Clarification from the agency

U.S. Department of State CTAP employees.

• Receives and examines Passport applications including applications.
• Examines the evidence of citizenship submitted with the application.
• The incumbent identifies gaps or inconsistencies in documentary evidence.
• Adjudicates applications and authorizes the issuance of passport.
• Drafts all types of correspondence, often technical, citing and explaining laws, regulations, policies and adjudicative decisions.

Conditions of employment

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

OR

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.

OR

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.

To qualify for the GS-11, you must meet A, B or C as follows:

A. At least one year of specialized experience, equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service, that demonstrates the ability to plan and coordinate program activities and the ability to make decisions; the ability to communicate orally and to meet and deal; the ability to assemble data, analyze management problems and recommend solutions; the ability to research, interpret and apply regulatory and precedent material; the ability to communicate in writing; and the ability to interpret statistical data. 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.

B. A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or have successfully completed three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree. Major field of study should be public administration, political science, or other field related to this position.

C. A combination of specialized experience as described in A and more than two years of graduate education as described in B which totals at least one year. To compute, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond two years by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume limited to two pages will be conducted and evaluated by an HR specialist to determine if you are qualified for this job. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies:

• Ability to communicate orally
• Ability to identify inconsistencies in information / applications
• Ability to identify problems and develop solutions
• Ability to independently apply rules and regulations
• Ability to apply laws and regulations related to accounting procedures
• Ability to synthesize information to make decisions

Agency Career and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be rated "Well Qualified" and submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job to receive consideration for selection priority. To be considered well-qualified, in addition to meeting minimum qualifications, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all of the major aspects of the position.

• Include a performance appraisal as proof of federal employment.
• A separation notification used to determine employment eligibility.
• Your SF-50 shows a federal position you've held, grade level and duty location. Your SF-50 can support position changes, conversions or separation for employment eligibility.

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) that 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. Transcripts, if applicable and you are qualifying based on education.  See the Qualification and Education sections of this announcement for more information. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment. REMOVE IF N/A FOR JOA]

4.  Performance appraisal. Submit your most recent (i.e., usually within the last 18 months) final (not a mid-year review) official (i.e., signed by the rating official and in original format) annual performance appraisal.

5.  CTAP eligibility documentation (e.g., reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, certification of expected separation, etc.).

Next steps