Visa and Immigration Support Officer

Visa and Immigration Support Officer

Professional 5

Student Support & Development / DCU People

Permanent Contract

Dublin City University

Dublin City University is a leading innovative European University with a mission to ‘transform lives and societies’. DCU ranks as one of the world’s Top 350 Universities, Times Higher Education, and is proud to be Ireland’s No. 1 Young University. The University is known for the ‘transformative student experience’ it offers, and is also recognised for its impact in addressing global challenges in collaboration with national and international stakeholders. 

Role Profile

DCU seeks a dedicated Visa and Immigration Support Officer to join our vibrant international community. The successful postholder will work between two departments Student Support and Development and DCU People. This pivotal role provides specialist visa and immigration guidance to our international student population and signposting to international staff, helping them navigate Irish immigration systems as they join and grow their careers at DCU. The post holder will be the go-to expert for internal departments who advise students and staff on matters like visa applications, renewals, GNIB/IRP registration, and the Third Level Graduate Programme (Stamp 1G). They will also advise staff on Critical Skills and General Employment Permit systems, working with DCU People.

The ideal individual brings an in-depth understanding of the Irish visa and immigration landscape and a person-centred approach to supporting students and staff. They will develop knowledge with visa requirements for students studying in our primary host countries, and be in a position to help navigate their systems. While internal departments handle routine queries, you will be the priority contact for complex, non-standard cases that require a deeper level of knowledge to resolve. We are looking for a collaborative professional who has demonstrated experience supporting international students on visa and immigration matters in Ireland, enjoys building supportive relationships, and is keen to expand their knowledge into staff-related immigration processes. You’ll join a supportive, student-focused university that values equality, diversity, and inclusion, dedicated to helping international students and staff succeed at DCU.

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the position include, but are not restricted to, the following: 

Subject Matter Expertise & Escalation Management

• Act as the in-house visa and immigration subject matter expert, providing guidance and advice to internal departments to enable them to handle routine student and staff queries.
• Serve as the formal escalation point for complex and atypical queries, partnering with internal departments on case resolution.
• Manage escalated queries with compassion and clarity, ensuring effective communication with students and staff to resolve sensitive issues.
• Analyse and gain insights from data. 

Policy Monitoring & Communication

• Monitor and interpret new Irish visa and immigration legislation and policy, proactively disseminating clear updates to key internal departments and University stakeholders.
• Translate complex immigration rules and procedures into "plain English," ensuring clarity and promoting a broad understanding of visa and immigration regulations across the University community.

Internal Training and Staff Advisory

• Develop and deliver training, resources, and updates on visa and immigration matters for key internal teams, including DCU Global, DCU People, Registry, DCU Placement, Student Support & Development and the Careers Service.
• Proactively communicate changes in immigration rules and policies to the University community through briefings and guidance materials to raise awareness and ensure compliance.

Resource & Content Development

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive visa and immigration website, including FAQs and digital resources tailored for students, graduates, and staff.
• Produce clear and accurate guides ensuring complex regulations are translated into plain English for both staff and students. 

Stakeholder Engagement and Relationship Management

• Act as the University’s primary liaison with external bodies, including government agencies, diplomatic missions, and embassies, to manage visa and immigration queries and matters.
• Foster collaborative internal partnerships with key departments including Registry, DCU Global, DCU Placement, Graduate Studies Office, DCU People and Student Support and Development to ensure seamless visa and immigration support for staff and students.

Engagement & Orientation Sessions

• Contribute, where appropriate, to the delivery of targeted visa and immigration guidance during University orientations, ensuring new international students and staff are supported from their arrival.
• Design and deliver a calendar of webinars and information sessions for students and staff, covering topics such as student visas, graduate visa, work permits, critical skills and hosting agreements pertaining to the Republic of Ireland. 

Specialist Staff Support & Compliance

• Partner with DCU People with onboarding support for international staff, including signposting to relevant services such as accommodation advice, tax registration, PPSN application, healthcare access, and local integration supports.
• Support DCU People with Hosting Agreement applications for research staff and liaise with the IUA in relation to those.
• Liaise with the DCU People team to support colleagues across DCU in navigating complex immigration issues that may arise in relation to international recruitment or staff retention.

Minimum Internal Service Criteria

Please note that internal service criteria will apply.

Please note staff must have successfully completed their probationary period. 

Qualifications and Experience 

Essential

• Candidates must have a primary degree or equivalent (NFQ Level 7) in an appropriate area plus 3 years’ relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience working with international students in a professional or educational environment and in an immigration advisory capacity.
• Strong knowledge of Irish immigration policy and procedures.
• Familiarity with outbound student visa requirements and related advisory practices.
• Understanding of student and staff support functions in a third-level context.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) with a proven ability to translate complex regulations and compliance issues into plain English for diverse audiences.
• Strong presentation skills with the ability to convey information clearly and succinctly to internal and external stakeholders.
• Cross-cultural sensitivity and the ability to interact effectively and with compassion with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Highly organised with the ability to prioritise a competing workload, meet deadlines, and maintain a high level of accuracy under pressure or during periods of high demand.

Desirable

• Experience in visa and immigration support for staff would be advantageous.

Essential Training 

The postholder will be required to undertake the following essential compliance training: 

• Orientation
• Health & Safety
• Data Protection (GDPR)
• Cyber Security Awareness 
• AI Literacy 

Other training may need to be undertaken when required.

Salary Scale:

Professional 5 - €58,070 - €69,963 refer to DCU Payscales for the applicable payscale. 

Appointment will be commensurate with qualifications and experience and in line with current Government pay policy.

Closing date: Friday, 20th February 2026

Additional Information

Please note this role does not meet criteria for a Critical Skills permit as stipulated by the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment.

Remote Working Policy

DCU operates a Remote Working Policy. Employees may be approved for up to 2 days of remote working per week (or an appropriate pro-rata amount for those part time). Any remote working arrangement will be reflective of the predominant on-campus working environment and the core University value of 'Student Focused'.

Employees will be based on campus for the majority of their working week to ensure a sustained on campus engagement and experience. The terms of the remote working policy will apply.

For more information on Student Support & Development or DCU People, please visit: https://www.dcu.ie/students or https://www.dcu.ie/people 

Informal Enquiries in relation to this role should be directed to:

Ms Yvonne McLoughlin, Head of Careers Service, Dublin City University. 

Phone: + 353 (0)1 7006282

Email: yvonne.mcloughlin@dcu.ie

Please do not send applications to this email address, instead apply as described below.