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Staff Associate for Immigration (Bilingual)

All MCC workers are expected to exhibit a commitment to: a personal Christian faith and discipleship; active church membership; and nonviolent peacemaking.

MCC is an equal opportunity employer, committed to employment equity. MCC values diversity and invites all qualified candidates to apply.

Staff Associate for Immigration (Bilingual) in Reedley, CA

Date Opened: 
February 2, 2012
Date Required: 
Available Now
Full Time Equivalent: 
1
Reports To: 
Legal Services Advisor
Travel Percent: 
10

 

Synopsis: 
The Staff Associate for Immigration will assist qualified applicants with immigration documentation needs. With a primary focus on serving immigrants from MCC constituent churches in Central California, the associate, in conjunction with the Immigration Team, will assess the needs of immigration clients and provide immigration legal counsel and documentation services such as translation, completing immigration paperwork, and declarations. Also includes accompanying applicants to Immigration Service interviews.

Please send cover letter and resume to Emily Stednick at eas@mcc.org or call 559-301-3403 for more information.

Qualifications:
· Associate of Arts degree or equivalent experience
· Passionate concern for undocumented immigrants and marginalized people
· Professional office appearance and demeanor
· Fluent in verbal and written English and Spanish
· Clear oral and written communication skills
· Ongoing willingness to learn, interpret and remain current in immigration laws and procedures
· Ability to recognize and properly maintain confidential data and information
· Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines, multi-task and appropriately prioritize assignments
· Solid organizational and administrative skills, close attention to detail
· Cross-cultural skills and the ability to relate comfortably and effectively in a variety of constituent settings
· Prior experience working in a team environment with limited supervision
· Computer and Internet literate
· Available to travel for training sessions and meetings approximately four times per year
· Prior immigration legal experience preferred

 

 

Assignment Description: 

Contact/Relationships:
This position requires the person to initiate extensive contact with diverse constituency groups and individuals. Excellent oral and written communication skills are required. Knowledge of MCC and good relational skills are essential.

Supervision:
No direct supervision of staff or volunteers is required.
Complexity/Competencies:
This position requires advocacy and case work related to immigration concerns, which are highly complex in nature. Creativity and resourcefulness are required to research and analyze possible solutions to problems. The ability to connect to a diverse constituency is required. This position also requires some contact with victims of crime and violence. The caseworker must be able to interact professionally and sensitively with trauma victims and victim service providers.

Independent Action:
Duties are generally specific; desired results are relatively specific and permit freedom to select methods and approaches from established law and precedence. Prepare reports for quarterly meetings with the Executive Director. Immigration Team meetings are weekly.

End Result:
This position primarily serves the immigration needs of the MCC constituency in Central California. No immigration or other legal work by the caseworker is to be performed outside of employment with West Coast MCC or without supervision of appropriate West Coast MCC staff.

Major Responsibilities:
90% Immigration Documentation Issues 10% Function as part of the West Coast MCC team

















 

Duties: 
Immigration Documentation Issues
· Submits program reports in a timely manner
· Assesses immigration needs of clients and determines eligibility for available immigration programs and department services.
· Informs clients about the requirements related to applying for various immigration statuses
· Assists clients with applications for these immigration-related benefits
· Accurately prepare appropriate immigration forms and supporting documents, creation and maintenance of files, creation and updating of electronic and manual case notes and biographic information, and attendance at immigration interviews as appropriate
· Takes photographs and fingerprints and translates documents
· Maintains accurate, complete and confidential case files
· Conducts follow-up as indicated
· Complies with all policies, procedures, and protocols established for the program
· Conducts education/advocacy activities as assigned or approved by the program coordinator
· Collects fees from clients, issues receipts and transmits these revenues on a weekly basis.
Function as part of the West Coast MCC team
· Assist with receptionist and general office duties as needed
· Attend board and staff meetings and staff planning sessions as appropriate
· Be able to articulate the larger MCC story within the constituency

 

Location Description: 
MCC's West Coast region of the United States encompasses ten western states. The main regional office is in Reedley, California, a small city in the agricultural central San Joaquin Valley. Constituent churches, which number about 250 are mainly clustered in the following metropolitan areas and the rural communities surrounding them: Los Angeles and Fresno, California; Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; and Phoenix, Arizona. The constituency is ethnically diverse with congregations of recent immigrants worshipping in more than ten languages. About half the churches are made up of recent immigrants and/or under-represented groups.