International Student Adviser

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $70,000 - $75,000

Position Summary

ISSO-CUIMC is a constituent team of the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) at Columbia University, and as such is the primary office responsible for international students and scholars at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. ISSO-CUIMC ensures federal immigration compliance and provides immigration-related services to its non-immigrant international students, scholars & faculty at CUIMC. Technology infrastructure is critical to the federal compliance functions of ISSO-CUIMC, especially as this relates to the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) which ISSO-CUIMC manages and maintains on behalf of CUIMC. ISSO-CUIMC currently serves over 800 international students (including students on OPT and STEM OPT) and over 1,000 international faculty members and research scholars; administers post-admission services to international students; and administers the ever-increasingly complex array of government regulations supporting the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's SEVIS system. ISSO-CUIMC manages the collection and entry of information into SEVIS for tracking foreign national students and scholars. ISSO-CUIMC is a resource for all non-immigrant visa holders at the CUIMC campus.

Under the supervision of the Senior Associate Director, the International Student Adviser delivers immigration services to the international student community at CUIMC. Specifically, the incumbent advises on opportunities, rights, and responsibilities under the immigration laws of the United States, and confers with other CUIMC departments, legal counsel, or governmental agencies as necessary; advises international students on all immigration matters related to their presence at CUIMC; acts as Designated School Official (DSO) in issuing required US government documents to international students in order to obtain student or exchange visitor visas abroad, extend stay, apply for employment authorization, travel abroad, and re-enter the US successfully; collaborates with staff, schools, departments and outside organizations (including vendors) to plan and coordinate collaborative events as needed; engages in programming for our international community. Incumbent will assist ISSO Morningside Student Team with F-1 duties as assigned by the Senior Associate Director, ISSO-CUIMC. Additional assignments as needed by the Senior Associate Director and/or the Director.

Responsibilities

• Works with the Senior Associate Director in the day-to-day operations of the ISSO-CUIMC related to the international student population.
• The International Student Adviser acts as appropriate to issue required US government documents for international students to obtain student or exchange visitor visas, extend the students' stay, apply for employment authorization, travel abroad, re-enter the US, and other benefits as appropriate; consults with SEVIS Help Desk and US Custom & Immigration Services to resolve processing or status problems.
• The incumbent will act as Designated School Official (DSO) in issuing required US government documents for international students to obtain the F-1 entry visa; and consult with the Senior Associate Director on current federal regulations, policies, the Code of Federal Regulations, secondary references, and more complex immigration cases.
• The International Student Adviser advises and provides guidance to F-1 students related to their opportunities, rights, and responsibilities on immigration regulations and university policies, including maintaining their legal status, extensions of stay, travel, transfers, and off-campus employment; evaluates immigration documents and academic records to determine students' eligibility for off-campus employment (Curricular Practical Training, Pre/Post-Completion Optional Practical Training, and STEM extension OPT); prepares and issues all the necessary immigration documents needed for off-campus employment; serve as a University liaison and works directly with the State Department, US Department of Homeland Security, Consular Officers, and immigration officials on matters relating to non-immigrant foreign students as needed.
• Assistance with Sunapsis related projects. Engages in programming for our international community.
• The International Student Adviser assists in creating applications, forms and other types of communication materials related to various immigration procedures, and helps in streamlining and improving ISSO-CUIMC processes and services. Makes recommendations for process improvements related to non-immigrant matters such as work authorization; maintains and enhances in-depth knowledge of US immigration and school policies as they affect international students; evaluates complex regulations and applies them to individual cases; presents at various CUIMC-specific orientations and immigration workshops, on topics such as travel, maintaining status and employment authorization; refers students to the appropriate campus and community resources as needed, including immigration attorneys, tax professionals, admissions officers, Health on Haven, housing, CUIT, banking, cell phones, Student Financial Services, and Career Center; responds to general and specific questions, inquiries, and correspondence from incoming and current international students and their academic departments.
• Acts as a liaison to CUIMC departments to inform administrative staff of regulatory and office policy updates.
• The incumbent complies with federal SEVIS reporting and record keeping requirements including address updates; ensures regulatory information is up to date on the ISSO website; cultivates a professional presence within CUIMC and in the field through local and national partnerships and associations; and participates in regional and national international education conferences and meetings.
• Incumbent will assist ISSO Morningside Student Team with F-1 duties as assigned by the Senior Associate Director, ISSO-CUIMC.
• The International Student Adviser performs related duties and responsibilities as assigned/requested by the Senior Associate Director and Director.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts, Management, Communications, or Education or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 2 years relevant immigration regulation, advisement, and compliance experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. Knowledge of F-1 student immigration regulations, and SEVIS; experience as an international student adviser and Designated School Official in an international student/scholar office in college or university required; ability to communicate effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds; excellent organizational, interpersonal, and written and oral communication skills; strong computer literacy.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in cross-cultural communication, counseling, area or cultural studies, foreign language, international education, or TESOL.
• 3 years administering and advising federal F-1 immigration regulations as DSO in a higher education setting; experience teaching/training/presenting; experience with Sunapsis and ServiceNow.
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  Fluency in at least one foreign language; experience living abroad; familiarity with Microsoft Office. Completion of NAFSA F-1 Professional Development Program.

  
  

Other Requirements

• U.S. government regulations require that Designated School Officials be U.S. citizens or Legal Permanent Residents.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.