Asylum Officer

at  US Citizenship and Immigration Services

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

EDUCATIONAL SUBSTITUTION: There is no educational substitution at this grade level.
Training: If you have not already done so, you will be required to attend the residential, paid RAIO Combined Training course and the Division-specific course(s), that relate to this position, at a USCIS training facility. Depending on the position, the courses may last up to nine weeks, including six weeks of residential training and three weeks of online training. In addition, if you have not already done so, you will be required to attend the residential, paid BASIC Immigration Officer training program, lasting six weeks, at a USCIS training facility. 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: Frequent travel is required for this position. Asylum Officers are required to travel to locations where USCIS hosts training programs in order to deliver training or evaluate student assignments during training. The selectee will also be required to travel to other asylum offices and DHS locations to participate in train-the-trainer programs and quality assurance review exercises. The selectee may also be required to travel to circuit-ride locations (locations established to serve applicants in distant locations from the home asylum office, generally at other USCIS District Offices and detention facilities) or DHS detention facilities to conduct interviews or site visits. As immigration emergencies arise, the selectee may be required to travel to other locations as well, sometimes for extended periods, to conduct interviews.

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

• How to Apply

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Help

DUTIES

• Adjudicate complex asylum cases through non-adversarial interviews and make determinations as to whether an individual qualifies for asylum, statutory withholding of removal, or withholding or deferral of removal under the Convention Against Torture.
• Conduct research of specific Country Conditions in coordination with RAIO Research Unit as part of the adjudications process, using appropriate databases and other electronic and written resources.
• Identify noncitizens believed to be involved in defrauding the U.S. Government.
• Analyze new or amended legislation, and interpret policy covering USCIS programs, activities, or functions for which the agency has responsibility.
• Develop relevant lines of questioning and elicit testimony on likelihood of persecution according to the higher withholding of removal standard of proof and any potential Convention Against Torture claim according to the higher standard of proof.
• Elicit testimony to determine the possibility of deferral of removal under Convention Against Torture, which will be granted if the person meets all eligibility requirements.
• Write well-organized, logical, and complex legal decisions that cover essential issues and are consistent with adjudicative standards and legislation and are applicable to the facts of the case or which communicate USCIS policies and procedures.
• Adjudicate other complex affirmative asylum and prescreening cases such as those involving national security and egregious public safety concerns, high profile cases that have high visibility.

GS-13: 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:

• Preparing written legal analysis or other written memoranda relating to asylum, refugee, or other immigration cases;
• Recommending determinations on or representing applicants on asylum, refugee, or other immigration cases;
• Researching or interpreting immigration laws, policies, or procedures as they relate to an individual’s eligibility for asylum, refugee, or other immigration benefits;
• Interviewing or eliciting information from applicants for asylum, refugee, or other immigration benefits