Immigration & Global Mobility Specialist

Cypress HCM; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Cypress HCM seeks an experienced Immigration & Global Mobility Specialist to own day-to-day operations supporting our global workforce. You’ll manage visa processes, work authorizations, and international transfers with a focus on compliance and employee experience.

You’ll work closely with counsel and internal stakeholders to scale programs, document best practices, and drive operational excellence in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, or related field.
• 3+ years of immigration, global mobility, or HR operations experience.
• Deep knowledge of U.S. visa processes (H-1B, F-1, L-1, O-1, PR) and I-9 compliance.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted first point of contact for employees and managers on visa processes, global mobility, and relocation support.
• Provide guidance with empathy while ensuring immigration compliance and policies are followed.
• Track visa expiration dates and coordinate renewals with counsel and employees.
• Manage end-to-end immigration case processing across visa categories and document collection with external counsel.
• Coordinate with external immigration counsel on filings, status tracking, and communications with employees.
• Maintain accurate case tracking in Workday and provide regular status updates to stakeholders.
• Lead H-1B cap season activities from planning to filing and results communication.
• Support international transfers and assignments by coordinating with relocation vendors and People Partners.

Skills

HR operations

Global mobility

Immigration compliance

Workday/HRIS

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related

Tools

Workday

G Suite

Slack

Job description

We're seeking an experienced Immigration & Global Mobility Specialist to own and execute the day-to-day operations that support our global workforce through their immigration and mobility journey—from visa processing and compliance to international transfers and relocation support. This is a hands-on, individual contributor role for someone who is energized by complexity, brings attention to detail with genuine care for employees, and knows how to move fast in a dynamic environment. You'll serve as a trusted advisor to employees and managers navigating visa processes, work authorizations, and global assignments, while maintaining rigorous compliance and operational excellence.

The ideal candidate brings 3+ years of immigration, global mobility, or HR operations experience, deep knowledge of U.S. visa processes (H-1B, F-1, L-1, O-1, permanent residency), and the ability to balance empathy with precision. You'll work closely with the Immigration & Global Mobility Program Manager, external immigration counsel, and internal stakeholders to scale our programs, reduce compliance risk, and deliver an exceptional employee experience. You won't always have a clear precedent—and that's okay because you'll help document what works and scale it.

Key Responsibilities

Employee & Stakeholder Advisory

• Serve as a trusted first-point-of-contact for employees and managers on visa processes, global mobility, and relocation support.
• Respond to inquiries with clarity and empathy, providing guidance that helps employees focus on their work while ensuring compliance with immigration requirements and policies.
• Anticipate questions and concerns; proactively communicate timelines, next steps, and what employees should expect.
• Advocate for employee experience. Apply a people-first lens to processes and communications, ensuring every interaction reflects care, clarity, and commitment to supporting global talent.

Immigration Lifecycle Management

• Manage end-to-end immigration case processing across all visa categories: (H-1B, L-1, O-1, F-1 STEM OPT Extension, Permanent Residency, etc.).
• Own case intake and triage; assess eligibility, determine visa strategy options, and **escalate** complex cases to the Program Manager.
• Coordinate with external immigration counsel on all visa-related matters: document collection, filing, status tracking, and results communication.
• Proactively track visa expiration dates; coordinate renewals and extensions with counsel; communicate with employees 90+ days before expiration.
• Respond to urgent matters—visa denials, travel complications, status changes—with speed and coordination across internal and external partners.
• Maintain accurate case tracking in Workday; provide regular status updates to employees and managers; meet all case response and closure timelines.

Compliance & Data Accuracy

• Coordinate with People Operations on the I-9 re-verification process for foreign nationals approaching their re-verification dates; coordinate with employees to gather renewed documentation.
• Perform weekly I-9 reverifications and monthly spot checks; **escalate** any discrepancies or deficiencies immediately to the Program Manager.
• Maintain consistent, accurate immigration and global mobility data in Workday; conduct monthly data integrity checks with counsel.
• Compile compliance reports on case volume, audit findings, and remediation status; support Program Manager's quarterly reporting to leadership.
• Stay informed of regulatory changes in immigration law; alert the Program Manager to changes affecting processes or employee cases.

H-1B Cap Season Execution

• Lead day-to-day coordination of the H-1B cap season from planning through filing and results communication (typically January–June, with peak activity in Q1).
• Track all eligible cases from registration through lottery results and petition filing; maintain candidate lists, timelines, and communications.
• Draft and coordinate employee and manager communications; ensure clarity on registration deadlines, lottery odds, and next steps.
• Support the Program Manager in leading townhalls and office hours; manage FAQ channels and coordinate candidate logistics.
• Liaise daily with external immigration counsel on document collection, filing status, and case updates; **escalate** high-risk cases.
• Compile H-1B lottery results; coordinate next steps for selected and denied candidates; support contingency planning.

Global Mobility & Transfer Support

• Support international transfers and assignments by partnering with employees, managers, and People Partners to align business needs with employee needs.
• Own global mobility intake process: assess move type (business-initiated vs. personal), coordinate with relocation vendors, and guide employees through the relocation journey.
• Provide guidance on visa sponsorship during transfers, work authorization changes, and tax implications.
• Coordinate with Payroll and Finance on any tax or compliance implications of transfers.
• Maintain Global Mobility intake tracker; provide biweekly status updates to People Operations on active transfers.

Process Excellence & Knowledge Management

• Build and maintain knowledge resources, FAQs, and internal documentation for employees and stakeholders.
• Identify process improvement opportunities; propose solutions and **escalate** technical requirements to the Program Manager.
• Work collaboratively to keep immigration and global mobility policies, resources, and knowledge bases current.
• Support the Program Manager in developing immigration and global mobility training and enablement materials for recruiters, hiring managers, and People Partners.
• Manage day-to-day communication with external immigration counsel; track performance against SLAs and **escalate** service issues.
• Coordinate with external vendors on global mobility cases; ensure timely and compliant processing.
• Support vendor performance reviews and feedback cycles.
• Maintain organized vendor documentation and case files for audit readiness.
• Support the Program Manager on strategic projects, including the automation initiatives, policy revisions, and dashboard enhancements.
• Contribute to cross-functional initiatives that improve employee experience and program scalability.
• Own assigned workstreams and deliverables; follow through on commitments and proactively **escalate** challenges or risks.
• Track defined metrics and share insights to support continuous improvement.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field.
• 3+ years of experience in immigration services, global mobility, HR operations, or related roles.
• Deep knowledge of U.S. immigration processes and visa categories, including H-1B, F-1, L-1, O-1, TN, and permanent residency (EB-2, EB-3).
• Strong understanding of I-9 compliance, work authorization verification, and visa renewal timelines.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to explain complex immigration concepts clearly to non-experts.
• Proficiency in Google Suite, Slack, and Workday (or similar HRIS).
• Ability to handle confidential data with discretion and care.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across functions and with external partners.
• Bias for action, learning mindset, and comfort with ambiguity; able to figure things out with minimal context.

Preferred Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in a corporate immigration or global mobility team.
• Experience with PERM filings, green card sponsorship, or tax-immigration integration.
• Familiarity with relocation programs and international assignment management.
• Exposure to Workday immigration modules or similar HR technology platforms.
• Experience with process automation or using AI/tools to increase efficiency.
• Background in a fast-growing tech company, scale-up, or startup environment.
• Knowledge of global immigration laws and work authorization requirements across EMEA and APAC regions