Job Description
- The U.S. Consulate General in Johannesburg is seeking eligible and qualified applicants for a position of Visa Assistant. The Visa Assistants will rotate through NIV, IV, and Correspondence Units. Perform a wide range of duties including accepting, reviewing, and processing NIV and IV applications, providing information to applicants, government officials, and members of the U.S. Mission, data entry, visa printing, communication/website, scheduling, fielding inquiries from the public, and cashiering as needed.
- Applies extensive knowledge of U.S. immigration laws and regulations when processing complex cases and responding to inquiries.
- Initiates investigations of fraud and assists with investigations of suspected fraud cases.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Enter and process non-immigrant and immigrant visa applications (on a rotational basis through each unit) using consular computer systems.
- As part of this process, spend 50% of workday in direct interaction with the public.
- Use knowledge of visa law and FAM requirement to pre-screen cases for indicators of fraud, missing legal documentation or other requirements and for any other anomalies, flagging these indicators for the adjudicating officer.
- Perform data entry and review cases in CEAC and NIV databases for completeness and accuracy.
- Maintain border security standards, capture applicants’ fingerprints, assesses photos for quality standards and ensure applicant is the subject of the photo.
- Conduct intake professionally, answering visa questions courteously and accurately from the public.
- Monitor system to print visas as quickly as they clear and follow up and alert officers to cases with clearance problems to prevent possible delays in printing. Keep abreast of changes in visa policy.
Requirements
- Successful completion of secondary school is required.
- Customer service experience is required.
- Minimum of two years’ experience in an administrative or management position is required.
- Level 4 (Fluent) Speaking/Reading/Writing of English is required. (This will be tested)
- Level 3 (Good Working Knowledge) Speaking/Reading/Writing of one additional South African language is required.
- Familiarity with office and workload management concepts is required.
- Applies office and workload management and efficiency tools and techniques.
- Easily navigates consular applications and systems.
- Familiarity with the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
- Superior organizational and workload management skills are required.
- Incumbent must interact with the public on a daily basis with tact, patience, and discretion and be able to apply and explain relatively complex regulatory and legal material using simple language.
- Adherence to high ethical standards is required.
- Familiarity with MS Word is required. This will be tested