Immigration Program Manager

The Team: 

The HR Operations team is the engine behind the extraordinary—designing seamless systems and experiences that make the complex feel effortless and enable Upstarters to do great work. We build the infrastructure that powers onboarding, policy management, compliance, and more, ensuring every Upstarter can thrive across their career journey.By creating scalable tools, processes, and governance—and partnering with People and business stakeholders—we turn complexity into clarity and create the foundation for employees to succeed.

As the Immigration Program Manager, you will extend that mission into one of our most complex and business-critical areas: immigration. You’ll lead the U.S. immigration program, balancing compliance and risk management with a focus on creating experiences that feel transparent and navigable for employees and managers. Through strong vendor partnerships, scalable program design, and proactive communication, you’ll make a challenging process feel seamless—ensuring Upstart can attract, retain, and support top global talent while enabling every Upstarter to stay focused on doing great work.

How you’ll make an impact

• Immigration Program Leadership:  Lead and scale Upstart’s U.S. immigration program, ensuring complex regulatory requirements are translated into clear, navigable processes that support both compliance and employee confidence.
• Vendor & Stakeholder Management: Manage strategic relationships with external counsel and vendors, holding partners accountable to high standards while aligning internal stakeholders around seamless, employee-centered outcomes.
• Risk & Compliance Oversight: Safeguard compliance across all U.S. immigration processes by building governance frameworks that reduce risk and make regulatory obligations feel straightforward for employees, managers, and partners.
• Employee & Manager Experience: Design resources, guidance, and communications that make immigration transitions easier to understand and manage, providing white-glove support for complex cases while empowering managers and employees to move forward with clarity.
• Program Optimization & Governance: Build scalable workflows and data governance practices that bring structure to complexity, enabling automation, consistency, and long-term sustainability of the program.

Minimum Qualifications 

• 5–7+ years of U.S. Immigration, Mobility, or related program management experience.
• Deep knowledge of U.S. immigration processes (e.g., H-1B, TN, OPT/STEM OPT, PERM, I-140, I-485).
• Demonstrated experience managing external immigration counsel and vendors.
• Proven ability to independently own and deliver cross-functional programs with business impact.
• Strong written/verbal communication skills; able to distill complex information for diverse audiences.
• Skilled in end-to-end project management—including frameworks, prioritization, execution practices, and stakeholder alignment—and adept at using tools to drive scalable, well-governed programs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Skilled in building governance frameworks, audit procedures, and automation to safeguard compliance and data integrity.
• Strong consultative skills with the ability to influence leaders, anticipate downstream impacts, and balance compliance, cost, and employee experience.
• High-growth experience—has built or scaled immigration programs during periods of organizational change.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and skilled at designing programs that adapt to evolving business and regulatory needs.
• Global immigration experience is a plus.

Position location This role is available in the following locations: Remote 

Travel requirements As a digital first company, the majority of your work can be accomplished remotely. The majority of our employees can live and work anywhere in the U.S but are encouraged to to still spend high quality time in-person collaborating via regular onsites. The in-person sessions’ cadence varies depending on the team and role; most teams meet once or twice per quarter for 2-4 consecutive days at a time.

What you'll love: 

Competitive Compensation (base + bonus & equity)

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart 

401(k) with 100% company match up to $4,500 and immediate vesting and after-tax savings

Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)

Life and disability insurance

Generous holiday, vacation, sick and safety leave  

Supportive parental, family care, and military leave programs

Annual wellness, technology & ergonomic reimbursement programs

Social activities including team events and onsites, all-company updates, employee resource groups (ERGs), and other interest groups such as book clubs, fitness, investing, and volunteering

Catered lunches + snacks & drinks when working in offices

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