Immigration Specialist I

UMass Chan Medical School • Full-time • Shrewsbury, MA, US • 3m ago

GENERAL SUMMARY OF POSITION:

Under the general direction of the Director of Immigration Services, the Immigration Specialist works within Human Resources to provide advice and support to international students, scholars, physicians, Academic Departments and Administration. Responsible for employment-based and student visa document processing and monitoring (i.e., J-1, F-1, H-1B, etc.) in an academic and clinical setting.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Advise departments, students, employees & medical residents on policies and procedures related to non-immigrant visas, including advanced travel advice, visa status of family members, bars to repeat participation, program transfers, extensions, and terminations.
Process appropriate documentation for obtaining, maintaining and extending J-1, F-1, TN or H-1B visa status for students and scholars. Ensures adherence to immigration guidelines for the processing of non-immigrant visas.

Liaison with the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS), Labor (DOL), State (DOS), other federal and state agencies, and private organizations. The Immigration Specialist is registered with DOS as an Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO) in the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program and with DHS as a Designated School Official (DSO) and will issue Certificates of Eligibility to prospective and current students and scholars through the Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).

Provide support to Director in the development of internal policies and procedures related to the international population.

Work with HR colleagues and Departments to facilitate on-boarding process, including employment I-9 and tax processing

Organize and attend outreach programs to the international and university community, including immigration orientation sessions, cultural programming and informational brown bag presentations on current immigration topics.
Manage a large database, generate reports and/or serve as unit’s publications manager including updates to forms, handouts and website as appropriate
Attend relevant immigration meetings and conferences to remain current with trends and changes in laws impacting international students and scholars.
Perform other duties as required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s Degree in a related field, or equivalent experience
3 years of experience in immigration advising to international students, and/or scholars or employees
Experience working with U.S. immigration regulations, particularly J-1, H-1B and F1 regulations
Demonstrated ability to make decisions independently.
Demonstrated ability to interpret, explain, and apply complex rules and regulations such as new immigration regulations and understand how they apply to the needs of our students, scholars, medical residents and employees.

Excellent organizational and customer service skills, and the ability to pay close attention to detail.

Ability to work with a diverse international clientele
High level of counseling, written and oral communication and organizational skills
Excellent judgment and ability to deal with difficult situations
Strong Microsoft Office, Excel and general technical skills.
Must be U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

MA in Higher Education, Administration, Student Personnel Services, International Education, Counseling or a related field.
Background working in immigration law, regulatory affairs, or a higher education environment
Demonstrated experience providing immigration services in a Graduate Medical Education (GME) or clinical environment and familiarity with Educational Commission of Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).
Working knowledge of Sunapsis or an equivalent database, PeopleSoft, and/or Tax Navigator.

OTHER DUTIES MAY INCLUDE: