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Training
At USCIS, opportunities to grow and develop professionally are available throughout an employee's career.
New Employees
- Orientation: new employees attend sessions to learn about our agency, its history and mission, benefits, and other aspects of life at USCIS.
- Officer training: new immigration services officers, refugee officers, and asylum officers complete several weeks of residential training to prepare them for their careers.
- On the job training: employees acquire knowledge and skills through hands-on experience with USCIS systems and processes.
- Specialized training: employees who perform unique functions receive training to build specific knowledge and skills.
Career Growth and Development
- Individual Development Plan: employees and supervisors can jointly develop a plan to identify employees’ short- and long-term learning and development goals.
- Mentoring: structured programs match USCIS protégés with mentors.
- Course of the Month: seminars held locally cover topics ranging from pre-retirement and financial planning to leadership skills for non-supervisors.
- Professional Development Speaker Series: we sponsor voluntary monthly discussions on topics ranging from goal-setting and networking to interviewing skills.
- Professional Development Program: Both full- and part-time employees can receive funding for training and education.
Leadership
- All new supervisors complete a year-long Leadership Foundations Program, which consists of activities to complete within the first 90 days, a week-long course, and continued developmental assignments.
- Coaching: supervisors can apply to receive confidential one-on-one coaching with a certified leadership coach from inside or outside the agency.
- Leadership education and development: we offer short- and long-term leadership development opportunities to employees from the GS-4 to Senior Executive Service levels.
- Supervisory training: we support supervisors with blended learning programs, supplemental developmental opportunities, and a give-back requirement where they learn through teaching peers.
eLearning
- Online books, videos, courses, and job aids: USCIS employees can access a large collection of tutorials and reference materials through the SkillSoft library.
- Webinars: wherever employees work in the agency, online conferencing connects them to subject matter experts and supports sharing effective practices.
- Test preparation materials: independent study supported by USCIS can qualify employees for professional certifications such as Project Management Professional and more than 50 certifications in information technology.
Organizational Development
- Consultations for offices and teams: leaders arrange for tailored activities to improve quality and communication.
- Lean Six Sigma: process consultants work with organizations to analyze business processes and improve the quality of our work products.
- Communities of practice: groups capture, develop and share organizational knowledge, real-world experiences and replicate successes.
