Immigration Paralegal

About CCC:

Since 1923, Commonwealth Catholic Charities (CCC)has provided life-changing human services to vulnerable individuals and families throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. CCC offers quality and compassionate human services to all people, especially the most vulnerable, regardless of faith. We are passionate about the work we do in our communities, providing 31 critical services at 11 locations throughout Virginia.

SUMMARY: The Immigration Paralegal will work closely with the Immigration Attorney to prepare a wide range of family-based and humanitarian immigration cases for submission to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of State, Immigration Court (EOIR), and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

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  Demonstrates strong administrative skills with an emphasis on case management.
• Conducts research, investigates facts, and develop legal arguments.
• Drafts legal documents such as declarations, affidavits, and pleadings.
• Prepares and files documents with courts.
• Organizes and archives documents related to completed and ongoing cases.
• Maintains client database and files in accordance with program/legal requirements and CCC guidelines.
• Complies with all legal and ethical standards.
• Stays abreast of changes in immigration law and related procedures.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively to manage workload with deadline pressures.
• Consults with supervisor on caseload balance, expenses, and program concerns.
• Demonstrates competence in communicating and interacting with others of diverse cultural, geographic, and economic backgrounds in a professional and compassionate manner, including interacting with individuals experiencing substantial levels of emotional, physical, financial, or other hardship.
• Effectively balances working directly with clients and gathering documentation.
• Demonstrates research and translation skills to understand filing requirements of various countries.
• Represents the Agency in the community and workplace in a professional and ethical manner.
• Demonstrates sensitivity to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics.
• Demonstrates strong interpersonal, decision-making, problem-solving, oral, and written skills.
• Utilizes a basic knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
• Utilizes a basic knowledge of immigration case file systems.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE: High School Diploma or equivalent required; bachelor’s degree in a related field preferred. One year experience with writing draft pleadings and hands on case management required. Bilingual in English and Spanish strongly preferred.

Full-time Employee Benefits:
Retirement savings – After one year of employment, the agency contributes 4% of your plan year earnings into a savings account for you and will match dollar-for-dollar up to 4% of salary if an employee makes contributions to the plan. That’s an 8% annual contribution to your retirement savings!
PTO – earn 16 days off for vacation, sick, or personal time in your first year. This goes up to 22 days in your second year and keeps climbing every five years.
Holidays – Enjoy eleven paid holidays
Other paid leave at no cost to employees – bereavement, short-term disability, long-term disability, paid parental leave
Virginia Credit Union memberships
Employee Assistance program – Free services including five free confidential consultations with a mental health professional
Medical Insurance – a choice of 4 PPO plans for employee, employee + spouse, employee + child(ren), or family coverage. A portion of premiums subsidized by the agency.
Dental Insurance – a choice of two dental plans for employee, employee + spouse, employee + child(ren), or family coverage. A portion of premiums subsidized by the agency.
Vision Insurance
Life insurance – paid by agency with option to purchase additional coverage
Other insurance benefits – flexible spending accounts including dependent care, health savings account (for qualified HDHP participants), legal resources