Legal Administrative Specialist

U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 62,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, part of the Department of Homeland Security, seeks a Legal Administrative Specialist to review asylum applicant information, ensure background-check compliance, and relay findings to Asylum Officer staff for adjudication.

This role requires careful analysis, solid written and oral communication, and the ability to consolidate documents from multiple sources, support government processes, and work within a Direct Hire framework.

Qualifications

• Three years of general experience, with one year at GS-04 or equivalent.
• Alternative: a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• Experience handling immigration-related documents and data is favorable.

Responsibilities

• Review asylum applicant information and related documents.
• Ensure compliance with background checks and informational data.
• Provide information to Asylum Officer staff for adjudication.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication

Document review

Public interaction

Research

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

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

As a Legal Administrative Specialist, you will review asylum applicant information, ensure compliance with background checks, and provide information to appropriate Asylum Officer staff for consideration in adjudication of asylum cases. The qualifications for this position must be met by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on 09/14/2026.

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 majority of 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 majority of 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.

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 majority of the following duties:

• Gathering or analyzing information from various sources to provide assistance in immigration related case processing;
• Researching information from various databases to prepare reports related to immigration;
• Interacting with the public to gather or explain information related to immigration applications. 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.

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:

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 critical 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 experience.