Clarification from the agency

This public notice is to gather applications that may or may not result in a referral or selection.

• Receives and examines passport applications forwarded by passport application acceptance agents (clerks of court, postal service officials or military personnel) or presented in person by the applicant or the applicant's representative.
• Receives and examines passport applications, including applications for amendments, endorsements or replacement of mutilated, lost or stolen passports, forwarded by passport application acceptance agents.
• Reviews the application for completeness, signature, affirmation of the truthfulness of statements contained in the application, verification of the identity of the applicant, and presence of required photographs and fees.
• Identifies gaps or inconsistencies in documentary evidence and seeks to reconcile same through judicious questioning of "walk-in" applicants, or through requests for additional documentary evidence.
• Maintains constant alertness to the possibility of fraudulent documentation or claims of identity. In cases where fraud is suspected completes "Suspected Fraudulent Application" form indicating the reason for suspicion.

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.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement.

If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application.

Applicants applying for the GS-05 must meet one of the qualification requirements listed below:

General Experience:

A. Completion of three years of general experience, one of which was equivalent to the GS-04 level, involving the analysis, explanation, application, or interpretation of laws, rules, regulations, procedures, etc. Qualifying general experience may have been gained as a law clerk, contact representative, claims examiner, voucher examiner, or similar work with a government or private employer. 

OR

B. Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a bachelor's degree. OR

C. Combination of education and experience. If you do not qualify based on education or experience alone, you can combine your education and experience by converting each to a percentage and then adding the percentages. To calculate this, determine your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required; then determine your education as a percentage of the education required; then add the two percentages. The total percentages 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.

Applicants applying for the GS-07 must meet one of the qualification requirements listed below:

A. Completion of at least 1 full year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 level in the Federal service) that demonstrated knowledge of the immigration and/or nationality laws of the United States. Qualifying specialized experience may have been gained in work such as developing, examining, investigating, or authorizing claims arising under the immigration and/or nationality laws of the United States. 

OR

B. Completion of 1 full year of graduate level education in law, or other administrative or management fields related to the position. For your information, one academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. 

OR

C. A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university AND you meet one of the following provisions of the superior academic achievement:

1. A grade-point average of "B" (3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale) for all completed undergraduate courses or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study.
2. A grade-point average of "B+" (3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of your undergraduate study.
3. Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university, or major subdivision.
4. Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies.

Grade point averages should be rounded to one decimal point. For example, 2.95 is rounded to 3.0, and 2.94 is rounded to 2.9. NOTE: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) was taken on a pass/fail or similar basis, your claim must be based on class standing or membership in an honor society.

OR

D. Combination of graduate level education and specialized experience. 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%. For example, an applicant who has 6 months of professional experience (50% of the experience requirement) and at least 9 semester hours of creditable graduate work (50% of the education required) would satisfy the qualifications requirements for the GS-07 level. 

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.

The evaluation process consists of the Monster Competency Based Assessments for which applicants will be assigned a score between 70 and 100.  A resume review by subject matter experts will be conducted for the top qualified candidates based on total score.  Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.  

All applications that meet the required qualifications and the cutoff score will be referred to the selecting official in the order in which the applications were received. 

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. 

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 the need to retake the assessments. 

Top applicants may be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. The assessment is used to measure 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 identify inconsistencies in information/applications.
• Ability to maintain composure when dealing with aggressive/discourteous applicants.
• Knowledge of policies and procedures that relate to the examination and adjudication of citizenship determination.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Ability to interpret laws, regulations, and procedures.
• Ability to elicit information from others.

Resume review: Subject matter experts (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. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., links embedded in your resume will not be opened.).  If meeting basic qualifications through education only or a combination of education and experience, applicants will not be referred to the SME panel but will be reviewed by the HR Specialist for referral. 

In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We do not make assumptions regarding your experience. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application may result in your removal from consideration. 

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. 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. 

3.  Veterans' Preference Documentation, if applicable. Veterans’ preference does not apply to this vacancy. Any supporting documentation received from veterans will be retained to document veteran’s status for appointment purposes, if selected.

• To claim 5-point preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.
• To claim 10-point preference, submit all required documentation outlined on the SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) to support your claim (e.g., DD-214, official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs, etc.).  If we cannot verify your 10-point preference claim, your application will be reviewed for 5-point preference.
• To claim 10-point derived preference (i.e., spouses, widows, widowers or mothers of veterans), submit a completed SF-15 and all required documentation listed on the SF-15 to support your claim.
• To claim 0-point Sole Survivorship preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 or another form of official documentation showing that your discharge or release from active duty occurred on or after August 29, 2008 and was based on a sole survivorship discharge.
• For all preference claims:
  • DD-214 Member 4 copies are preferred and must show the dates of service, type of discharge, and any qualifying service campaign medals.
• For more veterans’ preference information, visit the USAJOBS Help Center.

4.  ICTAP/CTAP documentation,if applicable (e.g., reduction-in-force (RIF) notice, RIF separation SF-50 personnel action, 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, etc.).

Next steps