Immigration Advisor, Global Education Office

All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes: comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefit, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more. Learn more about VCU’s benefits here.

Position Overview:
The Immigration Services unit of the Global Education Office (GEO) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is seeking a dynamic and dedicated Immigration Advisor to join our esteemed team of legal compliance and customer service experts. This pivotal role is integral to VCU’s mission of recruiting, retaining, and ensuring the success of our international students. As a Designated School Official (DSO), the Immigration Advisor will provide essential legal compliance support to students on F-1 visas, making a significant impact on their educational journey and overall experience at VCU.

Key Responsibilities
Specific duties of the Immigration Advisor include, but are not limited to:

• Work directly with international students in culturally sensitive and high contact ways to support their need for F-1 compliance and customer service at every stage of the visa lifecycle (I-20 issuance, visa application, SEVIS registration, reporting and supporting the resolution of status violations, CPT, OPT, and STEM OPT).

• Support individual and institutional legal compliance, data and records management, operations, and customer service needs by working in Sunapsis, Slate, and other university systems.

• Support VCU’s institutional decision-making and record management needs by tracking and critically analyzing data and maintaining records as directed.

• Assist in planning and implementing orientation events and other intercultural programming for VCU’s international community.

• Work within, or expand, or develop new relationships in GEO and other VCU units to support students’ ongoing needs in such areas as enrolling in medical insurance, housing, and academic and career guidance, and to refer students to the other units as needed.

Required Qualifications:

• U.S. law requires a DSO to be either a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (green card holder).

• A minimum of 2 years of full-time service as a DSO. Familiarity with higher education organization, procedures, practices, and communication techniques.

• Excellent research and analytic skills.

• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, interpret regulations and policies, and draw valid conclusions.

• Ability to create and use systematic approaches to problem-solving.

• Superior time management and project management skills with the capability to establish action plans, set clear goals, monitor and communicate progress, and follow through on all initiatives to completion.

• Ability to plan short- and longer-term goals.

• Excellent organizational skills.

• Detail-oriented and capable of working independently to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite; Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

• Ability to maintain basic data and document management systems for customer service and compliance purposes.

• Excellent oral and written communication in daily interactions.

• Effectively handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion.

• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism, and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in related field.

• User or administrator experience with Sunapsis or similar immigration compliance data management software.

• Experience as a Responsible Officer (RO) or Alternate RO for J-1 visa processing.

• Proficiency in a foreign language.

hrssprovost@vcu.edu