Supervisory Immigration Services Officer

Citizenship and Immigration Services•Seattle, WA

18h

About The Position

The Supervisory Immigration Services Officer conducts and oversees planning for independent research regarding the eligibility and entitlements of people seeking immigration benefits, employment, or legal status under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The role makes and reviews decisions on immigration benefit cases, including difficult and sensitive matters, and provides technical and administrative guidance to staff who examine applications, petitions, supporting documents, and related records. The officer responds to applicants’ questions and resolves problems using established methods and criteria while avoiding unnecessary delays for applicants and the organization. As a supervisor, the officer assigns and plans subordinate employees’ work based on priorities, assignment difficulty and requirements, and employee capabilities; adjusts short-term priorities; and establishes work-completion target dates. The position is at the GS-13 level. A selected candidate must complete USCIS Immigration Service Officer Basic training, approximately five to six weeks of academic instruction in Charleston, South Carolina. The position is considered essential for reporting to work when the facility might otherwise be closed. Telework is administered under the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
Must successfully pass a background investigation, including financial disclosure, and pass drug screening; the position may also be subject to random drug testing.
Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with the Selective Service.
Applicants not currently employed by USCIS must meet the residency requirement: for three of the five years immediately before applying, they must have resided in the United States, worked overseas for the U.S. Government in a Federal or Military capacity, or been a dependent of a U.S. Federal or Military employee serving overseas.
May be required to complete a 12-month supervisory or managerial probationary period and an appropriate supervisory training course within one year of assignment.
For GS-13, must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the federal government, including experience performing the majority of the specified duties.
Specialized experience must include making final determinations on difficult and sensitive discretionary, precedent-setting, highly visible immigration benefit cases of great importance to the agency; rendering immigration benefit decisions with substantial impact across federal, state, and local agencies; and analyzing new immigration benefit regulations, complex technical amendments, and procedures for final determinations on applications or petitions.
Current federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the lower grade or equivalent grade band in federal service; the time-in-grade requirement must be met by the stated deadline.
Must successfully complete the USCIS Immigration Service Officer Basic (ISO BASIC) Training Program, approximately five to six weeks of academic instruction in Charleston, South Carolina; failure to meet the minimum exam average may result in removal from the position.
Submit a resume of no more than two pages and include the required work-history information specified in the announcement.

Responsibilities

Conduct and oversee planning for independent research on eligibility and entitlements for immigration benefits, employment, and legal status under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Research cases and make determinations; hear and adjudicate appeals; and decide whether to reopen or reconsider cases.
Provide technical and administrative advice to staff examining immigration benefit applications and petitions, supporting documentation, and related files or automated records.
Determine whether requested actions meet governing regulations.
Respond to applicants’ questions and resolve problems using established methods and criteria while avoiding unnecessary delays.
Assign work according to priorities, assignment difficulty and requirements, and employee capabilities.
Plan subordinate employees’ work, set and adjust short-term priorities, and establish target dates for completion.