Immigration Specialist

Cleveland Clinic•Cleveland, OH

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Join the Cleveland Clinic team, where you will work alongside passionate caregivers and provide patient-first healthcare. Cleveland Clinic is recognized as one of the top hospitals in the nation. At Cleveland Clinic, you will work alongside passionate and dedicated caregivers, receive endless support and appreciation, and build a rewarding career with one of the most respected healthcare organizations in the world. As an Immigration Specialist, you will manage Visa & Immigration Services programs, systems, procedures, and operational workflows that support international caregivers, scholars, trainees, and sponsoring departments. In this role, you will oversee program implementation, system administration, compliance processes, documentation standards, stakeholder communication, case coordination, and process improvement initiatives. You will serve as a liaison with Human Resources, Graduate Medical Education, Cleveland Clinic Research, internal departments, training programs, government agencies, external partners, and system vendors to support accurate, timely, and compliant visa and immigration operations. This position will provide support for J-1 visa sponsorship, Exchange Visitor Programs, H-1B visas, and other visa categories as directed, including related immigration processes, to ensure compliance and optimal service delivery for international populations. We will hire our Immigration Specialist in two different job titles, based on educational background: Immigration Specialist I, Immigration Specialist II. A caregiver in this role works Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at CCAC, with occasional travel to Main Campus.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree OR Associate’s degree and two years of experience OR High School diploma/GED and four years of experience OR Additional work experience (may be substituted for the degree) for Immigration Specialist I
Eligible to serve as an Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO), including being a U.S. citizen or lawful resident, serving as an employee or officer of the sponsoring organization.
Knowledge of project management, systems administration, reporting, data analysis, workflow improvement, immigration processes, and federal compliance requirements.
Ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders and manage sensitive information with appropriate confidentiality.
Attention to detail, effective communication, customer service skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
Bachelor’s degree OR Associate’s degree and five years of experience OR High School diploma/GED and seven years of experience OR Additional work experience (may be substituted for the degree) for Immigration Specialist II
Ability to exercise judgment on routine and moderately complex matters, make decisions within established guidelines, and escalate complex cases, policy changes, and high-risk matters through the appropriate process.
Ability to apply knowledge of compliance, data analysis, process improvement, research, financial coordination, and business planning.
Strong communication, sound judgment, cross-cultural sensitivity.
Ability to work independently on routine and moderately complex immigration matters.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree
One year of related experience for Immigration Specialist I
Knowledge of evolving immigration regulations and experience with Terra Dotta.
Bachelor’s degree
Three years of related immigration, international scholar services, or paralegal experience for Immigration Specialist II

Responsibilities

Administer assigned Visa & Immigration Services programs, workflows, systems, data, procedures, documentation processes, and case management tools, including Terra Dotta and related tracking platforms.
Maintain immigration-related systems, including Terra Dotta, by supporting user access, e-forms, process maps, workflow updates, reporting, troubleshooting, training materials, and routine system improvements.
Lead support for J-1 visa sponsorship and Exchange Visitor Program activities, including sponsorship applications, case initiation, document coordination, MyIntealth activity, reappointments, transfers, extensions, travel endorsements and signatures, dependent requests, waiver checks, DS-2019 issuance and processing, and required confirmations.
Serve as an Alternate Responsible Officer and oversee assigned SEVIS activity, including validation, reporting, record updates, expiration tracking, insurance attestations, and related compliance activities.
Serve as a liaison between ECFMG/Intealth, GME programs, Cleveland Clinic Research, program leaders, departments, trainees, caregivers, government agencies, external partners, and institutional counterparts to support case coordination, resolve deficiencies, and address immigration-related questions.
Provide guidance and operational support to international caregivers, scholars, trainees, research fellows, graduates, administrators, program directors, and departments regarding visa options, sponsorship, status maintenance, USMLE requirements, compliance expectations, transitions, etc.
Process H-1B petitions for assigned populations, including case initiation, document collection, petition preparation, filing assembly, record retention, and status tracking.
Prepare and coordinate LCAs, posting notices, prevailing wage documentation, public access file materials, USCIS fee chargebacks, and Premium Processing requests when appropriate.
Monitor H-1B requirements, timelines, expiration dates, special requests, temporary placements, and withdrawal needs to support ongoing compliance.
Collaborate with GME and Cleveland Clinic Research on Non-Standard Training programs, sponsorship questions, case issues, tracking, and system updates.
Manage competing case priorities, sponsorship deadlines, compliance requirements, and stakeholder expectations across assigned sites and programs.
Make program-level decisions within established guidelines and escalate complex, unusual, policy-sensitive, or high-risk matters through the appropriate process.
Monitor adherence to HR policies, corporate compliance standards, immigration regulations, and federal requirements, and execute compliance processes while maintaining accurate documentation.
Support policy and procedure updates, identify process gaps, and recommend improvements to strengthen efficiency, standardize processes, improve data integrity, and enhance operational consistency.
Verify employment authorization and support I-9 compliance activities for assigned international populations, including employment eligibility review, orientation processing, Workday record maintenance, expiration reporting, re-verification tracking, and timely updates to support federal compliance and uninterrupted work authorization.
Participate in advising meetings, virtual walk-ins, webinars, stakeholder meetings, written communications, resource development, and urgent case discussions to provide immigration guidance and support issue resolution.
Participate in meetings, case review, problem-solving, and urgent case discussions; train and coach peers and team members on complex case matters, coverage needs, stakeholder education, and process improvement initiatives.
Provide coverage during high-volume periods and assist with special projects related to reporting, documentation, compliance, and operational improvement.
Participate in budgeting, chargeback coordination, Pcard monitoring, financial reconciliation, and related administrative processes.
Maintain professional relationships with internal and external partners, institutions, government agencies, and other stakeholders to support ongoing case coordination and issue resolution.
Maintain current knowledge of immigration regulations, agency announcements and guidance, federal policy changes, global events, industry practices, and operational issues affecting visa sponsorship and status maintenance, with emphasis on J-1 and other visa programs.
Participate in professional development, training, and collaboration with immigration colleagues and internal or external partners to maintain advanced subject matter expertise.
Perform other duties as assigned.