The IRC in Denver’s General Immigration Program provides services to refugees, asylees and other immigrants in Colorado. The General Immigration Services Intern will assist immigration services staff and work with clients applying for adjustment of status (green cards), United States citizenship, family reunification petitions and other immigration benefits. This position may be of particular interest to law students or those pursuing other immigration-related fields, although a legal background or previous immigration experience is not a requirement. This internship is a great opportunity to gain professional experience in a multi-cultural, social service setting.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct comprehensive intake and needs assessment
• Assist clients to complete applications or petitions for various immigration benefits and prepare these for review by Immigration Services Staff
• Conduct follow-up, including written and telephone communication with USCIS
• Assist in drafting responses to Requests for Evidence and USCIS inquiries
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date files and detailed case notes on Immigration services to clients
• Assist in outreach efforts to let community know about immigration services offered by IRC
• Help to plan, develop and carry out Naturalization (Citizenship) Workshops
• Other duties as needed and assigned by immigration case managers

Requirements:

• Prefer students or recent graduates with interest and experience with USCIS forms
• Must have reliable work hours and able to commit to 10-15 hours a week during IRC office hours
• Able to work independently and under pressure with multiple tasks and competing deadlines
• The ideal candidates are independent, detail-oriented, and highly organized
• Attention to detail and procedure
• Strong intercultural communication skills; demonstrated ability to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and across language barriers
• Ability to communicate effectively in English; additional fluency in one of the following languages desirable, but not required: Arabic, Burmese, Dari, Kinyarwanda, Kiswahili, French, Spanish
• Ability to handle sensitive client information confidentially
• Computer literacy, preferably with PC systems;
• Applicants must be open to evolving responsibilities

Learning Objective:

• The intern will gain professional experience providing technical assistance and programmatic support to the Denver IRC legal program.
• The intern will gain a deep understanding of immigration law and policy, particularly as it pertains to refugees and asylees in the US.
• The intern will gain practical experience working in a fast-paced environment for a large NGO in a challenging policy environment for refugees and immigrants.