Passport Specialist (Entitlement Specialist)

This position is located within the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Passport Agency, Special Issuance Agency (CA/PPT/SIA). The incumbent serves as a Passport Specialist on entitlement to special-issuance passports with responsibility for analyzing and advising on a broad range of highly complex entitlement matters, contributing to the resolution of policy and operational issues. SIA issues diplomatic, official, service, and no-fee regular passports, and supports visa processing.

Duties

• Plans and conducts comprehensive analyses of the highly complex adjudication requirements and issuance process associated with determining entitlement to special-issuance passports to ensure full compliance.

• Plans and coordinates high priority special projects, analyses, entitlement reviews, investigations, and technical initiatives.

• Serves as the U.S. Government's recognized authority on the resolution of highly complex, difficult, sensitive and/or unique entitlement matters and cases concerning special-issuance passports.

• Establishes and maintains regular contact with relevant points of contact at agencies throughout the U.S. government.

• Develops and presents training to SIA staff in adjudicating special-issuance cases.

Salary

• $102,415 - $158,322/year

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.

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-12 grade level must meet one of the following requirements:

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.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

• Adjudicating passport applications involving complex entitlement determinations, including analysis of citizenship, nationality, and eligibility issues in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and FAM/FAH guidance.
• Providing technical guidance and case-specific recommendations on non-routine, sensitive, or escalated passport cases, ensuring consistent application of entitlement criteria and adjudication standards.
• Conducting quality reviews, audits, or analyses of passport adjudications to identify compliance issues, procedural gaps, or training needs, and recommending corrective actions to improve accuracy and efficiency.

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-12 position.

Applicants applying for the GS-13 grade level must meet one of the following requirements:

Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 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.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level, which includes:

• Serving as a recognized subject matter expert on highly complex, sensitive, or unprecedented passport entitlement matters, independently resolving cases involving conflicting or incomplete legal, regulatory, or policy guidance.
• Leading or coordinating program-level analyses, audits, or special projects, including developing recommendations that influence operational practices, adjudication procedures, or entitlement policy.
• Drafting, interpreting, or revising authoritative policy guidance, including FAM/FAH updates, exception-to-policy memoranda, or senior leadership decision documents, and advising management and interagency partners on entitlement determinations.

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-13 position.

Education Education requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement. Other Information For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or OAA@state.gov. 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. Required Documents

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

1. Resume limited to two pages showing relevant work/volunteer experience, education and training. Include the start and end dates (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours per week worked/volunteered. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must support your answers to the completed online assessment questions. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.

2.  Most recent SF-50s (Notification of Personnel Actions), if you are a current eligible DOS employee (per 3 FAM 2313.4(a)(5)), including current employees applying under a non-competitive hiring authority. The SF-50s must show: effective date, position title, series, grade, salary, tenure, position occupied, full promotion potential, and name of agency. Multiple SF-50s may be needed to show all required information (e.g., promotion, within-grade increase, and separation SF-50s). Award SF-50s often do not show the required information. 

3.  Performance appraisal, strongly encouraged for current eligible DOS employees. Submit a copy of your most recent (i.e., usually within the last 18 months) final (i.e., not a mid-year review) official (i.e., signed by the rating official and in original format) annual performance appraisal for the hiring manager’s consideration. If a performance appraisal is not available, you may provide a statement and/or a statement from your supervisor explaining the reason one is not available and your servicing HR Office contact information (name, email address, phone number).

Note: You may be requested to provide an appraisal to the hiring official if one was not provided with your application.  To receive a promotion, the employee’s most recent performance rating must be “fully successful” or an equivalent level or higher. Employees who are tentatively selected to receive a promotion will be required to provide performance documentation within two business days of request. Servicing HR Offices may be contacted to verify performance ratings.

4.  Non-competitive hiring authority eligibility documentation, if applicable. If you are a current eligible DOS employee applying under a non-competitive hiring authority (e.g, FS tenured employees, USUN reinstatement eligibles, Schedule A), you must submit proof of non-competitive eligibility with your application.  For information related to Schedule A hiring authority for individuals with disabilities visit OPM’s hiring information site.  

5.  CTAP documentation, if applicable (e.g., reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, certification of expected separation, etc.).  In addition submit a copy of your current (or last) performance rating of record which must be at least fully successful or equivalent and submit all required documents listed above that apply to you (e.g., resume, transcripts, SF-50, etc.).

How to Apply

Prepare your application in USAJOBS

To start your application, click Apply and we’ll walk you through the process to attach a resume and any required documents.

During the application process you can review, edit, delete, and update your information. We’ll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won’t lose any changes.  You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the application process.

STEP 1: Select the "Apply" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS.

STEP 2: Submit your resume.  Please see the Required Documents section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume.

STEP 3: Complete the online assessment questions.

STEP 4: Submit all required documentation applicable to you, as listed in the Required Documents section.

To learn how to view the status of your submitted supporting documentation and application, visit the Application Instructions section of our agency’s Civil Service selection process site.

Technical assistance with your on-line application is available through the Help Desk at mgshelp@monster.com or by calling (866) 656-6830 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET

Alternate Application Procedures

If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET at least 2 working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. Paper applications and information sent by mail will not be accepted.