Office Circular No 10/14
APPLICATIONS FOR VACANCIES AT THE IMMIGRATION ASSISTANT LEVEL
The Immigration Section of the Australian High Commission, New Delhi is seeking suitably qualified people to submit applications for vacancies at the Immigration Assistant (IA) level arising in the next 12 months. Selection will be made strictly on the merit principle.
NOTE FOR ALL APPLICANTS
• Applications must be typed. Handwritten applications will not be accepted.
• Applicants must submit the following documents:
(1) a completed Registration and Personal Particulars Form; and
(2) a written statement addressing each of the selection criteria for the position/s applied for. Applications not meeting these criteria will not be considered.
• Applications must conform to word limits where specified.
• Applicants must provide examples of relevant work experience where specified.
• The application process involves questions about your current and past personal and family relationships and living circumstances. It is in your own interest to be honest and accurate in disclosing details about yourself. If you feel uncomfortable about disclosing this information, you should reconsider your application.
• Late applications will not be considered
• Only short listed applicants will be contacted.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications addressing the selection criteria should be attached as a Microsoft word document and forwarded by email to:
[email protected] by 12 noon Monday, 05 May 2014.
Please note there is no age restriction for applicants who wish to apply for these positions.
All prospective applicants should also take the time to familiarise themselves with the Australian High Commission’s Code of Conduct.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
Immigration Assistants (IA) work within the Client Services Team, in addition to a few positions within the Referrals and Integrity teams within the Immigration Section. The duties of the Immigration Assistant positions are varied but can include data entry and management, mail handling, file creation and management, responding to client inquiries by email and phone, and visa evidencing.
Immigration Assistants will need good interpersonal skills and a strong commitment to DIBP’s client service principles and standards in order to support the day-to-day operations of the DIBP New Delhi Office. They should have strong organisational abilities and successful workload management skills in order to deliver in a high-pressure environment with tight deadlines and competing and changing priorities.
Under the direction of a Team Leader, Immigration Assistants may perform the following duties:
• respond to inquiries from clients and provide information and advice
• undertake a wide range of administrative processing tasks including exercising delegations in accordance with appropriate legislation, policy and procedures; developing and maintaining registers; assisting with tasks of a specialised nature
• under direction, undertake less complex research and analysis activities, such as compiling and reporting on data and statistics
• liaise with departmental staff, clients and external agencies/organisations on matters relating to work tasks
• use judgement in interpreting and analysing issues and considering options and alternatives
• prepare routine correspondence and assist with the preparation of more complex correspondence, reports and documentation
• work in a team environment, assist with team tasks and provide advice and guidance to new staff, including effective on the job training
• contribute to reviews of work practices and procedures, including providing advice on the efficient and effective delivery of services
• manage a varied workload
The commencing salary for an Immigration Assistant will be INR 29,952 per month in the range INR 29,952 to INR 35,222.
SELECTION CRITERIA – IMMIGRATION ASSISTANT
CRITERION 1
Describe a situation that demonstrates your ability to explain a process to a client in order to further their understanding of a particular issue and make an informed decision. (Maximum 300 words)
In your answer, please ensure you address the following:
• What was the situation and what was your role?
• What process were you explaining and who was the client?
• How did you ensure that the information you were giving was correct and helpful?
• How did the client respond to your explanation and did your actions help the client make their decision?
(Maximum 300 words)
CRITERION 2
Provide an example of a time when you had to adapt to a new technology/process that changed aspects of the way you did your work or undertook a task. (Maximum 300 words)
In your answer please address the following:
• What was the situation? What role were you performing?
• What was the nature of the change?
• What did you do to help to implement the change?
• What was the outcome?
(Maximum 300 words)
CRITERION 3
Give an example of a time when you wanted to help someone but were unable to and so sought advice and/or guidance from a colleague or supervisor. (Maximum 300 words)
In your answer please address the following:
• What was the situation?
• What action did you take to attempt to help the individual and why did you decide that you were unable to do so?
• What advice did you seek and from whom?
• How did that advice help you to assist the person?
• What was the outcome?
(Maximum 300 words)
CRITERION 4
Describe a situation in which you were able to contribute some new knowledge or skills to help your work team perform more effectively. (Maximum 300 words)
In your answer please address the following:
• What was the situation? What role you were performing?
• What knowledge or skills did you contribute to the work team?
• How did you recognise the need to contribute the knowledge or skills to the work team?
• What was the outcome? How did your contribution help the work team perform more effectively?
(Maximum 300 words)
CODE OF CONDUCT FOR LOCALLY ENGAGED STAFF
INTRODUCTION
The key underlying principles of conduct for locally engaged staff employed at the Australian High Commission, New Delhi are:
1. To act in accordance with the local law and applicable Australian law;
2. To deal equitably, honestly and in a professional manner with both the public and colleagues;
3. To ensure there is no real or apparent conflict of interest; and
4. To ensure their professional or personal behaviour does not bring the Australian High Commission or Australia into disrepute.
LES must at all times behave in a way that upholds the integrity and good reputation of the High Commission.
• Personal behaviour should be appropriate
• Dress and appearance should be in accordance with standards appropriate to an employee's duties
• LES should not be under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other prohibited or performance impairing substances in the work place
• The High Commission is a smoke-free work environment
LES must behave honestly and with integrity in the course of his/her employment with the High Commission.
LES should not use their official position to improperly influence or try to influence colleagues or members of the public by giving them gifts or by entering into financial or other arrangements with them.
LES must act with care and diligence in the course of their employment with the High Commission.
In the course of their duties LES are required to:
• be fair and impartial;
• give others likely to be affected by a decision an opportunity to have their case considered promptly;
• explain the reasons for action/decisions;
• at all times act according to local law and applicable Australian law.
LES, when acting in the course of their employment with the High Commission, must treat members of the public and colleagues with respect and courtesy, and without coercion or harassment of any kind.
LES are required to:
• treat members of the public and colleagues equitably, regardless of their sex, marital status, ethnicity, age sexual orientation, disability or religious beliefs or any other similar ground;
• be professional and courteous;
• provide reasonable assistance to the public and to help them understand their entitlements and their obligations;
• deal with the public and colleagues in an equitable and fair manner.
LES must comply with any lawful and reasonable direction given by a person in the High Commission who has the authority to give the direction. LES are at all times subject to the authority of the High Commissioner/Consul General and the officer in charge of the section in which they are employed.
The relevant A-based or locally engaged staff supervisor has the primary responsibility for ensuring that the required standards of conduct and work performance are met and maintained by LES.
The LES must maintain appropriate confidentiality about information obtained during the course of their employment at the mission.
Official information must not be disclosed to any person unless an employee is authorised to do so in the course of his/her duties.
LES must not misuse information obtained in the course of his/her duties, including taking advantage of another person on the basis of information held about the person in official records.
LES must disclose, and take reasonable steps to avoid, any conflict of interest (real or apparent) in connection with his/her employment in the High Commission, including in relation to any outside employment and/or business activities.
LES must seek the permission of the High Commissioner or Consul General before engaging in outside employment.
The High Commissioner/Consul General may not grant permission to engage in outside employment that is incompatible with the employee's duties on behalf of the High Commission.
LES who have interests, financial or otherwise, including in respect of family and friends that could conflict with the proper performance of their duties must disclose this interest to their supervisor and take whatever action is necessary to avoid that conflict.
LES must use resources in a proper manner and avoid waste or extravagance. LES must be scrupulous in the use of official money, human and other resources.
LES have a responsibility to care for and maintain High Commission property. The property of the High Commission is to be used for official purposes only and is to be used efficiently and effectively.
LES must not, in the course of their employment in the High Commission, provide false or misleading information in response to a request for information that is made for official purposes.
An employee is expected to:
• exercise reasonable care in giving written or oral information or advice; and
• take reasonable steps to ensure that the information provided is accurate.
Where there are doubts about the reliability of information this should be checked with a supervisor. Where the information being given is of an interim or conditional nature, this should be made clear.
An employee must not make improper use of inside information or the employee's duties, status, power or authority in order to gain, or seek to gain, a benefit or advantage for the employee, or for any other person, including the acceptance of gifts, sponsored travel, hospitality, accommodation, hire car costs and entertainment.
These restrictions also apply to the families of LES, where the gift or benefit is a direct result of the official duties of the employee.
Gifts or benefits generally should not be accepted. In cases where not accepting would cause offence to an extent that could adversely affect Australia's interests, a gift or benefit can only be accepted with the written approval of the High Commissioner or Consul General.
If in doubt about whether or not to accept a gift the matter should be discussed with the employee's A-based supervisor.
A bribe is a gift given or offers made with the intention of influencing an employee to take or not to take a specific action. The acceptance of a bribe will result in disciplinary action being taken against the employee.
Money must never be accepted as a gift.