The area
of Immigration Services within the Office of Human Resources provides
assistance to departments who would like to hire faculty and staff
members who are foreign nationals.
Our office is responsible for promoting and
monitoring University compliance with all applicable federal and state
laws and University policies and procedures with an emphasis on
immigration. Our mission is to promote an effective, informed, low-risk
workplace and facilitate an understanding our dynamic regulatory
environment. Our office must adhere to strict federal guidelines
and regulations of the US Department of State (DOS), US Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) and US Department of Labor (DOL) when
petitioning for employment sponsorship of faculty and staff.
We offer
assistance and resources in a variety of areas, including:
Monitoring developments in Congress,
federal agencies, and in the courts for information that may be
pertinent to the University.
Alerting UTPA to issues of interest
identified by federal and state agencies such as Department of Labor,
Department of Homeland Security, and others
Overseeing and helping to ensure that
non-immigrant visa and permanent residency (green card) processing is
done properly
Overseeing the employment sponsorship
process and providing training to departments
Facilitating policy development within
UTPA and assisting with the documentation for review by the University
HOP Committee for Policy Review
Providing legislative analysis of bills
potentially impacting the UTPA foreign national community
PLEASE NOTE:
We do not provide legal advice, but can help refer questions requiring
legal counsel to Immigration counsel specially
appointed by the State of Texas Attorney General to advise the
University. Individuals seeking or needing personal legal advice should
consult their own attorney.
Department heads are encouraged to consult with HR's
Immigration Services Coordinator –
Janette Garcia at (956) 292-7464 regarding the possibility of
sponsorship and processing requirements before extending a formal
invitation or offer of employment to a foreign national. Typically, our
office coordinates the H-1B visa, TN visa and permanent residency
petitions.
Appointments
We welcome any questions or concerns you may have. If you
believe your question will take longer than 10 minutes, we request that
you schedule an appointment to ensure availability and sufficient time
is allotted for your question by the Immigration Coordinator.
