement and intelligence agencies and participate in inter-agency task forces and partner-agency investigations to combat fraud, and deter and detect national security and public safety threats.
Develop anti-fraud tools and methodologies to collect and analyze data to identify fraud trends and patterns and to make recommendations to address vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the immigration system.
Develop, document, and disseminate intelligence-related data and training materials to internal and external partners.
Serve as an expert witness and represent USCIS in related court proceedings.
Qualifications
The qualifications for this position must be met by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on 11/17/2023.
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 11/17/2023.
GS-11: You 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:
Reviewing and applying immigration laws, regulations, guidelines and procedures to meet program goals and objectives;
Making final determinations on non-sensitive, routine immigration benefit requests that involve determining applicant admissibility and credibility;
Analyzing evidence and applying statutory requirements, regulations and judicial and administrative precedents;
Preparing written reports detailing the detection of immigration fraud and pertinent patterns. OR
You may substitute successful completion of 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 54semester or 81 quarter hours.
GS-12: In addition to the requirements at the lower grade level(s), you 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:
Applying immigration laws and procedures to uncover potential fraud schemes that threaten the integrity of the legal immigration system;
Reviewing evidence by those applying for immigration benefits;
Conducting liaison with law enforcement/intelligence agencies regarding immigration fraud;
Reviewing policies and procedures relating to the detection of immigration fraud, public safety and national security.
GS-13: In addition to the requirements at the lower grade level(s), you qualify at the GS-13 level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience, which is equivalent to at least the GS-12 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:
Applying immigration laws and procedures to uncover potential complex fraud schemes and national security concerns that threaten the integrity of the legal immigration system;
Conducting research on the impact or implementation of enforcement/anti-fraud related programs, directives, or policies have had on past or future performance on the agencies mission;
Preparing responses to inquiries from peers, supervisors, management, or external customers regarding existing immigration enforcement/anti-fraud actions, programs, or policies;
Develop and/or recommend changes and/or enhancements to procedures or processes relating to anti-fraud, public safety, and/or national security programs or policies.
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 11/17/2023. 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-11 level 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.
The Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate (FDNS) was established within USCIS to strengthen national security and the integrity of the country's legal immigration system by closely aligning the adjudication of immigration benefits and services with the identification of potential threats to national security and/or public safety, the detection and deterrence of fraud, and the use of law enforcement and intelligence information to ensure optimal security for U.S. communities. FDNS systematically identifies updates, and records indicators of fraudulent activities; manages fraud cases; identifies vulnerabilities and other weaknesses that compromise the integrity of the legal immigration system; and coordinates and provides logistical support in law enforcement and national security matters. FDNS is the primary conduit for information sharing and collaboration with law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
Training: If you have not already done so, you will be required to attend the residential, paid FDNS Officer Basic Training course. Additionally, if you have not already done so, you will be required to attend the Asynchronous virtual portion of the RAIO Foundations course and the Division-specific course(s), that relate to this position. In addition, if you have not already done so, you will be required to attend the residential, paid USCIS BASIC Officer training program, lasting six weeks, at a USCIS training facility. All three 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.
