This position is advertised under the Locally Employed Staff Program of the United States Mission in China.  Applicants must be able to obtain the required work and residency permits before the position's start date to be eligible for consideration. 

OPEN TO:  All Interested Candidates

POSITION:  Visa Clerk (3 Positions) (Full Performance Level) 
                 (This position is open at the Full Performance and the Training Level. 
                 This Vacancy Announcement is for the Full Performance Level.)
                                       
OPENING DATE: October 26, 2009

CLOSING DATE: November 8, 2009 
                 (Only applications received by the closing date will be considered)

WORK HOURS: Full-time; 40 hours/week

GRADE: Not-Ordinarily Resident: FP-08 USD 32,559 (Starting salary, 
            final grade and salary will be determined by Washington)
            Ordinarily Resident: FSN-06 RMB 91,227 (Starting salary includes allowance
            and bonus)

The U.S. Consulate in Shanghai is seeking three individuals for the position of Visa Clerk in the Consular Section. 

BASIC FUNCTION OF POSITION

The incumbent serves as NIV Consular assistant performing all non-officer visa processing function; and rotates through specialty areas including Security Advisory Opinion (SAO), Correspondence, American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) as well as American Citizen Services (ACS).

A complete copy of the position description is available in the Human Resources Office.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants must address each qualification requirement detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each requirement.  Applicants who fail to provide detailed information supporting each requirement will not be considered for this position.

Education:

• Two years of college study is required.   

Experience:

• One year prior general office experience is required.

Language:

• Level 3 speaking, reading and writing in English is required; and Level 4 speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin Chinese is required.

Knowledge:

• Must have good knowledge of visa operations. 
• Must have basic knowledge of local government bureaucratic process and be familiar with fraud pattern indigenous of China.

Abilities and skills: 

• Must have strong keyboarding and customer services skills and ability to use Microsoft office software, database and/or spreadsheet application.

SELECTION CRITERIA

When equally qualified, Appointment Eligible Family Members (AEFMs) and U.S. Veterans will be given preference.  Therefore, it is essential that the candidate address the required qualifications above in the application.

ADDITIONAL SELECTION CRITERIA

• Management will consider nepotism/conflict of interest, budget, and residency status in determining successful candidacy.
• Current LES employees are ineligible to apply for advertised positions within the first 90 calendar days of their appointment.
• Currently employed AEFMs who hold a PIT/FMA appointment are ineligible to apply for advertised positions within the first 90 calendar days of that appointment.
• 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.

TO APPLY

Interested candidates for this position should submit the following:

1. Application Form or Application for Federal Employment (OF-612); or
2. Candidates who claim US Veterans preference must provide a copy of their Form (DD-214);
3. A current resume or curriculum vitae that provides the same information as an OF-612; plus
4. Any other documentation (e.g., essays, certificates, awards, copies of degrees earned) that addresses the qualification requirements of the position as listed above.

SUBMIT APPLICATION TO

Human Resources Office
Attention: Bi Jiayu 
U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai, China
No. 1469 Huai Hai Zhong Road, Zip Code: 200031
FAX:  (86-21) 6474-6869

DEFINITIONS OF CATEGORIES OF LOCALLY EMPLOYED (LE) STAFF

1. AEFM: A type of EFM that is eligible for direct hire employment on either a Family Member Appointment (FMA) or Temporary Appointment (TEMP) provided s/he meets all of the following criteria:

• U.S. citizen;
• Spouse or dependent who is at least age 18;
• Listed on the travel orders of a Foreign or Civil Service or uniformed service member permanently assigned to or stationed at a U.S. Foreign Service post or establishment abroad with a USG agency that is under COM authority;
• Is resident at the sponsoring employee’s or uniformed service member’s post of assignment abroad, approved safehaven abroad, or alternate safehaven abroad; and
• Does not receive a USG annuity or pension based on a career in the U.S. Civil, Foreign, or uniformed services.

2. EFM: Family Members at least age 18 listed on the travel orders of a Foreign or Civil Service or uniformed service member permanently assigned to or stationed to a U.S. Foreign Service post or establishment abroad with a USG agency that is under COM authority who do not meet the definition of AEFM above.

3. Member of Household: A MOH is a person who: 1) Has accompanied, but is not/not on the travel orders of a U.S. citizen Foreign or Civil Service employee or uniform service member permanently assigned to or stationed at a U.S. Foreign Service post or establishment abroad; 2) Has been declared by the sponsoring employee to the Chief of Mission as part of his/her household; and 3) Resides at post with the sponsoring employee.

4. Ordinarily Resident (OR): A citizen of the host country or a citizen of another country who has shifted the main residency focus to the host country and has the required work and/or residency permits for employment in country.

5.   Not-Ordinarily Resident (NOR): Typically NORs are AEFMs and EFMs of FS, GS, and uniform service members who are on the travel orders and under Chief of Mission authority, or other personnel having diplomatic privileges and immunities.

CLOSING DATE FOR THIS POSITION:  IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED, APPLICANTIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY HUMAN RESOUCES OFFICE BY 5 PM SHANGHAI LOCAL TIME ON NOVEMBER 8, 2009.

The US Mission in Shanghai 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.