Homeland Defender (Legal Administrative Specialist)

Full Job Description

Protect your homeland and defend your culture. Join USCIS, America's frontline defense against illegal foreign infiltration and fraud.

This entry-level role requires no college degree and offers up to $50,000 in signing and retention bonuses.

If you're driven and ready to serve with pride, join USCIS and become a vital part of homeland security! The qualifications for this position must be met by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on 03/13/2026.

Time in Grade does not apply to Delegated Examining Announcements, any reference to Time in Grade in the questionnaire will not apply to the rating and ranking of applicants.

This announcement is issued under the Direct Hire Authority to recruit for positions for which the Department of Homeland Security, U.S.

Citizenship and Immigration Services, has a critical hiring need.

GS-05: You qualify at the GS-05 level if you possess three (3) years of general experience, one (1) year of which was equivalent to at least the GS-04 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 following duties: Creating or retrieving documents from various sources; Reviewing documents for accuracy; Performing research to provide data.

OR You may substitute successful completion of a Bachelor's degree or a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a Bachelor's degree for the experience required at the GS-05 grade level.

This education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university. One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester or 45 quarter hours.

GS-07: You qualify at the GS-07 level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience, which is equivalent to at least the GS-05 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 following duties: Consolidating information from various sources to prepare documents related to immigration applications; Reviewing immigration documents for accuracy; Interacting with the public to gather or explain information.

OR You may substitute successful completion of one year of fulltime graduate education for the experience required at the GS-07 level.

This education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university and demonstrate the skills necessary to do the work of the position.

Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise a year of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 18 semester or 27 quarter hours.

OR You may also substitute superior academic achievement for the experience required at the GS-07 level.

You must have completed the requirements for a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with either: (1) class standing in the upper third of a graduating class or major subdivision; or, (2) a grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale based on four (4) years of education or the final two (2) years; or, (3) a grade point average of 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final two (2) years of the curriculum; or, (4) membership in a national scholastic honor society.

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 03/13/2026.

Your 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.

San Francisco Location Only: Employment at the San Francisco Asylum Office provides and exciting opportunity for staff to work in both downtown San Francisco and our newly established Oakland Branch.

Both locations are accessible through public transportation, and travel between the two offices is quick and convenient.

While staff members will be assigned to the San Francisco duty station, employees may be expected to work out of the Oakland Branch.

Newark Location Only: Employment at the Newark Asylum Office provides an exciting opportunity to staff to work in both downtown Newark and our Manhattan Branch.

Both locations are accessible through public transportation and travel between the two offices is quick and convenient.

While staff members will be assigned to the Newark Branch duty station, employee may be expected to work out of the Manhattan Branch on a rotational, periodic or as needed basis.

New York, NY Location Only: The New York, NY location is a satellite office of the New York Asylum Office. Major Duties:

• Organizational Location: This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Refugee, Asylum and International Operations, Asylum Division, and is assigned based on the needs of the agency.
• The responsibilities described are for the full performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope performed with less independence, and limited complexity.
• Perform preliminary review of immigration applications and databases, identifying information relevant to the performance of background and security checks.
• Assist Asylum Officers in the adjudication of benefit applications, petitions, and removal actions by compiling and evaluating data and preparing case decisions.
• Review case decision documentation against applicant file to ensure completeness, accuracy, and compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and procedures.
• Interact with applicant, attorney or representative of record to deliver case decision, ensuring understanding of decision or next steps.
• Conduct face to face interviews with applicants and elicits sufficient information to determine eligibility for immigration benefits and prepare reports on suspected fraudulent intent by applicants.