Asylum Officer
What you'd do
Protect your homeland and defend your culture. Join USCIS, America's frontline defense against illegal foreign infiltration and fraud. As a Senior Asylum Officer, you will adjudicate complex asylum applications, provide guidance to lower-graded officers and analysts who adjudicate or screen applications for immigration benefits, and make recommendations on organizational guidelines and procedures.
Major duties
Mentor Asylum Officers, providing critical technical assistance, guidance and advice for meeting or exceeding goals, standards and objectives. Adjudicate complex asylum cases including those involving national security and egregious public safety concerns, high profile cases, cases involving novel or unsettled areas of law. Write legal decisions on novel cases and test cases to clarify or address new aspects of USCIS guidance and procedures. Work closely with USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) Officers, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) attorneys and agents, and other legal, law enforcement, and intelligence officials.
What you need to qualify
The qualifications for this position must be met by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on 07/08/2026. Current Federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the lower grade or equivalent grade band in the Federal service. The Time-in-Grade requirement must be met by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on 07/08/2026. Application Limit: This vacancy is limited to the first 25 applications received. All applications received prior to midnight 11:59 PM (ET) of the day the application limit is reached will be accepted and considered. If the application limit is not reached by the closing date of the announcement, all applications received during the open period will be considered. Any required documents must be submitted at the time that you apply as documents will not be accepted past the day the application limit is reached, if applicable. If you choose to edit your application after it has been submitted, it will be removed from consideration until you re-submit your application. The date your application is last submitted will be used to determine whether you meet the cut-off criteria. GS-13: You qualify at the GS-13 level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience, which is equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the federal government, that equipped you with the skills needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. You must have experience performing the majority of the following duties: Interviewing or eliciting information from applicants for asylum, refugee, or other immigration benefits; Analyzing and evaluating immigration case management or adjudication processes to improve efficiency, quality, and customer service; Providing guidance, direction, or support on matters related to immigration services, case management, or legal compliance; Reviewing written legal analysis or other written memoranda relating to immigration benefit decisions to ensure proper application of all relevant laws, regulations, or organizational guidelines. Please read the following important information to ensure you submit everything we need to consider your application: It is your responsibility to ensure that you submit your responses and appropriate documentation prior to 07/08/2026. You must upload your resume under the "Resume" category. Resumes submitted under the "Other Documents" category will not be considered. Your most recently submitted resume will be used to determine your qualifications for the position advertised in this announcement. Therefore, your resume must highlight your most relevant, significant experience related to the requirements found in the qualification section of this announcement, as well as any applicable education. Limit your resume to no more than two pages. The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages. To help ensure your resume remains clear and easy to read, we recommend using margins of at least 0.8 inches and a font size of at least 11 point. Be clear and specific when describing your work history since Human Resources cannot make assumptions regarding your experience. Your application will be rated and ranked based on your responses to the online questions. Please ensure EACH work history includes ALL of the following information: Job Title (include series and grade if Federal Job) Duties (be specific in describing your duties) Employer's name and address Supervisor name and phone number Start and end dates including month, day and year (e.g. June 18 2007 to April 05 2008) Start and end dates for each grade/pay level if you've held a federal position. Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week) Salary Determining length of General or Specialized Experience is dependent on the above information and failure to provide the above information may result in a finding of ineligible. Note: Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Federal Experience: If you are using current or prior federal experience as a basis for qualifying for this position, the grade levels and length of employment (mm/dd/year) at each grade level must be listed in your work history. This information will be further validated if selected for this position. National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build criteria competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer service.
Before you apply
Federal applications are different: your resume should be 3–5 pages and mirror the language of this announcement. Read our federal resume guide first — it's the #1 reason qualified people get screened out.
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