Visa & Immigration, Associate Director

At EY, we’re all in to shape your future with confidence. 

We’ll help you succeed in a globally connected powerhouse of diverse teams and take your career wherever you want it to go.  Join EY and help to build a better working world.

EY focuses on high-ethical standards and integrity among its employees and expects all candidates to demonstrate these qualities.  At EY, you’ll have the chance to build a career as unique as you are, with the global scale, support, inclusive culture and technology to become the best version of you. And we’re counting on your unique voice and perspective to help EY become even better, too. Join us and build an exceptional experience for yourself, and a better working world for all.

The opportunity

As the Visa & Immigration Associate Director, you will provide strategic and operational direction in the development and implementation of immigration policies and procedures for the firm and play a key role in the development of immigration staff and operational processes to facilitate EY’s long-term workforce strategy. You will serve as a leader in identifying and setting priorities, managing compliance, developing complementary programs and reporting to senior leadership. In this role, you will educate talent teams and business members of the firm on immigration policies and laws and how these items impact employees (appropriate visas, green card processing and restrictions on travel, etc.) so that business functions can incorporate this into their hiring and people strategies as appropriate while minimizing risk. You will have responsibility for the supervision of the entire team and set the strategy and accountability for the Visa & Immigration team’s results as well as the education of the broader network.

Your key responsibilities

• Direct the design and development of immigration policy for the US firm. Responsible for the alignment of all immigration policies for the US firm including supporting immigration strategy for cross border business travelers and inbound mobility assignments.


• Responsible for all third-party service providers, request for proposals (RFP) and contract negotiations in accordance with firm policy.


• Formulate and provide financial and statistical information for quarterly projections of immigration. Monitor, and when necessary, revise such projections to accurately represent the current business and economic climate.


• Provide immigration counseling for the most complex cases and senior employees.


• Review and counsel service line leaders on the components of the immigration policy and associated costs.


• Make recommendations and provide cost effective alternatives that support global policies while simultaneously meeting the business needs of the service line being supported.


• Provide day-to-day support and guidance of current EY immigration policies, industry standards and business trends related to hiring foreign nationals and international business travelers to effectively support the service line and their current business needs based on the current economics.


• Interact and counsel the most senior levels of management within the service lines on the firm’s immigration policies and laws and how they affect their employees (such appropriate visas, green card processing, restrictions on travel etc.) and still be flexible and adaptable to their current business needs.


• Resolve all immigration related matters and responsible for all policy exceptions.


• Responsible for resolving all outstanding issues with the appropriate parties (i.e. talent, general counsel, service line leadership, member mobility teams, etc.).


• Prepare and deliver seminars regarding immigration to educate talent functions, management and staff as to immigration matters, goals and objectives.


• Participate in the preparation of the annual immigration budget, track expenditures and be responsible for operating within approved budget guidelines.


• Participate in professional organizations to remain current with immigration, tax, regulatory and policy changes. Provide analysis of how any changes may impact firm practices.


• Responsible for managing all outsourced relationships both internal and external to the firm (i.e. Partnership, Finance, Shared Services Center, International Tax, Global Shared Services, Strategic Sourcing, immigration vendors, etc.).


• Responsible for the selection and performance management of staff.


• Responsible for educating and counselling all staff in terms of immigration practices.

Skills and attributes for success

• Ability to influence decisions when articulating immigration matters to stakeholders


• Ability to partner and provide counsel to business units and firm leaders regarding immigration policies in line with government administration and industry trends


• Ability to effectively and accurately understand and make recommendations on immigration issues by business needs, immigration policy and immigration regulations


• Ability to negotiate, monitor and solicit third party vendor relationship


• Demonstrable strategic thinking with strong organizational skills


• In-depth understanding of the immigration regulations, trends and the effect on EY’s talent strategy


• Manage the expectations of stakeholders and coordinate effective communication

To qualify for this role, you must have

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience


• 12-15 years of related experience working with US immigration, having knowledge of US Immigration regulations and processes, including compliance requirements and regulations


• Proficient in MS Office, including Word, Teams, Excel, and PowerPoint


• Flexibility to work outside of normal hours

Ideally, you’ll also have

• Experience handling highly confidential information

What we look for

We are looking for individuals that have a strong business acumen and personal leadership.  Innovative, creative thinkers who are strategic, collaborative, and consultative and who can bring a fresh perspective will thrive in this environment.