This position is located in the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), Executive Office for Immigration Review, U. S. Department of Justice. This position leads appellate case processing before the Board of Immigration Appeals by assigning and monitoring work, reviewing records, analyzing legal issues and workflows, and supporting timely, accurate adjudication.
This is a Competitive Service position; additional positions may be filled from this announcement within 90 days of certificate issuance.
Summary
This position is located in the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), Executive Office for Immigration Review, U. S. Department of Justice. This position leads appellate case processing before the Board of Immigration Appeals by assigning and monitoring work, reviewing records, analyzing legal issues and workflows, and supporting timely, accurate adjudication.
This is a Competitive Service position; additional positions may be filled from this announcement within 90 days of certificate issuance.
You may apply if you are a current Department of Justice/Executive Office for Immigration Review employee with career/career conditional tenure in the Competitive Service (You must submit an SF-50 that reflects current employment with Department of Justice/Executive Office for Immigration Review and career/career-conditional tenure (Tenure field is 1 or 2); AND status in the competitive service (Position Occupied field is 1).) Also open to Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) eligibles.
The duties and responsibilities for a Legal Administrative Specialist (Lead), GS-0901-11 generally include, but are not limited to, the following:
Leading administrative appellate case processing by assigning work, setting deadlines, monitoring progress, coaching staff, and reporting team accomplishments and training needs.
Establishing and adjusting short-term priorities, schedules work, allocates resources, and coordinates with management to support efficient program operations.
Analyzing case processing workflows, program operations, legislation, regulations, and technology changes to identify problems and recommend operational improvements.
Reviewing signed Board decisions, circulation sheets, and case dockets for accuracy, initiates corrective action, and ensures timely movement of cases through the processing team.
Verifying case data and official records, including legal citations, decisions, names, and identification numbers, to maintain data integrity and quality control.
Evaluating case files and legal documents for completeness, deficiencies, litigation requirements, patterns, and trends, and determines appropriate processing actions.
Conducting legal and historical research, statistical analysis, and records searches to obtain information needed for attorney review and case adjudication.
You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
You may be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
Financial Disclosure: If selected, you may be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
Salary payments must be by direct deposit to a financial institution.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. See “How to Apply” section for more information.
Must be a Current DOJ/EOIR Employee and applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements for consideration.
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
Qualifications
In order to qualify for the Legal Administrative Specialist (Lead) position, you must meet the following time in grade requirements and minimum qualifications:
TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-9 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-11 level. (Please submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. If your eligibility for both merit promotion and/or time-in-grade cannot be determined, your application will be rated ineligible. Please see Required Documents for additional information).
AND
Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one year (52 weeks, full-time) of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-9 level in the Federal service (or comparable experience outside the Federal service), performing 3 or more of the following duties:
Coordinating legal or administrative casework by setting priorities, tracking deadlines, and resolving routine workload issues;
Reviewing case files and supporting documents to verify accuracy, completeness, party information, and required documentation;
Analyzing workflows, policies, procedures, and processing trends to identify problems and recommend operational improvements; and
Conducting legal research to identify applicable laws, regulations, and precedents and support appropriate case actions.
(Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience)
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).
For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here.
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Additional information
Conditions of Employment: Only U.S. citizens or nationals are eligible for employment with the EOIR. Dual citizenship will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicants must also meet DOJ's residency requirement by having, for at least 3 of the 5 years immediately preceding application, either: (1) resided in the U.S., (2) worked overseas for the U.S. Government or military, or (3) been a dependent of a Federal or military employee serving overseas.
This position is open to Current Department of Justice/Executive Office for Immigration Review Employees in the Competitive Service with Career or Career Conditional Tenure. Your SF-50 must reflect current employment with and career/career-conditional tenure (Tenure field is 1 or 2); AND status in the competitive service (Position Occupied field is 1). This includes current Department of Justice/Executive Office for Immigration Review employees who are Competitive and/or Non-Competitive eligibles.
Note: Multiple selections may be made from this announcement. Salary is approximate and subject to locality pay based on the official duty station.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applicants applying under merit promotion procedures will be rated in accordance with the EOIR's Merit Staffing plan. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documentation), responses to the application questionnaire, and the results of the required online assessments to determine whether you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your application questionnaire. If your responses are not supported by your application materials, your score may be lowered and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):
Attention to Detail
Customer Service
Decision Making
Flexibility
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Reading Comprehension
Reasoning
Self-Management
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
NOTE: In order to be rated as meeting the minimum qualifications, we must be able to determine from your application package that you have the education and/or specialized experience that is required. Your resume should contain your full name, some form of contact information (phone number, email address and/or living address), and the following employment information:
Employer name and location for each position held.
From and to dates (MM/YY-MM/YY or from MM/YY to "present") for each position held. The month and year is required to fully credit your time.
For part-time positions, please include number of hours worked per week, positions that do not include this information will be assumed as full-time (40 hours a week).
Grade/levels held for each federal position. (Ex. GS-11; IR-06; FV-G…etc.)
Detailed descriptions of experience under each position held. (Applicants must provide specific supporting examples to show that they meet the qualifications of the position shown in the announcement.)
Any submitted documents not required or requested for this vacancy will not be considered (i.e. training certificates, case filings, letter of recommendations, etc.).
(ALL INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION PRIOR TO FINAL SELECTION.)
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Your complete Application Package (containing the required documents) must be received no later than 11:59 pm Eastern on the closing date.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Your Resume (2 pages) showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. (Please see the How You Will Be Evaluated section for more details on the resume)
Complete the USA Hire Assessments, you will receive a notification with your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline if an assessment is required.
SF-50 reflecting current employment and proof of status with theDepartment of Justice/Executive Office for Immigration Review. The SF-50 must show you are a current DOJ/EOIR employee. Must provide your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are in the competitive service (block 24 must contain a 1 or 2 and block 34 must contain a 1), highest grade held (and promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title (block 15), series, grade and step (blocks 17, 18 & 19), and organization of record (block 22). If your current grade is not your highest permanent grade, submit an additional SF-50 showing your highest grade. If you are a current temporary/term employee who previously held a status Federal position, you need to submit your SF-50 which shows your eligibility to be considered. Examples of qualifying SF-50s: Promotion, WIG, new appointment, and SF-50s dated more than one year. You may have to submit multiple SF-50s. If your eligibility for both merit promotion and/or time-in-grade cannot be determined, your application will be rated ineligible. Must be uploaded and submitted with your application packaged by the closing date of the announcement.
Other Supporting Documents, if applicable to you.
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), most recent performance appraisal, SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, full performance level, and duty location with your application.To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and (for scored examining) score 85 or better on established ranking criteria and must submit proof of eligibility for the special selection priority. Additional information about CTAP eligibility can be found by clicking here.
Any other supporting documentation required for verification as described in the announcement.
All documentation, including resumes and transcripts, must be in English or include an English translation.
Do not submit photographs with your application package. Remove photos from badges, licenses, or other documents, as hiring officials may not review documents containing images.
Failure to submit all required documents may result in your application being deemed incomplete and removed from consideration. It is your responsibility to ensure your application package is complete.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 11/12/2026.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.
Board of Immigration Appeals
5107 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041
US
Next steps
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.
You will be notified of your application status during the hiring process, as applicable. You may check your application status by accessing the USAJOBS website and clicking "Application Status". The process may take up to 6 weeks. The four points of notification are:
Application Received or Application Incomplete
Minimum Qualification Requirement Met/Not Met
Eligible (Application Referred) or Ineligible (Application Not referred)
Selected or Not Selected
*Based upon your score, you may be referred to the hiring official. If your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly by that office for a possible interview. You will receive notice via email once this process is completed (generally 4-6 weeks).
We strive to extend a final offer of employment within 90 days from the close of this announcement. Additional selections may be made from this announcement within 90 days.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Your complete Application Package (containing the required documents) must be received no later than 11:59 pm Eastern on the closing date.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Your Resume (2 pages) showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. (Please see the How You Will Be Evaluated section for more details on the resume)
Complete the USA Hire Assessments, you will receive a notification with your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline if an assessment is required.
SF-50 reflecting current employment and proof of status with theDepartment of Justice/Executive Office for Immigration Review. The SF-50 must show you are a current DOJ/EOIR employee. Must provide your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are in the competitive service (block 24 must contain a 1 or 2 and block 34 must contain a 1), highest grade held (and promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title (block 15), series, grade and step (blocks 17, 18 & 19), and organization of record (block 22). If your current grade is not your highest permanent grade, submit an additional SF-50 showing your highest grade. If you are a current temporary/term employee who previously held a status Federal position, you need to submit your SF-50 which shows your eligibility to be considered. Examples of qualifying SF-50s: Promotion, WIG, new appointment, and SF-50s dated more than one year. You may have to submit multiple SF-50s. If your eligibility for both merit promotion and/or time-in-grade cannot be determined, your application will be rated ineligible. Must be uploaded and submitted with your application packaged by the closing date of the announcement.
Other Supporting Documents, if applicable to you.
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), most recent performance appraisal, SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, full performance level, and duty location with your application.To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and (for scored examining) score 85 or better on established ranking criteria and must submit proof of eligibility for the special selection priority. Additional information about CTAP eligibility can be found by clicking here.
Any other supporting documentation required for verification as described in the announcement.
All documentation, including resumes and transcripts, must be in English or include an English translation.
Do not submit photographs with your application package. Remove photos from badges, licenses, or other documents, as hiring officials may not review documents containing images.
Failure to submit all required documents may result in your application being deemed incomplete and removed from consideration. It is your responsibility to ensure your application package is complete.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 11/12/2026.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.
Board of Immigration Appeals
5107 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041
US
Next steps
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.
You will be notified of your application status during the hiring process, as applicable. You may check your application status by accessing the USAJOBS website and clicking "Application Status". The process may take up to 6 weeks. The four points of notification are:
Application Received or Application Incomplete
Minimum Qualification Requirement Met/Not Met
Eligible (Application Referred) or Ineligible (Application Not referred)
Selected or Not Selected
*Based upon your score, you may be referred to the hiring official. If your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly by that office for a possible interview. You will receive notice via email once this process is completed (generally 4-6 weeks).
We strive to extend a final offer of employment within 90 days from the close of this announcement. Additional selections may be made from this announcement within 90 days.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
