This position is located in Office of Field Operations, Office of the Director National Benefits Center, Adjudications Division. As an Immigration Services Officer, you will adjudicate complex applications and petitions for immigration benefits and provide assistance to other federal agencies in identifying those who pose a national security and public safety threat.

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. Grant or deny complex and highly sensitive applications and petitions for immigration benefits based on electronic or paper applications/petitions. Research, interpret and apply appropriate statutes, regulations, and precedent decisions to make adjudicative decisions. Reviews applications for elicit statements, assess credibility, and analyze information to identify facts that form the basis for a decision concerning eligibility for immigration benefits. Conduct security checks and aid federal law enforcement agencies to identify individuals who are ineligible for immigration benefits due to national security, public safety, or other legal grounds. Use electronic systems to provide verification of any number of established data points to make adjudicative decisions, determine appropriate level of adjudicative review, and update databases with appropriate information and decisions. Analyzes petitions and applications to discern fraud patterns, participates in fact finding and supports enforcement personnel where information indicates fraud has been detected. Works closely with other functions of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to ensure full compliance with, or enforcement of immigration laws. Oversees execution of adjudicative programs of significant scope and mission impact. Reviews and interprets new and established directives, regulations, etc. and delegations of authority for potential impact on program objectives, operation policies, work operations, and support interpretations/decisions to management and HQ. Ensures that the adjudication process is performed correctly as required by the performance standards for accuracy. Aids US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of other Federal Agencies in identifying individuals who pose a threat to national security/public safety or in prosecuting those who commit fraud while seeking services and benefits.

Requirements

Qualifications

The qualifications for this position must be met by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on 02/29/2024. 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 02/29/2024. 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 that includes analyzing documents for authenticity; Researching and analyzing information related to immigration benefits; Interpreting and applying immigration laws, policies and procedures; Conducts reviews and vetting of documentation and systems for eligibility or security check concerns. OR You may substitute a Master's degree or two 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-09 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. 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: Making final determinations on non-sensitive, routine immigration matters related to the Immigration and Nationality Act, or representing applicants on non-sensitive, routine hearing or appeal requests involving immigration matters, that included determining applicant credibility, analyzing evidence, and applying statutory requirements, regulations, judicial and administrative precedents; Analyzes petitions and applications to discern fraud patterns, participates in fact finding and supports enforcement personnel where information indicates fraud has been detected. 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 or 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: 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: Making final determinations on sensitive, complex immigration cases involving eligibility for citizenship and immigration benefits, or preparing legal briefs or other written memoranda that advocate for a determination in complex hearing or appeal cases; Writing final determinations with legal analysis to support decisions; Independently analyzing immigration laws, policies, and precedent decisions. There is no Educational Substitution at this grade level. 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 02/29/2024. 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.

Basic Education or Experience Requirement: This position has a basic requirement that can be met by either education or experience. If you meet this requirement via education, you must submit a copy of your college transcript(s) (unofficial is acceptable) to support the basic educational requirement or a list of coursework with hours completed. For verification purposes, the transcript submitted must include your name and educational institution. If you meet this requirement via experience, the experience must be listed in your resume.

Contacts

• Address
• Name: HROC Staffing Help Desk
• Phone: 952-697-8380
• Email: [email protected]