Staff Careers

The International Services department at The University of Alabama in Huntsville seeks a high-level immigration advisor to assist the Director of International Services with management and delivery of excellent customer service to the university’s international students and scholars, and employee populations. Areas of assistance will include, but will not be limited to, SEVIS database management, filing employment-based immigration petitions with USCIS, managing employment-based work authorizations (H-1B, J-1, TN, O-1, etc.) and employment-based permanent residency petitions (EB-1, EB-2, and labor certification/special handling PERMs, etc.) in an academic and research center setting.

Duties/Responsibilities
• Oversee day-to-day operation of scholar advising. Execute legal processing required by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Department of Labor (DOL).
• Document processing through the Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Utilize Banner records system, CRM TerraDotta and SEVIS to resolve data issues and inconsistencies. Understand DOL systems and USCIS forms.
• Serve as a Designated School Official (DSO) and an Alternative Responsible Officer (ARO).
• Plan, implement, and supervise the delivery of comprehensive immigration services for F-1 and J-1 students, scholars and their dependents while also serving as a liaison regarding immigration matters between UAH and the Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the U.S. Department of State (DOS).
• Assume lead in the development of comprehensive mandatory orientation sessions for all incoming international students and other cultural adjustment programming.
• Counsel and advise F- and J-holders on a variety of matters, including but not limited to, immigration and visa regulations, cultural adjustment, and university procedures.
• Ensure international students and scholars that advice and counseling are available to them through the office of International Student & Scholar Services or by referral to other offices both on or off campus.
• Advise and process H-1B petitions for scholars. Issue J-1 DS-2019s and extensions.
• Advise F-1 and J-1 student visa holders on a variety of matters, including immigration and visa regulations and university procedures.
• Work in conjunction with other ISSS advising staff to advise and issue l-20s and DS-2019s to students.
• Process employment authorizations, extensions, change-of-status applications, and reinstatement applications.
• Coordinate and deliver international faculty and scholar check-in and orientation for all newly arrived H-1B and J-1 scholars as well as other non-immigrant visa types employed by UAH or those with visiting scholar status.
• Perform other service duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 3 -5 plus years of verifiable experience working with international students, scholars, and employee populations in an academic setting, or closely related experience.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or U.S permanent resident in order to be authorized as an F-1 Designated School Official (DSO) with the Department of Homeland Security's Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP) and as a J-1 Alternate Responsible Officer with the Department of State's Bridge USA Exchange Visitor Program (EVP).
• Ability to immediately assume international student advising responsibilities while managing employment-based work authorization (H-1B, J-1, TN, O-1, etc.) and employment-based permanent residency petitions (EB-1, EB-2 and Labor Certification/Special Handling PERMs, etc.) in an academic and research center setting.
• Thorough knowledge of current international student and scholar U.S. regulations, and experience with SEVIS as a DSO/RO.
• Advanced immigration advising skills for F-1 and J-1 student and scholar populations.
• Extensive SEVIS database management experience as a Designated School Official and Alternate Responsible Officer as well as a familiarity with assembling and filing employment based immigration petitions with USCIS.
• Experience with the role of advising service, research and academic units on issues of timing, advertising, and prevailing wage determinations used for hiring international faculty, staff and researchers, as well as experience advising prospective and current faculty, staff, and researchers on various employment-based work authorization petitions with USCIS.
• Knowledge of policies and procedures of relevant regulatory bodies regarding issuing the appropriate visa non-immigrant documents.
• Strong management, leadership, and attention to detail, with the ability to work independently and adhere to strict deadlines.
• Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to interface effectively with a variety of internal and external constituents, including academic affairs, human resources, research security, legal counsel and immigration attorneys.

• Master's degree
• 5+ years of verifiable work experience as a DSO/RO and direct experience with advising, preparing, and filing H-1B petitions or interfacing with outside counsel on employment-based visa processing
• Knowledge of employment-based permanent residency filings in an academic setting
• Familiarity with international populations with high concentrations of STEM students, faculty, and researchers
• Possess a combination of experience and education in higher education, human resources, contracts, compliance, paralegal services, or closely related experience
• Experience with Banner, and Terra Dotta or SEVIS batching software systems, for maintenance of student and scholar data

$63,000 - $67,000