Immigration Specialist, Immigration Legal Services - Temporary, Half -Time

Position Title: Immigration Specialist

Organization: Jewish Family Service of San Diego

Department: Immigration Legal Services

Position Type: Temporary, Half-Time, Non-Exempt

Work Setting: Flexible

Reports To: Directing Attorney

Pay Range: $26/hour

Total Compensation In addition to standard pay, compensation for this position includes:

• Comprehensive low-cost healthcare coverage for employees (if working 30 hours or more)
• Employer-covered life insurance (if working 30 hours or more)

Time Away From Work Being able to take time away from work is critical in bringing your best self to work. Time off benefits for this position include:

• Sick Pay – 1 hour for every 30 hours

Please Note: This position is temporary; you will only receive state minimum of sick time and it does not include vacation or 401K benefits.

JFS is looking for a compassionate, mission-driven individual to join the Immigration Legal Services Department as the Immigration Specialist for the Higher Education Legal Services Program. In this role, you have the opportunity to use your skills and experience to make a meaningful difference in your community and help change lives across San Diego. This role requires undergoing extensive training in immigration law to apply for Department of Justice (DOJ) Accreditation.

The Immigration Specialist plays an integral role on the team and supports the entire agency by providing direct representation in immigration cases, including representation before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), while helping to support the broader immigration efforts of JFS’s immigration legal services team. The Immigration Specialist’s legal work will be supervised by the Directing Attorney, and on occasion some tasks will be supervised by other attorneys in the program.

The Immigration Specialist will work closely with the other members of the Immigration Legal Services Team including attorneys, DOJ representatives, and support staff, where appropriate.

• Conduct legal immigration screenings for individuals and families scheduled with the Higher Education Legal Services program in person and virtually, as needed
• Provide eligibility and risk assessment for individuals and families seeking immigration representation before the USCIS
• Prepare immigration filings including DACA, naturalization, adjustment of status, family-based, and humanitarian immigration petitions
• Stay up to date on rapidly changing immigration laws and policies
• Manage and coordinate caseload of active cases, monitoring filing deadlines and other relevant dates
• Coordinate and document client communications in our shared database
• Comply with data and program reporting requirements, as well as internal program and departmental policies
• Perform case management and any additional administrative tasks
• Actively participate in required weekly case review sessions, with the affirmative Services team, and other program if collaboration is required across programs
• Participate in and present at community workshops, information sessions, and other outreach activities promoted by JFS or AS
• Be flexible and creative; the ideal candidate is someone that can easily adapt to constant changes

• Willingness and ability to apply for partial accreditation within 6 months of starting position
• A willingness to undergo extensive immigration law-focused legal training and complete required bi-annual ethics trainings
• Ability to prioritize, multi-task and organize in a fast paced and fluid environment. With the constant changes in immigration law and policy, sometimes there is a need to change the way tasks or cases are handled
• A passion for providing culturally competent, trauma-informed, high quality legal services to noncitizens and newcomers in San Diego County, Imperial County, and generally in the San Diego border region, including but not limited Tijuana/Mexicali, Mexico
• Capable of handling complex legal issues on behalf of low-income immigrant populations
• Proficient in Microsoft software including Excel, Word, Outlook and Adobe
• Familiar and comfortable with the use of Zoom, Teams and other…