Immigration Specialist I

Job Description

Classification Title: Immigration Specialist I

Classification Minimum Requirements: Bachelor's degree in an appropriate area and one year of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Phone Reception & Communication

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all incoming calls to F-1 International Student Services (ISS), managing a high call volume with professionalism, delivering exceptional customer service through professionalism, cultural sensitivity, patience, and clear communication.
• Stay current on university procedures, ISS workflows, and FAQs to ensure consistent, accurate messaging.
• Triage (responding or redirecting) inquiries from international students, faculty, staff, and prospective students, providing accurate information and directing complex issues to the appropriate advisors or UF staff.
• Provide general guidance on F-1 immigration processes in compliance with institutional policies and federal regulations.

F-1 Immigration Processing & SEVIS Support

• Serve as a Designated School Official (DSO) in compliance with federal regulations, as required by federal regulations.
• Process and issue Forms I-20, including travel signatures, replacement I-20s, financial updates, program/major changes, and dependent information updates.
• Perform SEVIS data entry and updates to maintain accurate student records; assist with data tracking and reporting. Ensure consistency between SEVIS records and supporting documentation. Assist with OPT reporting requirements, STEM OPT Validations, and cap-gap-related requests.
• Identify complex cases and escalate them to senior staff or submit SEVIS Help Desk tickets as appropriate.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with Department of Homeland Security regulations and university policies.

Serve as back-up for processing student support/verification letters. Assist in managing shared calendars and scheduling appointments.