Faculty Affairs & Immigration Specialist

ImmigrationJobs; Middletown (CT); Hybrid; USD 63,100 - 74,400; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and wellness programs

Generous paid time off

Retirement plans

Tuition assistance for employees and dependents

Job summary

Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, is seeking a Faculty Affairs & Immigration Specialist to manage faculty employment transactions and immigration services. This role supports the Academic Affairs team and requires expertise in visa classification and compliance.

Responsibilities include advising faculty on immigration matters, coordinating onboarding processes, and managing faculty data in Workday. The position offers potential for remote work and relocation assistance for those qualifying.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in immigration case management or comparable compliance role.
• Ability to advise on visa classifications such as H-1B, TN, and J-1.
• Proven ability to interpret policies and communicate effectively.

Responsibilities

• Manage faculty employment transactions and immigration services.
• Advise faculty on immigration matters and visa processes.
• Coordinate onboarding processes for new faculty.

Skills

Immigration case management

Human resources

Communication skills

Customer service

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Workday HCM

Job description

Wesleyan University is a selective liberal arts institution in Middletown, Connecticut, home to approximately 3,000 undergraduate students, 200 graduate students, and a faculty of distinguished scholars deeply committed to teaching, advising, and research.

The Office of Academic Affairs supports the work of the faculty and oversees the University curriculum, faculty hiring and promotion, faculty research and teaching, and the administration of all academic departments, programs, and the library.

The Faculty Affairs & Immigration Specialist manages faculty employment transactions, onboarding, and immigration services across all appointment types, working in close partnership with the Associate Provost for Budget and Personnel.

Working as part of the Academic Affairs team under the direction of the Associate Provost for Budget and Personnel, the Faculty Affairs & Immigration Specialist serves as a key resource for faculty, department chairs, administrators, and university partners on faculty employment, onboarding, and immigration matters, coordinating visa processing, employment records, and federal compliance in support of Academic Affairs leadership. The office supports approximately 380 continuing faculty and approximately 120 visiting faculty.

Together, the Faculty Affairs & Governance Specialist and the Faculty Affairs & Immigration Specialist provide comprehensive faculty affairs support across the entire faculty employment lifecycle. Each position maintains specialized expertise while serving as backup to the other to ensure continuity of service and consistent support for faculty, department chairs, and academic leadership.

Responsibilities Include

Faculty Employment Administration

• Collaborate with the Associate Provost, academic deans, and department chairs on initial department requests to hire.
• Complete the hire process in Workday for all faculty appointment types including visiting, tenure-track, tenure, continuing, per-course, and post-doctoral appointments.
• Maintain faculty employment data in Workday and related institutional systems to support the University directory, catalog, WesMaps, payroll, and institutional reporting.
• Generate letters of appointment and employment documentation for primary and secondary faculty appointments in coordination with the Associate Provost.
• Create and maintain faculty positions and job requisitions in Workday.
• Conduct background checks and maintain confidential records for all incoming faculty.
• Coordinate faculty onboarding for all appointment types including per-course and visiting faculty; initiate the new hire checklist process to ensure computer access, systems setup, and departmental notifications are completed upon confirmed appointment.
• Connect relocating faculty with Human Resources for relocation allowance guidance and all new hires with Human Resource for benefits enrollment guidance and questions.
• Process end of appointment actions in Workday for visiting and per-course faculty; fulfill SEVIS reporting obligations for international faculty upon termination.

Faculty Immigration and International Employment Services

• Serve as the University’s primary administrative resource for faculty and staff immigration matters across Academic Affairs and Academic Affairs-adjacent departments, in coordination with the Associate Provost who serves as the University’s immigration signatory.
• Assess individual faculty and staff situations and advise on appropriate visa classification — including H-1B, O-1, TN, J-1, and PERM — in support of the Associate Provost and in coordination with outside immigration counsel.
• Manage visa sponsorship processes from initiation through completion in coordination with the Associate Provost and outside counsel.
• Maintain expertise in federal immigration regulations, SEVIS, and employment authorization requirements.
• Advise faculty, staff, department chairs, and administrators on visa options, timelines, and compliance requirements.
• Track immigration status, visa expirations, renewals, and reporting obligations; maintain complete and audit ready immigration documentation and records.
• Support permanent residency sponsorship processes where applicable in coordination with the Associate Provost and outside counsel.
• Serve as, or work toward designation as, an Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO) for Wesleyan’s J-1 exchange visitor program; manage DS-2019 issuance, SEVIS record maintenance, and J-1 program compliance in coordination with the Associate Provost.

Faculty Compensation And Employment Transactions

• Coordinate compensation actions for visiting and continuing faculty including additional pay and pay variances in conjunction with the Associate Provost and Finance.
• Collaborate with Payroll, Finance, Benefits, and other university offices as needed on faculty employment transactions.
• Ensure accuracy of appointment and compensation records in Workday.

Other Duties

• Serve as backup support for faculty governance and personnel functions as needed.
• Participate in special projects within Academic Affairs.

On Campus With Remote/Hybrid Potential

This position is an on-campus position with potential for remote or a hybrid (on campus and remote) schedule in the future. All positions may require on-campus meetings. Remote work is only considered for residents of MA, VT, NH, ME, CT, RI, or NY. (Relocation assistance to CT is available for those who qualify).

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum 4 years of progressively responsible experience in immigration case management, international scholar or employee services, human resources, or comparable regulatory compliance role.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of federal non-immigrant visa categories including H-1B, O-1, TN, and PERM processes and demonstrated ability to assess and recommend appropriate visa classification based on individual circumstances.
• Ability to meet ARO eligibility requirements as established by the U.S. Department of State (see https://j1visa.state.gov/sponsors/how-to-administer-a-program for current requirements).
• Experience in human resources, academic administration, international services, or a comparable professional environment managing confidential employee records and complex compliance processes.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret policies, regulations, and procedural requirements and communicate them clearly to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative working relationships while providing responsive, customer-focused service to faculty, academic departments, and administrative partners.
• Experience completing employment transactions and maintaining records in Workday HCM or comparable HRIS platform.
• Demonstrated ability to manage time-sensitive legal and compliance deadlines with precision and independence.
• Proven ability to maintain confidential employment and immigration records with a high degree of accuracy.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Demonstrated commitment to working within a diverse environment and interacting openly with individuals of different backgrounds.

Preferred Qualifications

• Current ARO designation or prior experience as an ARO or DSO.
• Experience with SEVIS and J-1 exchange visitor program administration.
• Experience working in coordination with outside immigration counsel on H-1B, O-1, TN, or PERM filings.
• Experience managing permanent residency sponsorship processes.
• Experience in higher education, research institution, or comparable complex organization with an international faculty or scholar population.
• Familiarity with faculty or staff onboarding processes in an HRIS environment.
• Experience advising on dual intent, visa portability, or status change scenarios.

Position is open until filled. For full consideration please apply by July 26th when first review of applications will begin.

Compensation: $63,100‑$74,400

Work Location: On Campus

All offers to external applicants are contingent on the candidate’s completion of a pre-employment background check screening to the satisfaction of Wesleyan University.

Wesleyan University, located in Middletown, Connecticut, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, age, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, marital status, ancestry, present or past history of mental disorder, learning disability or physical disability, political belief, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or non‑position‑related criminal record. We welcome applications from women and historically underrepresented minority groups. Inquiries regarding Title IX, Section 504 or any other non-discrimination policies should be directed to Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, Title IX and ADA/504 Coordinator.

Wesleyan University complies with the Clery Act and maintains records of campus crime statistics and security policies. Copies of Wesleyan University’s Clery Act Report are available on request and online at https://www.wesleyan.edu/publicsafety/clery.html.

Experience is taken into consideration in the determination of salary offers. For more information visit https://www.wesleyan.edu/hr/handbook/compensation-practices/index.html.

Wesleyan offers a broad range of employee benefits and development opportunities, including comprehensive group insurance plans, wellness programs and incentives, generous paid time off and retirement plans, flexible work schedules, employee and dependent tuition programs for those who qualify.

Detailed information on the benefits of working at Wesleyan is located at: https://wesleyan.edu/hr/careers/prospective-resources.html.