Visas

Duke University requires applicants to the Visiting International Student Program to complete a preliminary visa application. The Duke Global Education Office for Undergraduates will facilitate access to Duke’s visa application for qualified applicants. Once a student is accepted and committed to Duke’s Undergraduate Visiting International Student Program, Duke’s Visa Services Office will provide the student with proper documentation to obtain a student visa for study at Duke.

To obtain a visa for study in the United States, a foreign national must furnish their country’s United States consulate with proof of their ability to meet educational expenses. The foreign national should not plan to work in the United States since one’s ability to pay must be based upon resources available at the time of application. A certificate of eligibility (DS-2019) for a visa application will be issued only to foreign nationals who have been accepted, paid reservation fees, and provided sufficient financial documentation.

Currently, VIS can only obtain the J-1 visa from Duke. Duke is no longer authorized to sponsor the short term F-1 visa. All Visiting International Students must be sponsored under the J-1 visa category (view the Duke Visa Services website for more information). Incoming students must have at least part of their funding coming from non-family sources (government sponsorship, private scholarship, home institution scholarship, etc.) to qualify for the J-1 visa.