Pathways student trainee (summer internship program) for United States Citizens

Job Title: PATHWAYS STUDENT TRAINEE (SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM)

Department: Department Of Homeland Security

Agency: Citizenship and Immigration Services

Job Announcement Number: CIS-STU-1310035-HCT

SALARY RANGE: $23,310.00 to $57,294.00 / Per Year

OPEN PERIOD: Wednesday, January 28, 2015 to Monday, February 2, 2015

SERIES & GRADE: GS-0099-02/07

POSITION INFORMATION: Full Time - Temporary NTE 9/5/2015

PROMOTION POTENTIAL: 07

DUTY LOCATIONS:

Many vacancies in the following location(s):

• Laguna Niguel, CA View Map
• Los Angeles, CA View Map
• Washington DC, DC View Map
• Miami, FL View Map
• New York, NY View Map
• Dallas, TX View Map
• Saint Albans, VT View Map

WHO MAY APPLY: United States Citizens

SECURITY CLEARANCE: Public Trust - Background Investigation

SUPERVISORY STATUS: No

JOB SUMMARY:

Do you desire to protect American interests and secure our Nation while building a meaningful and rewarding career? If so, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is calling. DHS components work collectively to prevent terrorism, secure borders, enforce and administer immigration laws, safeguard cyberspace and ensure resilience to disasters. The vitality and magnitude of this mission is achieved by a diverse workforce spanning hundreds of occupations. Make an impact; join DHS.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services secures America's promise as a nation of immigrants by providing accurate and useful information to our customers, granting immigration and citizenship benefits, promoting an awareness and understanding of citizenship, and ensuring the integrity of our immigration system. Visit us at http://www.uscis.gov/.

This is a full-time, SUMMER, internship opportunity, not-to-exceed September 5th, 2015. This position is intended to attract undergraduate and graduate level students and recent high school graduates enrolled in a college degree. This is a Student Intern position in the Pathways Program. Selected individuals are placed in an excepted service position that integrates their academic studies with relevant federal work experience. This appointment may be extended up to one year from the start of the program.

Apply for this exciting opportunity to become a member of the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

This position of PATHWAYS STUDENT TRAINEE (SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM) starts at a salary of $23,310.00(GS-02 step 1), to $57,294.00 (GS-07 step 10).   

To be eligible for this opportunity, you must be enrolled in school and able to physically report to the actual hiring office, on a full-time, pre-determined schedule, in order to carry out work assignments.  Remote location assignments are not currently an option.

Please note: This posting is for multiple locations, applicants are limited to selecting ONE location only.  If you choose the Washington, DC location you may be assigned in either Washington, DC or Arlington, VA.  If you choose the New York, NY location you may be assigned in either New York, NY or Newark, NJ.  If you select the St. Albans, VT location you may be assigned in either St. Albans, VT or South Burlington, VT.

THE ACTUAL SALARY MAY BE HIGHER DUE TO AN ADJUSTMENT FOR LOCALITY PAY.  To view the 2015 Locality Pay Charts click on the following link: 

http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/#url=2015

For definitions of terms found in this announcement, please click here.

This position is in the bargaining unit.
This position is not considered "essential" for purposes of reporting to work when the facility might otherwise be closed.

Note: USCIS may fill one or more positions using this vacancy.

TRAVEL REQUIRED

• Not Required

RELOCATION AUTHORIZED

• No

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National to apply for this position
• Successfully pass a Background Investigation including financial disclosure
• You must pass a drug screening
• Meet relevant experience and/or education requirements
• You must submit resume and supporting documentation
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with the Selective Service

DUTIES:

You will gain valuable professional, administrative, and/or technical on-the-job training and experience with the opportunity to explore future career possibilities with USCIS. You will perform support work in connection with the assignments and projects of the office to which you are assigned.  

Ideal candidates for these internships are individuals pursuing undergraduate or graduate degree programs in business administration or management, economics, public policy, political science, international relations or studies, accounting/financial management, information technology/information systems, human resources management, and pre-law and law and recent high school graduates enrolled in a college degree. Candidates will be considered on the basis of the applicability of their education and experience to specific USCIS assignments.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

Applicants must meet requirements by the closing date of this announcement for selection at the following GS levels:  

• GS-2: High school graduation or equivalent or 3 months of general experience AND enrolled at least half-time in a degree granting program in an accredited institution.  
• GS-3: 1 year above high school or 6 months of general experience AND enrolled at least half-time in a degree granting program in an accredited institution.  
• GS-4: 2 years above high school or 1 year of general experience AND enrolled at least half-time in a degree granting program in an accredited institution.
• GS-5: 4 years above high school or 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to a GS-4 AND enrolled at least half-time in a degree granting program in an accredited institution.  
• GS-7: 1 year of graduate level education;  completed the requirements for a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale; or 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to a GS-5 AND enrolled at least half-time in a degree granting program in an accredited institution.  

NOTE: You MUST maintain status as a student for the duration of this program.  Your initial appointment is not-to-exceed September 5th, 2015.  There may be a possiblity of an extension, however, this is not guaranteed.  This summer internship program may end prior to September 5th due to budgetary constraints. If you are graduating in May 2015 and not pursuing additional education in Fall 2015, you are not eligible for this program. 

In order to be appointed, you must be enrolled in a qualifying and accredited educational institution pursuing a degree, diploma, or certificate.

A qualifying educational institution is a:

• Public high school whose curriculum has been approved by a state or local governing body.
• Private school that provides secondary education as determined under state law.
• Homeschool that is allowed to operate in a state- Technical or vocational school.
• Two-year or four-year college or university.
• Graduate or professional school (e.g., law school, medical school).
• Post-secondary homeschool curriculum that has been approved by an accrediting body recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

A certificate program means post-secondary education, in a qualifying educational institution, equivalent to at least one academic year of full-time study that is part of an accredited college-level, technical, trade, vocational, or business school curriculum.

Students who take online courses are eligible to participate in the Student Internship Program so long as all other requirements are met and the school is accredited by the U.S. Department of Education.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - http://www.ed.gov/international/usnei/us/workrecog.doc. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration.

**Resumes and your spring 2015 transcript/class schedule are REQUIRED. If you fail to provide this required documentation, you will no longer be considered for this position. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in your application package. Official transcripts will be required prior to a final offer of employment.**

Pathways Participant Agreement: All Student Interns are required to sign the Pathways Program Participant Agreement which outlines program requirements and non-competitive conversion eligibility.

Residency Requirement: There is a residency requirement for all applicants not currently employed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This residency requirement states that candidates must have, for three of the last five years immediately prior to applying for this position; (1) resided in the United States; OR (2) worked for the United States Government as an employee overseas in a Federal or Military capacity, OR (3) been a dependent of a U.S. Federal or Military employee serving overseas.

The qualifications for this position must be met by 11:59pm (Eastern Time) on the closing date of this announcement (Monday, February 02, 2015).

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

We will review your résumé and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, we will place you in one of three categories based on your responses to the on-line questionnaire regarding experience, education and training.

• Best Qualified: Applicants possessing a background that demonstrates a superior level of all evaluation criteria.
• Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing a background that demonstrates a satisfactory level of the evaluation criteria.
• Qualified: Applicants possessing the basic qualifications, with general knowledge, skills, and abilities.

The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are:

• Clerical Skills

NOTE: Your resume and supporting documentation will be verified. If you rated yourself higher than what is supported by your application material, you may be excluded from consideration for this job. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment

If you fall into the best qualified category, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview. To preview the job questionnaire, click here View Assessment Questions. 

Veterans: Veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. Veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific, professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. This position is not considered scientific/professional. For information on veterans' preference, please click here.  

BENEFITS:

DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including:  health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include:  flexible work schedules; telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers.  DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to www.dhs.gov/careers and select “benefits.”

OTHER INFORMATION:

Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, this position requires completion and adjudication of a background investigation. This may include a review of financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.  The background investigation process is initiated after a selection is made.

If a SECRET or TOP SECRET clearance is needed, all selected candidates must meet the requirements for these clearances prior to placement AND maintain that level of clearance while encumbering the position.

USCIS uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.  To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify.

HOW TO APPLY:

Your application must be received by 11:59PM Eastern Time on Monday, February 02, 2015. To begin your online application, click the Apply Online button and follow the prompts to register or sign into USAJOBS, take the online questionnaire, and submit the required documents. See Required Documents section for more detail. 

We strongly encourage you to apply online.  If you cannot apply online, you may FAX your resume, assessment questionnaire, and supporting documents to (478)757-3144. You must print a copy of OPM Form 1203-FX, document your responses to the assessment questionnaire View Occupational Questionnaire, and use the official FAX cover sheet found here.

If you do not have access to a computer or fax, you must contact the Human Resource office listed below at least one business day prior to the closing date for instructions.  Applications will not be accepted by mail.

To Fax a Resume or Supporting Documents:

If you previously uploaded documents to this vacancy, please do not FAX the same documents. If you need to fax a part of your documentation:

• Use the official FAX coversheet found here.
• Make sure that you include the 7-character vacancy identification number: "1310035”. 
• Provide your SSN, name, and address in the blocks provided or we will not be able to associate your document(s) with the rest of your application.
• Print your SSN and Name neatly using the exact name as the one used when you filled out the assessment questionnaire.
• The fax number is 1-478-757-3144.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

• Your resume.
• Spring 2015 transcripts or official documentation to verify current or projected enrollment, with an accredited educational institution, must be submitted as part of the complete application package and must be received by the closing date of the vacancy announcement.  If education is being used as the only means for qualifying for this position, appropriate transcripts MUST be submitted, in addition to current or projected enrollment documents, in order to support the receipt of the required level of education.  Applicant's full name and the name of the educational institution must be clearly identified on documents submitted.  Those with foreign education, click this link. 
• Are you a veteran?  Submit Member Copy 4 of your DD 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty). Those applying for 10-point preference must fill out the SF-15 (click here for the form) and provide the required documentation listed on the back of the form. If applying as a disabled veteran, submit a copy of the letter from the Veterans Administration, or other formal documentation, that clearly identifies overall rating of disability.  If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the armed forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification.  This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions.  Click here for more veterans’ information.

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

HR OPERATIONS CENTER-TEAM ONE
Phone: (802)660-1145
Email: HROCTEAM1@DHS.GOV

Agency Information:
US Citizenship and Immigration Services
70 Kimball Avenue
South Burlington, VT
05403
USA

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

Once you submit your application, we will assess your experience and training, identify the best qualified applicants, and refer those applications to the selecting official for further consideration and a possible interview. We will notify you by email at various stages in the process (learn more). Your status will also be updated on USAJOBS throughout the process. To check your status, log on to your USAJOBS account, click on "Application Status," and then click "More Information." We expect to make a final job offer within 90 days after the deadline for applications. If you are selected, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.