Visa Assistant
Job Opportunity
Vacancy Announcement
Visa Assistant
CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: COB February 7, 2011
OPEN TO: All Interested Candidates
POSITION: Visa Assistant
Target Grade FSN-8*/FP-6** or appropriate training level
OPENING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: Opening of business January 25, 2012
CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: Close of business February 7, 2012
WORK HOURS: Full-time, 40 hours per week
SALARY: *Ordinarily Resident (OR) Range: TL 42,701 – TL 50,381 (Starting gross annual salary)
**Not-Ordinarily Resident (NOR) Range: US$ 35,753 - $39,994 p.a. (Starting gross annual salary)
The U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul, Turkey is seeking an individual for the Visa Assistant position in the Consular Section, Non-Immigrant Visa (NIV) Unit.
NOTE: ALL ORDINARILY RESIDENT APPLICANTS MUST HAVE THE REQUIRED WORK AND/OR RESIDENCY PERMITS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION.
BASIC FUNCTION OF THE POSITION:
Under the supervision of a team leader, the incumbent will perform all duties related to routine nonimmigrant visa processing, including intake, translating/interpreting, data entry, printing, quality control, fraud investigations, and drafting correspondence and cables. The incumbent answers inquiries in both Turkish and English from visa applicants and companies about visa policies, procedures and pending applications. On a rotational basis, the incumbent is responsible for the full range of American Citizen Service (ACS) duties, including intake, data entry of passport applications and other services, and responding to Americans with questions on a wide range of issues, including federal benefits, child custody issues, tax and criminal issues.
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
Note: All applicants must address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item.
A. Following are the MINIMUM qualifications required for the FSN-7 (FP-7) TARGET level:
1. Education: Minimum two years of full-time college or university studies in English language or literature, political science or international relations, law or a related field is required.
2. Work Experience: Minimum TWO years of work experience in government or public service, administrative work or in service-oriented position involving customer service and contact with the public required. At least ONE year of experience must be with a U.S. Government Consular Section involving visa work to qualify for target grade of the position.
3. Language: Level IV (fluent) Speaking/Reading/Written English and Level IV (fluent) Speaking/Reading/Written Turkish-language proficiency are required. Language levels will be tested.
4. Other Skills: Thorough knowledge of administrative/clerical practices and procedures; proficiency in use of Microsoft Office Programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Windows Outlook); specialized knowledge of complex and changing U.S. visa regulations and processing procedures, 9 FAM 41, and on-line resources; a good general knowledge of local political and business scene to recognize names and prominent persons who apply for visas required. Strong interpersonal and customer service skills; ability to develop and maintain working level contacts with airlines, travel agents, local passport issuing authorities and other Consulates; ability to work calmly, quickly, and accurately under continuous pressure; ability to work with complicated and sophisticated computer programs and navigate and conduct searches on the internet required. Successful completion of the Consular Correspondence Course is mandatory for attainment of the target grade.
B. Following are the MINIMUM qualifications required for the FSN-6 (FP-8) TRAINING level:
1. Education: Minimum two years of full-time college or university studies in English language or literature, political science or international relations, law or a related field is required.
2. Work Experience: Minimum ONE year of work experience in government or public service, administrative work or in service-oriented position involving customer service and contact with the public required.
3. Language: Level IV (fluent) Speaking/Reading/Written English and Level IV (fluent) Speaking/Reading/Written Turkish-language proficiency are required. Language levels will be tested.
4. Other Skills: Knowledge of administrative/clerical practices and procedures; proficiency in use of Microsoft Office Programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Windows Outlook); familiarity with local political and business scene to recognize names and faces of prominent persons who apply for visas required. Strong interpersonal and customer service skills; ability to work calmly, quickly, and accurately under continuous pressure; ability to establish contact with all levels of society and foreigners at visa windows; ability to work with complicated and sophisticated computer programs and navigate and conduct searches on the internet required.
SELECTION PROCESS:
When fully qualified, U.S. Citizen Eligible Family Members (USEFMs) and U.S. Veterans are given preference. Therefore, it is essential that the candidate specifically address the required qualifications above in the application.
USEFM and U.S. Veteran candidates generally have an equal preference in hiring; however, a U.S. Citizen EFM who is also a U.S. Veteran receives preference in hiring before all other preference candidates.
ADDITIONAL SELECTION CRITERIA:
1. Management will consider nepotism/conflict of interest, budget, and residency status in determining successful candidacy.
2. Current employees serving a probationary period are not eligible to apply.
3. Current Ordinarily-Resident employees with an Overall Summary Rating of “Needs Improvement” or “Unsatisfactory” on their most recent Employee Performance Report are not eligible to apply.
4. Currently employed US Citizen EFMs who hold a Family Member Appointment (FMA) are ineligible to apply for advertised positions within the first 90 calendar days of their employment.
5. Currently employed NORs hired under a Personal Services Agreement (PSA) are ineligible to apply for advertised positions within the first 90 calendar days of their employment unless currently hired into a position with a When Actually Employed (WAE) work schedule.
6. Military Service (for Turkish male applicants): Completion of compulsory military service is required.
TO APPLY:
Interested candidates for this position must submit the following for consideration of the application:
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Universal Application for Employment (UAE) as a Locally Employed Staff or Family Member (DS-174) that can be obtained from the Consulate’s main entrance or downloaded from http://istanbul.usconsulate.gov/job_opportunities.html; or
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A current resume or curriculum vitae that provides the same information found on the UAE (see Appendix B); or
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A combination of both; i.e. Sections 1 -24 of the UAE along with a listing of the applicant’s work experience attached as a separate sheet; plus
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Candidates who claim U.S. Veterans preference must provide a copy of their Form DD-214 with their application. Candidates who claim conditional U.S. Veterans preference must submit documentation confirming eligibility for a conditional preference in hiring with their application.
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Any other documentation (e.g. copies of high school diploma, ID card, military discharge document, essays, certificates, awards, copies of degrees earned) that addresses the qualification requirements of the position as listed above. Interested applicants for this position must submit the following or the application will not be considered:
SUBMIT APPLICATION TO:
Human Resources Office
Attention: Recruitment Assistant
American Consulate General, Istanbul, Turkey
Telephone: (0090) (212) 335-9318
Fax: (0090) (212) 335-9135
Please note: Short listing and interviews are normally completed within six weeks of the closing date. Please assume that your application has been unsuccessful if you have not heard from us within six weeks of the closing date.
CLOSING DATE FOR THIS POSITION: CLOSE OF BUSINESS FEBRUARY 7, 2011
The U.S. Mission in Turkey provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation. The Department of State also strives to achieve equal employment opportunity in all personnel operations through continuing diversity enhancement programs.
The EEO complaint procedure is not available to individuals who believe they have been denied equal opportunity based upon marital status or political affiliation. Individuals with such complaints should avail themselves of the appropriate grievance procedures, remedies for prohibited personnel practices, and/or courts for relief.
Appendix A
DEFINITIONS
1. US Citizen Eligible Family Member (USEFM): For purposes of receiving a preference in hiring for a qualified position, an EFM who meets the following criteria:
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US Citizen; and,
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The spouse or domestic partner (as defined in 3 FAM 1610) of the sponsoring employee, or a child of the sponsoring employee who is an unmarried child at least 18 years old; and,
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Listed on the travel orders or approved Form OF-126, Foreign Service Residence and Dependency Report, of a sponsoring employee, i.e. a direct-hire Foreign, Civil, or uniformed service member who is permanently assigned to or stationed abroad with a USG agency that is under Chief of Mission (COM) authority in Turkey; and either:
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- Resides at the sponsoring employee's or uniformed service member's post of assignment abroad; or
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Resides at an Involuntary Separate Maintenance Allowance (ISMA) location authorized under 3 FAM 3232.2.
2. EFM: An individual related to a US Government employee in one of the following ways:
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Spouse or same-sex domestic partner as defined in 3 FAM 1610;
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Children, who are unmarried and under 21 years of age or, regardless of age, are unmarried and incapable of self-support. The term “children” shall include natural offspring, step-children and adopted children and those under permanent legal guardianship (at least until age 18), or comparable permanent custody arrangement, of the employee or spouse or domestic partner as defined in 3 FAM 1610 when dependent upon and normally residing with the guardian or custodial party;
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Parents (including stepparents and legally adoptive parents) of the employee or of the spouse or of the domestic partner as defined in 3 FAM 1610 , when such parent resides with the employee for at least six of the 12 months immediately preceding the date when the employee applies for EFM status for such parent, and is at least 51 percent dependent on the employee for support;
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Sisters and brothers (including stepsisters and stepbrothers, or adoptive sisters or brothers) of the employee or of the spouse or domestic partner as defined in 3 FAM 1610, when such sisters and brothers are at least 51 percent dependent on the employee for support, unmarried, and under 21 years of age, or regardless of age, are incapable of self-support.
3. Domestic Partner: A domestic partner is an individual who meets all of the criteria listed below and who has been declared to be a domestic partner of an employee:
The employee and the domestic partner of the employee:
- are each other’s sole domestic partner and intend to remain committed to one another indefinitely;
- have a common residence, and intend to continue the arrangement;
- are at least 18 years of age and mentally competent to consent to contract;
- share responsibility for a significant measure of each other’s common welfare and financial obligations;
- are not married to, joined in civil union with, or domestic partners with anyone else;
- are same-sex domestic partners, and are not related in a way that would prohibit legal marriage in the State in which they reside;
- agree to inform the Department of State of any dissolution of the partnership;
- understand that the domestic partner will be held to standards of conduct in the FAM that apply to family members; and
- understand that falsification of information within the affidavit may constitute a criminal violation under 18 U.S.C. 1001 and may lead to disciplinary action.
4. Member of Household (MOH): An individual who accompanies a sponsoring employee, i.e. a direct-hire Foreign, Civil, or uniformed service member who is permanently assigned to or stationed abroad with a USG agency that is under Chief of Mission (COM) authority in Turkey. An MOH is:
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Not an EFM; and,
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Not on the travel orders or approved Form OF-126, Foreign Service Residence and Dependency Report, of the sponsoring employee; and,
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Officially declared by the sponsoring USG employee to the COM as part of his/her household.
An MOH may be a parent, unmarried partner, or other relative or adult child who falls outside the Department’s current definition of eligible family member. An MOH may or may not be a US Citizen.
5. Not Ordinarily Resident (NOR): An individual who:
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Is not a citizen of the host country; and,
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Does not ordinarily reside (OR, see below) in the host country; and,
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Is not subject to host country employment and tax laws; and,
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Has a US Social Security Number (SSN).
NOR employees are compensated under a GS or FS salary schedule, not under the Local Compensation Plan.
6. Ordinarily Resident (OR): A Foreign National or US citizen who:
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Is locally resident; and,
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Has legal, permanent resident status within the host country; and,
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Is subject to host country employment and tax laws.
EFMs without US Social Security Numbers are also OR. All OR employees, including US citizens, are compensated in accordance with the LCP.
Appendix B
If an applicant is submitting a resume or curriculum vitae, s/he must provide the following information equal to what is found on the UAE.
Failure to do so will result in an incomplete application.
- Position Title
- Position Grade
- Vacancy Announcement Number (if known)
- Dates Available for Work
- First, Middle, & Last Names as well as any other names used
- Current Address, Day, Evening, and Cell phone numbers
- U.S. Citizenship Status (Yes or No) & status of permanent U.S. Resident (Yes or No; if yes, provide number
- U.S. Social Security Number and/or Identification Number
- Eligibility to work in the country (Yes or No)
- Special Accommodations the Mission needs to provide (Yes or No; if yes, provide explanation)
- If applying for position that includes driving a U.S. Government vehicle, Driver’s License Class/Type
- Days available to work
- List any relatives or members of your household that work for the U.S. Government (include their Name, Relationship, & Agency, Position, Location)
- U.S. Eligible Family Member and Veterans Hiring Preference
- Education
- License, Skills, Training, Membership, & Recognition
- Language Skills
- Work Experience
- References