Immigration Specialist II

Classification Title:

Immigration Specialist II

Job Description:

Immigration Compliance Services with the University of Florida Human Resources is looking for an Immigration Specialist II with experience in managing employment-based immigration visas and petition processes. The University of Florida currently sponsors approximately 500 nonimmigrant employees who require the University’s sponsorship for appropriate work authorization.

Immigration Compliance Services (ICS) serves as a core administrative unit and a business partner to the UF community in facilitating immigration sponsorship and filing immigration visa petitions.

Working in conjunction with the immigration law firm retained by UF, the Immigration Specialist II will be responsible for coordinating the petitioning processes involving the University’s sponsorship of nonimmigrant statuses (H-1B, TN, O1, and E3) and advising UF community on the regulations and procedural information related to immigration sponsorship.

In addition, this position is responsible for the following:

• Assess immigration sponsorship requests for compliance with established university policies and federal regulations and takes appropriate action on request, based on assessment of immigration documentation to ensure compliance.
• Conducts required follow-up sessions in person, by telephone and email with department/center administrative staff members regarding the necessary additions and revisions to the information provided in the sponsorship request packets.
• As a University staff member with signatory authority approves petitions after determining that the information provided meets University and USCIS requirements before submission to USCIS.
• Contacts sponsoring units to provide guidance regarding the initiation of the sponsorship process when noncompliance is determined.
• Evaluates foreign national employee electronic employment records and ICS database files to ensure regulatory compliance and advises Immigration Specialist III and Associate Director for Talent Acquisition and Onboarding of incidences of noncompliance, accordingly.
• Provides information regarding sponsorship status to the university community and prospective employees, based on information acquired from database records, USCIS and DOL generated immigration documents.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in providing excellent customer service, experience in building positive rapport with a diverse population, and proficiency along with a passion for immigration. In addition, the candidate must have an understanding of detailed and complex federal regulations and procedures related to immigration.

Talent Acquisition and Onboarding

The Talent Acquisition & Onboarding team is comprised of expert specialists, consultants and advisors who support the University regarding recruitment, preemployment screening and immigration services. Our vision is to create a competitive advantage for the University by supporting our campus partners to attract, hire and engage preeminent leaders, strong individual contributors, and high-functioning and collaborative teams.

The University of Florida

The University of Florida ranks 6th among public research universities and is the flagship of Florida’s state university system. Located in Gainesville since 1906, UF has 16 colleges, a major academic health center, a championship winning athletic program, a top-ranked undergraduate online program and, in keeping with its land-grant mission, one of the nation’s most comprehensive agriculture and natural resources programs. All are based at the University’s 2,000-acre campus, joining its historic red-brick core with advanced facilities and preserved natural areas and connecting to adjacent innovation, commercial and residential districts.

Several qualities distinguish UF among today’s leading public research universities. The first is its highly comprehensive breadth on a single campus, facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration among, for example, faculty within the adjacent colleges of journalism, engineering and medicine. The second is its unwavering support from the state of Florida, which has endorsed UF’s drive to become one of the nation’s very best public research universities — supporting those efforts since 2013 with hundreds of millions of dollars in additional funding to grow its faculty ranks by 500 members. UF’s third exceptional quality is its dynamism. Like Florida, the nation’s third-largest state and among the fastest-growing, UF is undergoing rapid transformation as it pursues the overarching aspiration to be "a premier university that the state, nation and world look to for leadership.”

The City of Gainesville

Gainesville ( http://cityofgainesville.org ) is home to Florida's largest and oldest university, and so is one of the state's centers of education, medicine, cultural events and athletics. The University of Florida and UF Health Shands Hospital are the leading employers in Gainesville and provide jobs for many residents of surrounding counties. Gainesville is also the largest city in Alachua County and is the county seat, with approximately 269,000 residents county-wide. It serves as the cultural, educational and commercial center for the north central Florida region.

The city provides a full range of municipal services, including cultural and nature services and necessary administrative services to support these activities. Additionally, the city owns a regional transit system, a regional airport, and a 72-par championship golf course.

Known for its preservation of historic buildings and the beauty of its natural surroundings, Gainesville's numerous parks, museums and lakes provide entertainment to thousands of visitors. Because of its beautiful landscape and urban "forest," Gainesville is one of the most attractive cities in Florida. The city is in a central location to both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, providing easy access within a day’s drive to beaches, nature preserves, and water-based activities. Explore Gainesville in 60 Seconds.

Our Commitment to Diversity

Talent Acquisition and Onboarding is committed to developing practices and processes that support attracting, hiring, and retaining a diverse workforce and values diversity of thoughts, background, and experience.

The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations, genetic information, and veteran status in also aspects of employment including recruitment, hiring, promotion, transfers, discipline, terminations, wage and salary administration, benefits and training.

Expected Salary:

$45,000; commensurate with experience and education.

Minimum Requirements:

Bachelor's degree in an appropriate area and one year of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

Previous experience and working knowledge of non-immigrant visas and work authorization. Must have the ability to comprehend, retain, interpret, analyze and effectively utilize the extensive and complex information acquired at such workshops and from other official information sources.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

In order to be considered, you must upload your cover letter and resume.

Applications must be submitted by 11:55 p.m. (ET) of the posting end date.

Health Assessment Required: No