Program Specialist

Full Job Description

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

As a Program Specialist, you will adjudicate time-sensitive referrals and provide accurate immigration status and employment eligibility determinations for customers participating in the SAVE and E-Verify Programs in accordance with immigration law, DHS policy and operational guidelines.

The qualifications for this position must be met by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on 03/06/2026.

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 03/06/2026 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: Analyze problems to identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions; Plan and organize work; AND Communicate effectively orally and in writing.

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: Reviewing and verifying the accuracy and completeness of submitted documents; Conducting research and organizing findings to support an operational or administrative program or initiative; Compiling information from documents and databases to create spreadsheets and reports.

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.

GS-09: You qualify at the GS-09 level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience, which is equivalent to at least the GS-07 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: Providing technical expertise in using systems and databases to determine case status related to an operational or administrative program or initiative; Researching and interpreting laws, policies, or procedures related to casework or other operational program or initiative; Applying evaluative methods and techniques to resolve case discrepancies; Evaluating work processes through participation in working groups/studies to improve operational efficiency.

OR You may substitute a Master's degree or two (2) full years of graduate education leading to such a degree in any field, or a J.D. or L.L.B.

degree for experience required at the GS-09 grade level.

Such education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise two years of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 36 semester or 54 quarter hours.

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 03/06/2026.

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. Major Duties:

• Organizational Location: This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, within the Nebraska Verification Operations Center and are assigned based on the need 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.
• Resolves casework by researching, evaluating, adjudicating, and providing responses to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) supported employers and a wide range of state and federal agencies.
• Exercises a comprehensive understanding and application of immigration law, classification, forms, records, and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policies when researching and resolving verification referrals.
• Communicates directly with customers via telephone, and computer regarding employment-related or immigration benefit-related casework.
• Conducts research and in-depth reviews of immigration documents to confirm applicant identity in determining a person's legal status and work authorization eligibility.
• Participates in various studies, working groups, and testing of new business systems.
• Develops background information for studies, compiling statistical data from testing and evaluation, and gathers, summarizes, and reviews information for incorporation into final reports.
• Uses available resources to manage sensitive files and documents to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.
• Safeguards personally identifiable information (PII) and ensures those standards are maintained in all aspects of work.