Visa Specialist

Summary

This position is located in the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), Office of Domestic Operations, Visa Directorate, Bureau of Consular Affairs. KCC processes all petition-based non-immigrant and diversity immigrant visas, which totals over 600,000 cases per year, and conducts Facial Recognition checks for approximately 20 million visa and passport applications per year.

Duties

• Oversees Fraud Prevention Unit (FPU) operations and assist the Fraud Prevention Manager (FPM) in ensuring effective and timely contractor performance. Serve as the primary government point of contact for day-to-day operations of the FPU.
• Manages workflow among the various components of the FPU; conducting audits of contractor effectiveness and efficiency; identifying potential performance issues and bringing them to the attention of the FPM with proposed solutions.
• Provides technical guidance with INA provisions, immigration policies, legal and regulatory changes, and emerging fraud patterns to contractor staff performing investigative case work involving potential fraud schemes in underlying Visa petitions.
• Assists the FPM in the development and implementation of new programs in response to emerging Administration priorities; provide hands-on guidance to ensure new programs are successfully implemented and effectively generate goal-advancing results.
• Establishes and maintain contacts with counterparts in law enforcement and national security communities, and the USCIS Service Center fraud unit, to keep current with their processes, practices, and procedures relevant to fraud prevention programs.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience may have been gained in work such as developing, examining, investigating, adjudicating, or authorizing claims arising under the immigration and/or nationality laws of the United States. Specialized Experience: Experience in understanding and applying a wide range of federal policies, laws, and regulations that govern non-immigrant and diversity immigrant visas processing. Experience in using qualitative and quantitative analytical methods to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of fraud prevention operations. Experience in utilizing software programs and online research tools used in border security, non-immigrant visa, and diversity visa operations. Experience in analyzing and recommending new fraud prevention initiatives in response to emerging fraud patterns, trends, and regulatory and policy changes. Experience in using oral and written communication to provide advice and assistance, plan and coordinate activities, present briefings and trainings, interpret policies and procedures, conduct outreach, and represent agency interests in interactions with other government and non-governmental entities.

Education

Education requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement. How You Will Be Evaluated

The evaluation process consists of the ApplyGov Competency Based Assessments and a crediting plan for which applicants will be assigned a score between 70 and 100. A resume review by subject matter experts (SMEs) will be conducted for the top qualified candidates based on the combined total score. Resumes longer than 2 pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further. Responses to questions that are not fully supported by your resume may result in a rating adjustment. You will be assessed on the following job-related competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Non-Supervisory: Oral Communication, Writing, Interpersonal Skills, Problem Solving, Teamwork, Technology Orientation, Customer Service, Attention to Detail and Self-Management. Set aside at least 2 hours to take the external assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. There are timed sections that must be completed within the allotted timeframe. Your score from the external assessment Non-supervisory will remain on file for 180 days, allowing you to apply for multiple DOS-announced positions without needing to retake the assessments. Top applicants may be referred for further consideration. The assessment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies and KSAs required for this position. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies: Ability to interpret laws, regulations and procedures Knowledge of the roles that visas and immigration play in foreign affairs and international relations Knowledge of visa, passport and/or immigration matters Ability to research and resolve complex visa and immigration issues Ability to interact effectively with others SMEs will review your resume to determine your qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. Your resume should demonstrate how you meet all aspects of the specialized experience statement. Please be clear and specific. We do not make assumptions regarding your experience. Overstating your qualifications/experience in your application may result in your removal from consideration. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., links embedded). If meeting basic qualifications through education only or a combination of education & experience, applicants will not be referred to the SME panel but will be reviewed by the HR Specialist for referral. This announcement used the set number of highest-ranked eligible method under 5 CFR §332.402 to refer candidates for further consideration and possible interview. All candidates tied at the cut score will be referred. We will provide the selecting official a sufficient number of names, when available, to consider at least 3 candidates per vacancy. If less than 3 eligible and available candidates per vacancy result, we may expand the referral in accordance with the pre-determined agency and OPM policy. You may preview questions for this vacancy. Other Information

To request a reasonable accommodation for additional time on the timed sections of the assessment, please submit your request using the “Request a Reasonable Accommodation” button within the Assessment Application. For all other reasonable accommodations at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations (OAA) at [email protected]. OAA is responsible for reviewing and adjudicating reasonable accommodation (RA) requests for the Assessment Battery being used for this announcement. The following applies to all RA requests: RA requests cover additional time on timed sections only. Applicants submitting a RA request MUST attach supporting medical documentation signed by a licensed, treating medical provider. The documentation should describe the nature, severity, and expected duration of the condition, identify the relevant medical condition or diagnosis, and explain the basis for the requested extension. RA requests that do not contain supporting medical documentation attachments at the time of initial request may be subject to further review. Note: the following documents do not, on their own, qualify for automatic approval of the RA request: Schedule A letters, VA benefits letters, or SSA letters. Applicants MUST submit their application before the vacancy closes, even if pending an accommodation decision. Applicants are encouraged to carefully follow instructions related to medical documentation provided in the vacancy announcement prior to beginning the RA process. Applicants will have 48 hours after their RA request is adjudicated to complete the assessment battery. Scores generated after the allotted timeframe will not be admissible and the applicant will not be considered further for the vacancy. If a different type of RA is needed, please contact OAA directly at [email protected]. If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions. Veterans: Veterans' preference points are added to the passing score of candidates eligible for either 10-point or 5-point preference. Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% or more are listed at the top of a certificate regardless of score. Other 10-point and 5-point preference eligible veterans who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed in score order. View information on veterans' preference on OPM's Fed Hire Vets website. Agency & Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP & ICTAP): View OPM's CTAP & ICTAP eligibility website for more information. You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category and submit supporting documents under the required documents section of this announcement to receive selection priority consideration. To be considered Well-Qualified applicants must: score an 85 or above, meet Minimum Qualifications, and demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all major aspects of the position.