Immigration Legal Assistant

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933, the IRC is at work today in more than 40 countries and in 26 U.S. cities. The IRC’s Resettlement, Asylum and Integration (RAI) department creates opportunities for refugees and other vulnerable migrants to survive and thrive in the US. RAI serves nearly 50,000 individuals each year in the US through a diverse portfolio of programs aimed at achieving outcomes in five impact areas: Health, Safety, Economic Wellbeing, Education, and Power.

The IRC opened a Denver office in 2016 to provide reception and placement services to newly arrived refugees. In 2022, the IRC Denver resettled approximately 500 refugees and more than 700 Afghan parolees, in addition to serving an active caseload of more than 1,600 people. Some services are limited to refugees and other Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)-eligible populations, while others are open to a broader population of immigrants and forcibly displaced people. Most services are available for at least five years following arrival in the U.S.

The IRC in Denver’s approach is client-centered, empowerment-focused, trauma-informed, and multigenerational. Advancing racial equity and narrowing the gender gap are priorities for the IRC in Denver. The team’s efforts in this space are ongoing and evolving. Current work is focused on participating in learning and dialogue to deepen understanding and awareness of systemic inequities and systems of oppression; building an internal organizational culture that reflects a commitment to antiracism and gender equality for clients as well as staff, volunteers, and the broader community; engaging clients more deeply in making decisions that affect them, whether at the individual, household, program, or organizational level; using our power and influence to advocate for rules, policies, and laws that address inequities experienced by the people we serve and seek systemic change for the benefit of all who are impacted by these inequities; undertaking intentional efforts to shift dynamics and promote power sharing between leadership and the broader team as well as between staff and clients; and examining and changing practices in recruitment, recognition, and other areas of employee engagement and talent development to prioritize access to opportunity and work toward full inclusion and belonging for clients, staff, and volunteers who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and LGBTQI, as well as those who have lived experience as refugees and immigrants.

Job Overview:

IRC seeks an Immigration Legal Assistant to join the IRC Denver’s Afghan Parolee Legal Resource Center to represent eligible Afghans through a new partnership with the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) in the Western region of the United States. This partnership seeks to provide Afghans who arrived to the U.S. via Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) with access to competent counsel in their immigration matters. IRC is a lead agency responding to the Afghan evacuation and serves tens of thousands of Afghan individuals across the United States.

IRC's immigration legal services program serves more than 14,000 individuals in 23 sites throughout the U.S. each year, providing accessible and critical legal representation and advice to immigrants and their families in order to acquire the highest level of immigration status available, keep families together, access their full rights, and successfully integrate in the U.S.

The Immigration Legal Assistant will support legal practitioners, including attorneys and/or Department of Justice (DOJ) accredited representatives, in representing eligible Afghans in immigration procedures. It is expected that staff hired in this role will work towards DOJ accreditation with support from IRC’s Immigration Technical Unit based at IRC Headquarters.

Major Responsibilities:

- Under the supervision of IRC’s Managing and Staff attorneys, provide clients with information about immigration benefits available through USCIS, work with clients to gather documents, and assist clients to complete applications. - Respond to inquiries from clients regarding case status and submit inquiries on case status to USCIS and/or Department of State (DOS). - Process correspondence from USCIS and DOS, including notifying clients, assisting clients to prepare responses to notices or evidence requests as appropriate, and following up with relevant parties. - Maintain accurate and up-to-date physical and electronic files and detailed case notes, enter required data in a timely manner, meet all case reporting requirements within established timelines and standards, and assist in the completion of statistical, narrative, and financial reports. - Represent the IRC with clients, community members, and partners by receiving and returning phone calls and emails, scheduling appointments, supporting events (including group processing events), and conducting outreach for legal services. - Maintain strict client confidentiality and observe all other ethical practices/obligations as outlined in IRC’s Immigration Program Policies Manual. - Pursue Department of Justice accreditation by successfully completing all vital training. - Manage intern and volunteer support as needed.

Job Requirements:

- Bachelor’s degree or relevant work experience. - Demonstrated success working and communicating effectively in a multi-cultural environment and with Limited English Proficient populations. - Able to work effectively in a team environment, as well as take independent initiative. - Excellent attention to detail and strong organizational skills. - Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook) and comfortable utilizing online software and programs. - Excellent communication skills with proficiency in written and spoken English. - Bilingual in one or more languages of the population preferred (e.g., Dari, Pashto). - Demonstrated dedication to immigrant rights, social justice, and/or human rights based on work experience, volunteer service, or educational activities. - Ability to travel locally to engage with clients and community partners.

Preferred experience & skills:

- Previous experience with immigration legal or social services is strongly preferred. - Familiarity with immigration software and experience with data entry and management are a plus. - Community-based outreach and/or work promoting immigrant rights experience is preferred.

Working Environment:

- Standard office environment with occasional opportunities to participate in community outreach and legal assistance events. - May require occasional weekend and/or evening work.

Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity****: IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.

Equal Opportunity Employer****: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

US Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $120 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

Qualifications Update