Visa Specialist

This position is located at the National Visa Center (CA/VO/DO/NVC) in Portsmouth, NH. NVC is organized within the Office of Domestic Operations, Visa Services Office, Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA/VO/DO). CA/VO/DO is responsible for planning and supporting a wide range of VO-wide issues, including program planning, contracting, human resources, budget, training, and special projects. Unofficial Working Title: Fraud Prevention Specialist

Duties

• Monitors and tracks contractor performance of anti-fraud activities consistent with work statement requirements to ensure quality and timeliness of deliverables in support of the Fraud Prevention and Analysis Unit.

• Serves on advisory panels, study groups, and committees to review and analyze the effectiveness of CA's visa anti-fraud efforts and strategies.

• Creates and delivers training on updated visa policies to consular and contract employees and other agencies involved in visa anti-fraud work.

• Establishes and maintains contacts with counterparts in the law enforcement and national security communities to keep current with their processes, practices, and procedures relevant to National Visa Center fraud prevention programs.

• Conducts research in government and commercial databases to identify visa fraud and other violations of U.S. law in visa case work.

Salary

• $101,375 - $131,790/year

Qualifications **** ANNNOUNCEMENT AMENDED TO UPDATE THE SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE **** 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 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 must include: Experience in understanding and applying federal policies, laws, and regulations that govern immigrant visa and diversity immigrant visas processing. Experience detecting fraud using laws, regulations, and policies. 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, immigrant visa, and diversity visa operations. Education Education requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement. 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.