The Principal Immigration Specialist leverages mastery of immigration law, procedure, policies, and agencies to support, improve, and streamline International Scholar Services team’s campus-wide services and compliance and audit responsibilities. This individual draws on extensive experience in immigration services industry to recommend, develop, and implement case-processing strategies intended to make the team more strategic, responsive, and transparent.  

The Principal Immigration Specialist:

• Supports the Director in the development of services strategies for Purdue affiliates such as but not limited to the Purdue Indy campus, Purdue Global, PARI, and PRF; and in support of funded research agreements between Purdue and third-party entities
• Supports the Assistant Director by drawing on legal education and training to provide specialist contributions to in-team mentorship, peer review, and training
• Is responsible for a heavy caseload of employment-based permanent residence and/or complex/rush nonimmigrant visa requests

Required: 

• For full consideration, please submit a cover letter.
• Bachelor's Degree in legal studies, engineering, technology, international education, international business, education administration, immigration, intercultural communication, counseling, or related field 
• Eight (8) years of full-time, professional, high-volume employment-based immigration services experience
• U.S. Citizenship or U.S. permanent resident
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize work in a fast-paced environment and achieve assigned goals under pressure
• Excellent verbal and written communication, organization, and data entry skills

Preferred:

• JD/LLB or comparable legal education
• Four (4) years full-time, professional experience providing employment-based immigration services
• Prior use of an immigration forms-case management database, especially Sunapsis 
• Experience providing high-volume employment-based immigration services
• Experience providing employment-based immigration services to clients, or within, a higher education environment
• Experience with “adjective-based” employment-based processes such as EB-1B Outstanding Professor/Researcher, O-1 Extraordinary Ability, or EB-2 National Interest Waiver

Additional Information:

• Purdue’s benefits summary
• Purdue will not sponsor employment authorization for this position  
• A background check will be required for employment in this position
• FLSA: Exempt (Not Eligible For Overtime)
• Retirement Eligibility: Defined Contributions immediately  
• Purdue University is an EOE/AA employer. All individuals, including minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply

The position is within the International Scholar Services team (https://www.purdue.edu/IPPU/ISS/scholar/about/index.html) of the Office of International Students and Scholars, but we have close relationships with the Office of the Provost, Office of Institutional Equity, and Human Resources Department. International Scholar Service encourages team members to participate in professional development and training, and when supported by business need, promotion to higher job classifications. A cover letter is required for consideration, which must address (1) the basis for interest in the position and (2) the individual’s relevant qualifications that will enable them to be contribute to the office promptly upon hire.