Duke Visa Services Q&A with Director Dylan Sugiyama

Duke office supports thousands of visas every year.

-By Charles Givens

November 22, 2024

OGA: Can you give a summary on what Duke Visa Services (DVS) offers?

Dylan Sugiyama (DS): Duke Visa Services provides immigration and visa-related advising and case processing for the entire institution (University, Health System, DUMAC, DHIP).  We work with international students, faculty, health providers, researchers, visiting scholars, staff, GME trainees, Postdocs, and others.  We also work with departments, units and schools who are bringing in students, scholars, faculty and staff from overseas.  We provide institution-wide education and training on issues affecting foreign nationals at Duke.  We ensure Duke’s compliance with applicable laws and regulations.  And we handle payroll processing (including I-9s) for any employee who is not a US citizen or legal permanent resident.

OGA: How many visas do you service in an academic year?

DS: We have approximately 5700 students on F-1 visas, and additional 2000 Duke alumni working in the US while still in F-1 status.  We have approximately 300 students on J-1 visas and approximately 600 J-1 scholars.  There are more than 300 H-1B employees, and over 350 employees and students in a wide range of other visa statuses (TN, O-1, E-3, TPS, DACA, G-4, etc.). 

OGA: What are the questions you tend to get asked the most by those using DVS?

DS: We receive hundreds of questions every day!  The most common questions are about travel, work authorization and how to maintain one’s immigration status.

OGA: What’s the most common thing people forget when needing to use DVS?

DS: People forget how many clients we work with.  We do our best to process cases, respond to questions and inquiries, and advise our clients just as fast as we possibly can, but with the volumes we see there may be some delays.

OGA: What’s something most people don’t know about visa services?

DS: That oftentimes we continue to work with foreign nationals even after they leave Duke.  Students can receive up to 3 years of work authorization in the US after graduation while still on a Duke-sponsored visa, so we work closely with those students for the duration of that time.  We also field requests from Duke alumni and former faculty and staff who have questions or need documentation years after they finished up at Duke.

OGA: What’s one thing you want people to know?

DS: That we serve as a vital hub for the international community at Duke, but that providing assistance and support to the international community is shared across the institution.  International students, faculty, researchers and staff make valuable contributions in every sector of this institution, and it is incumbent on all of us to educate ourselves about the unique challenges they face so that we can better meet their needs, which go well beyond immigration.

Duke Visa Services website can be found here: visaservices.duke.edu