Immigration Services Specialist

Agency Mission

“InterFaith Works affirms the dignity of each person and every faith tradition, builds racial and religious equity, and creates bridges of understanding among us.”

Overview to the Program Area

InterFaith Works’ Center for New Americans (CNA) started in 1992, resettling newly arriving refugees from areas of the world where war, conflict, and political repression have forced mass relocation of people across the borders of their homeland. Refugees are annually certified by the United Nations, and accepted by the US government, then settled in nearly 200 cities across the county, Syracuse being one of these. The CNA provides initial support for the first 90-days which begins with meeting the refugee/family at the airport, delivering them to a pre-secured, furnished and affordable apartment, providing immediate spending cash, food, and basic safety information. The program then prepares a comprehensive resettlement plan which many include preparation for and securing employment, completion of an extended cultural orientation program, assisting the refugee/family to enroll in school to learn English, and facilitating connections to medical services. Additional CNA service programs which extend from three to five years beyond the initial resettlement period include the provision of ongoing, specialized, and intensive case management services, mental health and family wellness services, health literacy and education, employment assistance, immigration services, emergency assistance programs, and the facilitation of guided referrals to relevant community resources.

Broad Function

The Immigration Services Specialist provides support for all components of the Immigration Services program including citizenship education services and USCIS application support. The Immigration Services Specialist will serve as a liaison between both components of the program, clients, and community partners. The Immigration Services Specialist will have a variety of responsibilities including data entry, program promotion and outreach, scheduling and filing, preparation for client consultations, and assisting our DOJ accredited representatives with case completion and submission. The Immigration Services Specialist will have working knowledge of the entire Immigration Services portfolio to provide effective support to all team members. The Immigration Services Specialist will play an essential role in supporting the Immigration Services Manager in program innovation and improved functionality.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 2 years’ experience working in immigration law and/or related field.
• Background and familiarity with immigration processes and immigration law.
• DOJ Accredited or willingness to work towards accreditation within first six months.
• Experience in community organizing and creating collaborative working relationships.
• Demonstrated training/experience in culturally competent environment and appreciation of community/volunteer partners are essential.
• Ability to work independently, be self-directed, and capable of managing own caseload.
• Ability to work with a team, share responsibilities, and problem-solve.
• Excellent communication and computer/digital literacy skills.
• Flexibility to attend program and agency events in the evening and/or on weekends, as needed.
• Candidate must have valid NYS driver’s license and reliable transportation.

Working conditions and physical demands required:

The demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Ability to travel regularly throughout the service delivery area (home visits, agency visits, service provider visits etc.) at least 30% of the time using reliable transportation, traversing streets, ascending/descending stairs, and exposed to outside weather conditions.
• Remain in a stationary position at a workstation and use a computer approximately 70% of the time.
• Ability to frequently sit for long periods attending meetings/trainings.

Major Responsibilities

Immigration Assistance

• Conduct immigration intakes and create individual service plans for refugee and immigrant clients
• Provide direct support to clients during weekly walk-in hours, following up on inquiries as needed
• Administer support for immigration-related services and applications to include: Adjustment of Status, Employment Authorization, Naturalization, Family Reunification, Temporary Protected Status.
• Draft USCIS applications for upcoming consultations in coordination with the Immigration Services Manager and Immigration Services Coordinator
• Manage a caseload of immigration-related cases, providing follow-up and case management support
• Provide interpretation directly or assist in coordinating interpretation for client consultations, as needed
• Conduct legal research and stay updated on relevant immigration-related policy changes
• Collaborate with external DOJ accredited representatives and immigration attorneys in the Central New York Community to support clients and bolster community partnerships
• Maintain a resource and referral list of external immigration-related legal providers, placing referrals for clients, as needed
• Coordinate with the Volunteer Lawyers Project to host monthly Immigration Clinics at IFW’s office
• Manage client waiting list and support Immigration Services team members in scheduling appointments and communicating with clients
• Attend client’s immigration-related appointments at USCIS, as requested

Citizenship Education

• Identify key communities/community leaders to support the development of a systematic outreach plan utilized to recruit participants for no-cost, multi-week citizenship preparation classes in coordination with the Senior Citizenship Education Coordinator
• Aid in organizing student records including attendance, demographic information, and pre/post testing scores in applicable spreadsheets, client files, and online reporting systems
• Ensure student data is updated and easily accessible for reporting purposes
• Serve as a liaison between Immigration Services’ DOJ Representatives and Citizenship Educators to ensure students are directly referred for naturalization application assistance
• Conduct information sessions during Citizenship Education classes to explain Naturalization Application Services and recruit prospective participants
• Data Maintenance & Reporting
• Maintain and update various client tracking spreadsheets to efficiently organize and pull data for reporting, development, and other purposes, ensuring good data hygiene
• Prepare narratives of participants and their individual progress for use in publicizing the program and its successes
• Maintain client files (physically and electronically) by pleading notices
• Administrative Assistance
• Support Immigration Services team members by scanning, copying, filing, and organizing USCIS notices and correspondence into relevant electronic and physical client files
• Review all immigration-related mail and deliver it to the addressed team members
• Support in sending completed applications to USCIS (electronically or via snail)
• Develop relevant program materials to advertise Immigration Services programming
• Conduct both internal and external immigration-focused presentations, as needed
• Respond to inquiries from team members outside of Immigration Services

Agency Support Functions

• Attend in-house training and informational conferences, as requested
• Collaborate with other IFW staff, interns, and volunteers to improve client services
• Participate in staff meetings, case planning meetings, and all staff events
• Serve on internal committees to promote general agency concerns and contribute to a positive office climate
• Participate in general agency activities such as the ILAD, Building Bridges Festival, Racial Justice Awards, etc.

Other duties as assigned.

Pay: $44,000.00 - $46,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid jury duty
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person