Immigration Counsel
- Location
- New York, NY
- Listed
- 30 days ago
About the role
- Thank you for considering a career with the Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY).
- The team at RFCUNY is made up of dedicated, talented professionals committed to providing the services that allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries.
- We are pleased that you are interested in exploring opportunities to join RFCUNY.
- Primary Location: RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF C.U.N.Y.
- Bargaining Unit: No
Summary
P rovide legal, compliance, and strategic guidance within both the Research Foundation Human Resources and Legal Affairs Departments. This position advises on a broad range of institutional matters, with a primary focus on employment-based immigration and a secondary focus on employment law and general RF business contracts.
As the primary attorney responsible for employment-based immigration matters, the Immigration Counsel will independently manage a portfolio of approximately 100 active immigration cases annually, overseeing case preparation, documentation, filing, compliance, and case management.
The position requires a hands-on legal professional capable of managing complex immigration matters from initial assessment through final resolution while providing strategic legal guidance to institutional stakeholders. This position reports directly to the Chief Human Resources Officer with a dotted-line supervisory relationship to the Chief Counsel and Deputy Chief Counsel.
The position works closely with the Assistant Director of Human Resources for Personnel Services on immigration-related employment matters.
Responsibilities
- Full Immigration Employment Case Ownership: Manage and execute the end-to-end preparation, drafting, and filing of complex employment-based petitions (including Cap-Exempt H-1B, O-1, EB-1, EB-2 NIW, PERM, TN, and E-3) for approximately 100 active cases per year.
- Docketing & Compliance: Independently monitor case deadlines, maintain meticulous immigration case records, and ensure institutional compliance with Department of Labor (DOL) Public Access Files (PAFs).
- Advisory: Serve as the primary source of contact for Principal Investigators, international researchers, RFCUNY employees, administrators, and CUNY personnel regarding case status, document requests, and processing timelines.
- Business Contracts & Policies: Advise Research Foundation senior executives or other staff on legal issues to identify and respond strategically to legal risks, review internal agreements, and advise on corporate governance matters.
- Employment Law: Advising the Human Resources Office as needed on issues such as investigations, discipline and termination; draft, review, revise and negotiate employment agreements; oversee employment-related complaints proceedings and litigation; work with outside counsel as necessary.
- Other duties as assigned.
Competencies
- Independent Case Management: Demonstrated ability to independently manage a substantial immigration caseload, balancing strategic legal analysis with comprehensive case preparation, documentation, regulatory compliance, and timely filing.
- Prioritization & Autonomy: Proven capacity to manage an independent caseload efficiently without administrative oversight.
- Stakeholder Diplomacy: Ability to communicate complex federal regulations clearly and respectfully to university leadership, faculty, and foreign nationals.
- Integrity & Discretion: Exceptional judgment when handling sensitive personal data and institutional liabilities.
Minimum Qualifications
- Education: J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school.
- Experience: 3+ years of practicing employment-based immigration law with a demonstrable track record of preparing and filing your own forms.
- Licensure: Active license to practice law in any U.S. jurisdiction; must obtain in-house counsel registration in New York State within six (6) months
Desired Qualifications
- Prior legal experience working directly with foreign nationals within a U.S. higher education or research institution environment.
- Proficiency with Mitratech immigration case management software (TrackerCorp / INSZoom) and Microsoft Office Suite.
- Familiarity with higher education immigration nuances, including cap-exempt H-1B regulations and J-1 visa rules.
- Strong research and analytical skills applied to evolving USCIS, DOL, and NVC procedures.
Pay Range
$122,014 - $139,444
Equal opportunity and legal notices
The Research Foundation of the City University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Americans with Disabilities Act/E-Verify Employer. It is the policy of the Research Foundation of CUNY to provide equal employment opportunities free of discrimination based on race, color, age, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic violence victim status, arrest record, criminal conviction history, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.
From Rfcuny's careers page, first listed on Rolev.ai on October 10, 2026. Rolev.ai is not the employer.
How Rolev.ai helps with this application
Rolev.ai is a job search and application tool for US job seekers. For this Immigration Counsel role at Rfcuny, it shows how your resume fits, tailors your resume to the posting, and prepares the application for you to review.
See how you fit
Openings from employer career sites are ranked against your whole resume—and searchable inside Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor via Rolev.ai MCP.
Tailor without inventing
Every change to your resume is checked against your original. New experience goes in only with your yes—zero fabricated claims.
Draft the full kit
Tailored and Full Match resumes, role-specific cover letters, and answers to employer screening questions are prepared in seconds.
1-Click Extension Autofill
The Chrome extension fills the employer's Greenhouse, Workday, Lever, or Ashby form in 1 click. You review it and press Submit.
Common questions
Where is the Immigration Counsel job at Rfcuny located?
This Immigration Counsel position at Rfcuny is located in New York, NY. Always check Rfcuny's application page for specific state eligibility or relocation policies.
How do I apply for the Immigration Counsel position at Rfcuny?
This listing links directly to Rfcuny's Workday application page. You can apply directly on Rfcuny's site, or use Rolev.ai to check your resume fit, generate a zero-hallucination tailored resume and cover letter for this posting, and autofill the Workday application form in 1 click with the Rolev.ai Chrome extension. You always review the form and press Submit yourself.