[Hiring] Visa Specialist @Department of State Headquarters

Role Description

This position is located in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Visa Office, Office of Domestic Operations, Remote Processing Division (CA/VO/DO/RP). The RP Division supports high-volume posts in need of additional nonimmigrant visa (NIV) adjudication capacity, reviewing and adjudicating nonimmigrant visa applications that are eligible for waiver of an in-person visa interview under the Interview Waiver (IW) authorities.

• Reviews nonimmigrant visa applications to ensure visas are issued or refused in compliance with current law and regulations.
• Drafts responses to legal, Congressional and general public inquiries concerning visa matters.
• Conducts interviews of visa applicants in a courteous and expeditious fashion.
• Conducts in-depth fact-finding to resolve discrepancies with verbal and written documentation and devises unique methods to resolve issues of missing or conflicting documentation.

Qualifications

• Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement.
• NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement.
• Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F.
• Applicants applying for the GS-09 must meet one of the qualification requirements listed below:
• A. Completion of at least 1 full year of specialized experience (equivalent to at least the GS-7 level in the Federal service) which demonstrated knowledge of immigration and/or passport laws, regulations, procedures and policies. Qualifying Specialized Experience must demonstrate the following:
  • Experience reviewing and adjudicating nonimmigrant visa applications.
  • Experience researching and analyzing immigration and visa law.
• B. Completion of a Master's or equivalent graduate degree, or 2 full years of graduate level education, or higher degree, e.g. LL.B or J.D., LL.M or Ph.D., in law or other administrative or management fields related to the position to be filled.
• C. Combination of graduate level education and specialized experience as described above. If you have some but not all of the experience or education described above, you may still qualify by combining the amount of creditable experience and education that you do have. To do so, convert each to a percentage and then add the percentages the sum of which must equal at least 100%. Only graduate level education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to combine education and experience.
• If you are qualifying based on education, you must submit a copy of your college transcript with your application, and if selected, an official college transcript will be required to verify education prior to employment.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check.

Benefits

• A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
• As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
• Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.