The International Student Advisor counsels and advises a complicated caseload of approximately 1,200 nonimmigrant international students and their dependent family members in relation to obtaining and maintaining valid immigration status, benefits of certain immigration classifications and other regulatory requirements. Directly reporting to the Associate Director for Student Services, the International Student Advisor serves as liaison to assigned schools and colleges and provides advanced immigration related advice and assistance to faculty and administrators regarding international student regulations. The International Student Advisor serves as Designated School Official to F-1 students and Alternate Responsible Officer to J-1 students to perform nonimmigrant F-1 and J-1 processing, monitors data and reports events as mandated by federal regulation. In addition, the position provides outreach services and workshops to students, faculty and administrators.

Please note that F-1 regulations require that a Designated School Official must document that they are a US citizen or permanent resident and J-1 Exchange Visitor regulations require this position pass a basic CORI background check.

Essential Function 1: 30%

Maintain expertise in a variety electronic systems and databases to record, monitor and report data and events mandated by federal regulations. Perform detailed data reconciliation to maintain accurate data and to monitor and report immigration related events to federal agencies.

Essential Function 2: 20%

Counsel and advise nonimmigrant students and their families in relation to university policy and regulatory requirements

Essential Function 3: 20%

Perform complex, multi-step immigration-related processing with students and their dependent family members as they apply for immigration benefits.

Essential Function 4: 10%

Serve as liaison to deans, department heads, faculty and administrators in assigned schools and colleges. Develop and maintain an in-depth knowledge of the academic programs, as well as relevant policies and procedures within each assigned school/college in order to apply immigration regulations accordingly.

Essential Function 5: 10%

Serve as “Designated School Official” and “Alternate Responsible Officer” in Student Exchange Visitor Information

System (SEVIS) and maintain expertise in F-1 and J-1 nonimmigrant student regulations to ensure institutional compliance. Follow procedures to communicate with SEVIS Help Desk to resolve data issues.

Provide contribution to analysis and development of policies, procedures and projects assigned to the student advising team.

Essential Function 6: 10%

Provide customer service, outreach services, cross-cultural and regulatory workshops to students, faculty and administrators within the assigned schools and colleges. ****

Required Skills

• BA/BS required, Graduate degree preferred in the field of intercultural communication, international relations, advising.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in foreign student or scholar advising.
• Knowledge of SEVIS and student immigration regulations.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills to manage, analyze and resolve complicated immigration cases required.
• Superior communication skills to educate students, university faculty and administrators on matters pertaining to nonimmigrant regulations and institutional policies.
• Ability to understand, interpret and follow complex government regulations and institutional policies to non-native speakers of the English language.
• Ability to maintain detailed immigration records, perform intricate immigration processing and ensure institutional compliance with student immigration regulations.
• Patience, professionalism and high level of sensitivity when advising students in crisis required.
• Ability to facilitate cross-cultural trainings, deliver effective group presentations and work effectively in a team setting required.
• Adherence to Boston University’s compliance policies and guidelines; sensitivity to highly confidential material required.

_We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status. We are a VEVRAA Federal Contractor. _

Required Experience

• BA/BS required, Graduate degree preferred in the field of intercultural communication, international relations, advising.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in foreign student or scholar advising.
• Knowledge of SEVIS and student immigration regulations.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills to manage, analyze and resolve complicated immigration cases required.
• Superior communication skills to educate students, university faculty and administrators on matters pertaining to nonimmigrant regulations and institutional policies.
• Ability to understand, interpret and follow complex government regulations and institutional policies to non-native speakers of the English language.
• Ability to maintain detailed immigration records, perform intricate immigration processing and ensure institutional compliance with student immigration regulations.
• Patience, professionalism and high level of sensitivity when advising students in crisis required.
• Ability to facilitate cross-cultural trainings, deliver effective group presentations and work effectively in a team setting required.
• Adherence to Boston University’s compliance policies and guidelines; sensitivity to highly confidential material required.

_We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status. We are a VEVRAA Federal Contractor. _