Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for an Immigration Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Immigration Manager is a critical strategic partner within the People and Legal functions, tasked with the ownership and management of the company's comprehensive employment-based immigration program. This role serves as the central subject matter expert, providing strategic guidance and hands-on support for all U.S. and, at times, global immigration matters. The manager is responsible for ensuring the organization can seamlessly attract, hire, and retain foreign national talent by navigating the complexities of immigration law with precision and empathy. This position involves developing scalable processes, managing external legal partners, ensuring unwavering compliance, and directly advising employees, managers, and senior leadership on all immigration-related strategies and procedures. The success of the Immigration Manager directly impacts the company's global talent strategy and employee experience.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Immigration Specialist / Senior Immigration Paralegal
Global Mobility Manager (with a heavy immigration focus)
Experienced HR Business Partner or Generalist with significant immigration case exposure

Advancement To:

Director, Global Mobility & Immigration
Senior Manager, People Operations
Associate Director, Total Rewards (if combined with other mobility functions)

Lateral Moves:

Senior Manager, HR Compliance
HR Business Partner (Senior Level)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Oversee and manage the entire lifecycle of employment-based U.S. visa and green card applications, including H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, and PERM processes, for new hires, current employees, and their dependents.
Serve as the primary point of contact and subject matter expert for employees, managers, and HR partners on all immigration-related inquiries, providing clear, timely, and compassionate guidance.
Develop, document, and implement scalable immigration policies, processes, and standard operating procedures to ensure efficiency, consistency, and an exceptional employee experience.
Strategically partner with external immigration counsel, managing the relationship, overseeing case strategy, monitoring performance, and scrutinizing budgets and invoices.
Lead the annual H-1B cap lottery process, including employee selection strategy, timeline management, and communication plans for all stakeholders.
Manage the PERM labor certification program from end to end, including defining job requirements with hiring managers, overseeing recruitment efforts, and ensuring meticulous documentation.
Proactively monitor and analyze changes in immigration laws, regulations, and agency policies, assessing the potential impact on the business and advising leadership on necessary strategy adjustments.
Ensure 100% compliance with all applicable immigration regulations, including maintaining Public Access Files (PAFs) and managing I-9 and E-Verify compliance programs and audits.
Provide strategic counsel to talent acquisition and business leaders during the recruitment process regarding sponsorship feasibility, visa options, and estimated timelines for foreign national candidates.
Develop and deliver comprehensive training sessions for recruiters, HR professionals, and managers on immigration fundamentals, processes, and their roles in supporting sponsored employees.
Handle complex and escalated immigration cases, conducting in-depth research and collaborating with legal counsel to devise creative and compliant solutions.
Manage the immigration aspects of corporate reorganizations, mergers, and acquisitions, including due diligence and the transfer of sponsored employees.
Create and maintain detailed tracking systems and dashboards to monitor case status, key deadlines, and program metrics, providing regular reports to leadership.

Secondary Functions

Partner with the Global Mobility team on cross-functional projects, including international transfers, tax implications, and relocation policies for sponsored individuals.
Manage immigration-related vendor relationships beyond legal counsel, such as evaluation services and required advertising platforms.
Own and manage the immigration program budget, including forecasting for legal fees, government filing fees, and other related expenses.
Draft and review immigration-related documentation, including letters of support, employment verification letters, and other necessary correspondence.
Conduct regular audits of immigration data and files within the HRIS and case management systems to ensure accuracy and data integrity.
Develop a repository of resources, FAQs, and guides to empower employees and managers with self-service access to critical immigration information.
Participate in industry roundtables and professional organizations to benchmark the company's immigration program against best practices.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

U.S. Immigration Law Expertise: Deep subject matter expertise in U.S. business immigration laws, policies, and procedures, including non-immigrant visas (H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1) and immigrant visas (PERM, I-140, I-485).
Case Management Software Proficiency: Hands-on experience with immigration case management platforms (e.g., Tracker, LawLogix, INSZoom) and major HRIS systems (e.g., Workday, SAP).
PERM Program Management: Proven, in-depth experience managing all stages of the PERM labor certification process, from job description analysis to recruitment and filing.
Compliance & Auditing: Strong knowledge of I-9 and E-Verify regulations, as well as Public Access File (PAF) maintenance requirements and audit procedures.
Reporting & Analytics: Ability to develop and analyze metrics, create insightful reports, and use data to inform program strategy and budget forecasting.
Global Immigration Knowledge: Familiarity with key global immigration concepts and processes for major international markets (e.g., Canada, UK, India, Singapore) is highly desirable.

Soft Skills

Stakeholder Management: Exceptional ability to build trust and collaborate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, from anxious employees to senior executives and external counsel.
Communication & Empathy: Superior written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex legal concepts in simple terms and handle sensitive employee situations with empathy and discretion.
Problem-Solving & Judgment: Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, assess risk, and exercise sound judgment in complex, high-stakes situations.
Attention to Detail: Meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy, which is non-negotiable in the context of legal filings and compliance.
Project Management: Excellent organizational and project management skills, with a proven ability to manage multiple high-priority cases and projects simultaneously under tight deadlines.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's Degree from an accredited university.

Preferred Education:

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
Paralegal certification with a focus on immigration law.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Human Resources
Law or Pre-Law
Business Administration
International Relations

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 7-10+ years of progressive experience in employment-based immigration.

Preferred: A combination of experience working in a top-tier immigration law firm and in-house within a corporate immigration or global mobility team is strongly preferred. Direct experience managing a high-volume caseload and developing immigration programs in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.