International Student & Scholar Advisor II/III

About the role

The Office of Global Affairs is searching for a candidate to fill the role of International Student & Scholar Advisor II or International Student & Scholar Advisor III. The successful candidate will be placed in the position for which they are most qualified.

Responsibilities

• Advises UMass Amherst international students, international scholars and employees on policies and procedures related to non-immigrant visa sponsorship.
• Advises UMass international community on other immigration issues including travel advice, visa status of family members, bars to repeat participation, program transfers, extensions, and terminations.
• Processes and maintains appropriate documentation for obtaining J-1 and F-1 visa status for international students and scholars and their dependents, as needed.
• Ensures adherence to UMass Amherst campus, UMass system compliance and Federal immigration guidelines for the sponsorship of non-immigrant visas.
• Researches, interprets and applies Federal and UMass institutional regulations and policies related to international student, scholar and employee immigration sponsorship.
• Serves as a liaison with government agencies such as U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (including Citizenship & Immigration Services, Customs & Border Protection and Immigration & Customs Enforcement), to facilitate initial immigration sponsorship and maintenance of status for all international students, scholars and employees under UMass Amherst immigration sponsorship.
• Liaises and performs communication outreach to other state and federal agencies including but not limited to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles and the Social Security Administration.
• Updates and monitors multiple integrated online systems including Sunapsis, PeopleSoft (SPIRE) and SEVIS RTI to ensure immigration status compliance.
• Participates at applicable orientation and cultural activities for international students and scholar clientele employees and visitors to satisfy the U.S. Department of State J-1 Exchange Visitor requirements.
• Captures and presents at applicable orientation and cultural activities for international students and scholar clientele employees and visitors to satisfy the U.S. Department of State J-1 Exchange Visitor requirements.
• Coordinates informational seminars and other outreach to campus stakeholders, including hiring and hosting departments, concerning current immigration topics and onboarding procedures.
• Attends and participates in professional development activities and meetings of peer international education associations and organizations.
• Maintains skills, knowledge and best practices of regulatory immigration compliance in order to remain current in the law and regulations impacting international students, scholars, and employees.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree.
• Demonstrated interest in immigration policy and/or working with a highly diverse international clientele.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to multitask, meet urgent deadlines, adapt to changing demands and priorities, and maintain accurate records.
• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to explain information clearly and concisely to a diverse population of stakeholders.
• Excellent attention to detail and strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• The ability to think through problems, identify issues, and generate solutions.
• The ability to work independently as well as contribute and collaborate effectively as a member of a team.
• Strong computer skills with the ability to learn and work efficiently with computer and data systems.

Qualifications

• More than two (2) years' experience working in an educational setting as an advisor, program administrator, paralegal or other related field.
• Master’s Degree or above.
• Prior direct experience working in academic immigration related positions.
• Strong knowledge of regulations and processes pertaining to student and scholar immigration (F-1 and J-1 visa categories) and employment-based immigration classifications.
• Knowledge of foreign languages.
• Knowledge and familiarity of internal UMass systems and programs, institutional policies and procedures; UMass authorization as an institutional Alternate Responsible Officer and Designated School Official with the Department of Homeland Security.