Consular Assistant (General) Full Time NEW

Job Duties

Incumbent serves as a Consular Assistant and handles Immigrant Visa, Non-Immigrant Visas, Asylee/Refugee (Visas 92/93) follow-to-join, fiancée, adoption and Congressional correspondence through email, letters and fax from visa applicants/petitioners, attorneys, and legislators. The incumbent prepare & advise travel arrangements (E2) for all consular employee’s official trips, conferences, exchanges, and Temporary Duty (TDYs) etc. Receives and reviews incoming correspondence (packages/letters, faxes, e-mails) and routes to appropriate unit or officer.

Reviews the contact database, ensures Consular staff information is accurately updated. Handles section’s events and visitors. Updates Human Resource (HR) tracking list for Americans, who are in and out of the country for travel. Scan revocation memos and manages the packing and shipping of revocation files, as well as the sending of abandoned Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) cards to National Visa Center (NVC) and United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). Acts as an alternate Time and Attendance & cashier back up. Orders supplies, handles procurement requests, puts in work-orders for facility maintenance issues, enters travel and access requests, works with the Information Management Office staff to ensure that the Consular computer systems are working properly, advises Consular managers on needed office furniture and equipment. Incumbents interpret for consular officers at the time of interview.

Qualifications and Evaluations

• Education Requirements: Completion of high school education is required.

• All selected candidates will be subject to a background investigation and may be subject to a pre-employment medical exam.
• Selected candidate must be able to begin working within a reasonable period of time (4 weeks) upon receipt of agency authorization and/or clearances/certifications or their candidacy may end.
• You will be evaluated against the qualifications and requirements in this vacancy announcement.
  You may be asked to complete a pre-employment language or skills test.
  You must complete the application form and provide the required documents.
• Your application must address all the position qualifications and requirements including education, experience, language, and any knowledge/skills/abilities listed.
• If you fail to submit a complete application, then your application may be disqualified for this position.

Experience:

• Two years of progressively responsible experience in administration, providing government services or para-professional work is required.
• Please address this factor in your ERA application under Major Duties and Responsibilities.

Language:

• Fluent in speaking/reading/writing English is required.  Fluent in speaking/reading/writing Amharic is required. (These may be tested)
• Please address this language requirement in your ERA application.

Job Knowledge:

• Must have detailed knowledge of the work procedures and guidelines of the consular section, as well as the section’s goals and objectives as defined by the Consular Chief.
• Must know and be able to explain US immigration law, USCIS regulations and policies, Department of State consular regulations and policies, and Embassy consular policies and practices to all consular clients.
• Must know Ethiopian civil law as it applies to identity and relationships.  Must know some local and overseas offices regulations and procedures.

Please address this factor in your ERA application under Major Duties and Responsibilities.

About

Skills and Abilities:

Incumbent must be able to operate IT and consular equipment and use consular automated systems. This includes basic knowledge of word processing and Excel and Access databases. Must be able to use basic consular equipment such as PCs, visa printers, photo and document scanners, wet and dry seals, and the microphone system. Incumbent also uses copiers, a shredder, fax machines and telephone equipment.

Must be able to apply USG and Ethiopian Law, regulations, and policies to a wide variety of applications for immigration benefits.  Must be able to listen effectively and advise consular clients on how best to reach their goals.  Must be patient with both clients and adjudicators.  Must be able to work steadily in a difficult environment and under considerable pressure from highly emotional clients.  Must be able to act in an ethical manner and be confident when dealing with clients.  Must be flexible and able to work with all colleagues.  (These may be tested)

Please address this factor in your ERA application under Major Duties and Responsibilities.

HIRING PREFERENCE ORDER

1. 1. Appointment Eligible Family Member (AEFM) / U.S. citizen Eligible Family Member (USEFM) who is a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran*

1. 1. AEFM / USEFM

1. 1. Foreign Service (FS) on Leave without Pay (LWOP) and Civil Service (CS) with reemployment rights **

* IMPORTANT:  US citizen Eligible Family Member (USEFM) applicants who claim status as a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran must submit a copy of their most recent DD-214 (“Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty”) preferably Member Copy 4, Letter from Veterans’ Affairs which indicates the present existence of a service-connected disability, equivalent documentation, or certification.  A “certification” is any written document from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions within 120 days after the certification is submitted by the applicant. The certification letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service.  Acceptable documentation must be submitted in order for the preference to be given.

** This level of preference applies to all FS employees on LWOP and CS with re-employment rights back to their agency or bureau.

For complete definitions of AEFM, USEFM, EFM, Member of Household, etc., please visit the 3 FAM 7210 Definitions.

ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT CONSIDERATIONS

The following apply to EFMs, USEFMs, and AEFMs only:

• • Current employees who used a hiring preference to gain employment who are within their first 90 calendar days of employment are not eligible. This does not apply when the hiring mechanism is TEMP or the work schedule is intermittent or irregular.

• • Candidates with a hiring preference who have already accepted a conditional offer of employment may NOT be extended a second conditional offer of employment unless and until they withdraw their candidacy for the first position in writing.

The following apply to Locally Employed (LE) staff only:

• • Current employees serving a probationary period are not eligible.

• Current employees with an Overall Summary Rating of Needs Improvement, Unsatisfactory, or an MBC score of less than 100 points on their most recent Employee Performance Report are not eligible.

How to Apply:

Click the “Apply to This Vacancy” button at the top of the page to begin your application.  For an instructional video on how to apply click here.

Application Link: https://erajobs.state.gov/dos-era/vacancy/viewVacancyDetail.hms?_ref=eerrrlbnpt0&returnToSearch=true&jnum=71972&orgId=79

Please address all relevant experience, education, language skills (including English), and job related skills or requirements in your application.

You may edit your application any time before the vacancy closing date. If you fail to submit a complete application by the vacancy closing date of this vacancy, then your application may be disqualified for this position.

For a copy of the complete position description, please contact the HR Office.

To request a reasonable accommodation, please contact the HR Office.

Note: Please upload all work experience copies of yours under “Other Document 1 or 2”

Please upload all applicable documents to your application. If you fail to submit a complete application, then your application may be disqualified for this position.

All Applicants:

• • Work Experience (required)

• • Completion of high school education (required)

• • Computer Training Certificate (if applicable)

• • Resume/CV (if applicable)

In addition, Eligible Family Member (EFM) Applicants must submit:

• • Copy of Sponsor’s Travel Orders/Assignment Notification (or equivalent)

• • Passport copy

• • DD-214 – Member Copy 4, Letter from Veterans’ Affairs, or other supporting documentation (if applicable)

• • SF-50 (if applicable)

Next Steps:

The HR Office will contact successful applicants.  For more information on applying for jobs or employment with us, please visit the U.S. Mission website https://et.usembassy.gov/jobs/

Thank you for your application and your interest in working with us.