Immigration Analyst (Asylum)

Duties

The duties 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.

As a Immigration Analyst (Asylum), you will:

• Determine whether the Asylum Division has jurisdiction by reviewing electronic and paper records, researching applicable rules and procedures, and analyzing appropriate information.
• Personally issue decisions to applicants for immigration benefits, including assembling and verifying the accuracy of required documents and reviewing decisions with the applicant to ensure understanding.
• Analyze and conduct research in USCIS paper and electronic records, as well as law enforcement and commercial databases according to USCIS background check policy and procedures and to ascertain immigration history and case status.
• Ensure that applicants have complied with all required background and biometric check procedures and providing information to appropriate Asylum Officer staff for consideration in the adjudication of asylum cases.
• Prepare documentation, creating reports, organizing records, and assembling databases. Interacting with applicants for immigration benefits and their attorneys or representatives in a professional and courteous manner to obtain necessary information to provide adequate information and prepare cases for officer review.

Qualifications

GS-07: You qualify at the GS-07 level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience, which is equivalent to the GS-05 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:

• Performing developmental assignments under the close guidance of higher-graded officers that included selecting, abstracting, and excerpting data from specific sources and compiling them for the use of higher-graded officers.
• Evaluating and making preliminary analyses of background check data pertaining to individuals.
• Interacting with the public to gather or explain information in compliance with detailed policies and procedures.

OR

• You may substitute superior academic achievement for the experience required at the GS-7 level. You must have completed the requirements for a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale based on four years of education or the final two years, class standing in the upper third of a graduating class or major subdivision, or membership in a national scholastic honor society.

OR

• You may also substitute successful completion of one year of full-time graduate education for the experience required at the GS-7 level. This education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university and demonstrate the skills necessary to do the work of the position. A course of study in business administration, public administration, or related fields is qualifying. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise a year of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 18 semester or 27 quarter hours.

GS-09: In addition to the requirements at the lower grade level(s), to qualify at the GS-09 level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience, which is equivalent to 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:

• Searching and independently analyzing information from records/databases; providing assistance to officers in gathering data.
• Preparing documentation, and creating reports related to background checks; researching and collecting information from databases to determine if information relates to a subject and recognizing the nature and significance of derogatory information.
• Interacting with the public to gather or explain complex information in compliance with detailed policies and procedures and using independent research and analysis to answer complex questions and conducting liaison with database record holders and law enforcement officers to verify facts and obtain specific information.

OR

• You may also substitute successful completion of a Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in an accredited college or university, or a J.D. OR L.L.B. degree may be substituted for experience at the GS-9 grade level. Such education must demonstrate the skills needed to do the work. A course of study in business administration, public administration, or related fields is qualifying. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 36 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 2 years of full-time study requirement.

Please read the following important information to ensure we have everything we need to consider your application: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable), as it relates to this job opportunity. Please be clear and specific when describing your work history as we cannot make assumptions regarding your experience. Your application will also be rated and ranked among others 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.

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.

Paid Internship Experience Applicant's work as part of a paid internship, for which course credit is not received, may be evaluated as work experience. It is the applicant's responsibility to clearly identify in their resume any paid internship that would qualify for consideration. Applicant must provide their transcript for verification purposes.

Education

COMBINING QUALIFYING EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: 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.