Immigration Lawyer
Afghan Immigration Legal Assistance Program
Title: Immigration Lawyer, Vermont Afghan Alliance
(Reports to Executive Director)
Primary Location: Burlington, Vermont
Salary and benefits: $70,000 (Full Time – 100%)
Full health insurance coverage as well as paid vacation, sick and family leave.
Start date: December 1, 2024
Term: 1-Year Contract
Overview, Duties and Responsibilities
The Vermont Afghan Alliance is a Vermont-based non-profit working to assist and support the Afghan community resettling in Vermont. The Alliance seeks an early career Immigration Lawyer to lead an Afghan Immigration Legal Assistance Program funded by the State of Vermont. The Program will run from December 1, 2024 to November 30, 2025. Working with Alliance staff, the Immigration Lawyer will provide culturally and linguistically appropriate immigration-related legal assistance to eligible Afghan populations in Vermont.
Primary responsibilities include:
- Assistance understanding basic immigration protections under law and the immigration process;
- Consultations and interviews to determine immigration-related legal assistance needs and relevant information;
- Assistance with the replacement of lost immigration documents and/or with correcting documents;
- Providing interpretation services as needed through the immigration process;
- Assistance explaining and completing relevant forms as well as compiling relevant supporting documents for all immigration-related needs, including, in particular, relative petitions (also known as “family reunification” petitions);
- Providing guidance on fee waivers and assisting with the completion of forms;
- Representing client in affirmative asylum interviews or I-485 (“green card”) interviews or other mandatory in-person immigration related appointments; and
- Responding to immigration relation inquiries from the Department of State and/or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Desired Experience and Education:
- A demonstrated commitment to public interest law, immigration law or human rights work as well as to helping Afghans fleeing persecution successfully build their lives in Vermont;
- J.D. and license to practice law;
- This is an “early career” position. Some proven experience practicing immigration law, including pro-bono work or work with a law school immigration legal clinic;
- Excellent communication and customer service skills;
- Outstanding organizational skills;
- Experience working with interpretation services or the ability to speak Pashto and/or Dari;
- Demonstrated ability to work and thrive in a multicultural environment, across language barriers and cultural traditions and as part of a team;
- Familiarity with Excel, Google suite or Microsoft Office suite;
- Ability to work in an office; and
- A valid driver’s license.
How to apply:
Interested applicants shall email a resume, cover letter and two references to Vermont Afghan Alliance Executive Director Molly Gray at molly@vtafghanalliance.org. Applications will be reviewed and interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.