What Does an International Student Services Assistant Do?
Working the front desk of an international student office can be busy and, at times, emotional. As an international student services assistant you'll check in documents, book advising appointments and keep student files in order. This might involve passports, visa pages, arrival records or travel signature requests.
International Student Services Assistant Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of an international student services assistant include:
- Greet students and visitors, answer phone and email questions, and route immigration cases to advisors.
- Scan passports, visas and arrival records into each student's electronic file.
- Book advising appointments and keep the office calendar clear during orientation weeks.
- Collect travel signature requests and prepare the documents for an advisor to sign.
- Enter new student arrivals and address changes into the case management system.
- Send reminder emails about check-in, insurance waivers and document deadlines.
- Assemble orientation packets and help staff airport pickups and welcome events.
- Order supplies, process small purchases and reconcile the office's card statements.
- Post announcements to the office website and the student newsletter.
- Draft enrollment verification letters for students applying for bank accounts, leases and licenses.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as an international student services assistant, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel
- Accurate scanning and file naming
- Warm, patient manner with people new to the country
- Clear spoken English, plus a second language if possible
- Discretion with passport and visa information
- Basic knowledge of F-1 and J-1 document types
- Juggling walk-ins, calls and email at once
- Knowing when to hand a question to an advisor
Education and Training
Most offices ask for a high school diploma, and many prefer some college. Experience at a hotel front desk or a busy reception could lead to this post. Language classes count in your favor too. With experience, you could progress from assistant to documentation coordinator or advisor, usually after earning a degree.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $38,830 - $58,000 per year, with a median of $47,540.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive.
According to BLS projections, jobs for secretaries and administrative assistants outside legal, medical and executive offices will fall about 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, partly as software takes over routine office tasks. Replacement needs still leave roughly 163,900 openings a year across the group. Bear in mind that you are more likely to stay in demand if you pick up immigration knowledge that general office staff do not have.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive.