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International Postdoc Resources

Return to Postdoc Services RESOURCES

For general information on Duke, employee perks & benefits, public transportation & etc, see New to Duke/Durham, the Duke Postdoctoral Virtual Orientation, and Duke Benefits and Services Available to Postdocs.
Make an appointment for International Scholar Orientation with the Duke International Student Center.
 
If you have a concern about discrimination or harassment, please Report the Incident.
If you have a concern about research misconduct, please Report the Incident.
If you want to understand the options and processes for reporting harassment, discrimination, and other concerns, please use the Interactive Guide for Postdocs.

 

On This Page

Visa Status, Work Authorization and Info Sessions with Immigration Law Firms

Visit Duke Visa Services for:

Immigration Law Firms

  • Duke University is liaised with a law firm, Ogletree Deakins, that provides reduced rates for Duke employees seeking Legal Permanent Residency (aka “green card”). To be referred to the law firm, email Dylan Sugiyama, Interim Director of Visa Services, at dylan.sugiyama@duke.edu
  • Duke Postdoctoral Services is an Institutional Member of the National Postdoctoral Association, which hosts monthly webinars with the immigration law firm YZ Law Group LLP, specializing in EB1A, EB1B and NIW petitions. Register for a free webinar on US immigration here and/or contact YZ Law Group for a free evaluation at info@yzlawgroup.com
  • Duke Postdoctoral Services is an Institutional Member of the National Postdoctoral Association, which offers a guide to Hiring an Immigration Attorney Register for your free Duke affiliate membership using your Duke email address. 
  • Klasko Immigration Law provides free 15-minute phone consultations to employees of Duke University. To schedule a free consultation, visit https://www.klaskolaw.com/contact/
  • The DUPA International Committee periodically hosts information sessions with immigration law firms for postdocs interested in applying for US permanent residency. These seminars are for members of the Duke international community who are interested in the legal process of US immigration. 

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Moving to the US: Housing, Utilities, Transportation, etc.

Housing
Utilities
Banking
Climate, Time, and Currency
Driver's License/State Indentification Card/Auto Information
Public Transportation
  • Duke offers the GoPass to employees, allowing unlimited rides on select local transit systems for a small yearly fee.
  • The free Duke Buses travel between Duke’s West, East, and Central campuses.
  • Go Durham is the Durham city bus service.
  • GoTriangle provides transportation between Chapel Hill, Durham, Hillsborough, and Raleigh.
  • The free Robertson Scholars Express Bus travels between Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill during the academic year.
  • The Duke Housing Map shows bus stops located near Durham apartment complexes.
Taxes

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Health Insurance

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Childcare and Local Schools

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English Language Resources

  • Durham Technical Community College offers free English as a Second Language (ESL) courses at both the Durham and Chapel Hill campuses.
  • The English Table – geared to students, but postdocs are welcome to join. 
  • Join the Duke International Student Center (DISC) DukeGroup. Events typically include group activities and conversation clubs during the academic year.  
  • Global Conversations: Meets Tuesdays from 4-5 pm during the academic year at Student Wellness Center rm 147 (beside Penn Pavilion, West Campus). “Join our conversations about life, culture, current events, and more. Our group welcomes international and domestic postdocs, students, visiting scholars, faculty, staff, and spouses/partners. No pre-registration or preparation needed.”  Sponsored by the Duke Student Wellness Center and the Thompson Writing Program. Questions? Email Rene Caputo at r.caputo@duke.edu 
  • Toastmasters International is a great way to improve spoken English and leadership skills. There are chapters based all over the Triangle, including two Duke chapters. 
  • The Duke Writing Studio meets with Duke faculty, graduate students, and staff on a space-available basis. These community members may schedule a maximum of five appointments. The emphasis of these five sessions will be to familiarize users with online and help-for-hire resources, workshop opportunities, and self-revision techniques. The Writing Studio also has a list of online ESL/EFL writing resources.
  • The UNC Writing Center has online ESL resources and a list of editors, proofreaders, and tutors for hire.
  • The Duke Graduate School offers on-campus ESL consultations, covering writing skills (eg, grammar, word choice, punctuation) and speaking skills (eg, course presentations, conference talks, oral exams, interviews) though please be aware there is a fee.
  • Two Duke religious groups welcome international postdocs:
    • Bridges Conversation Partner Program: Bridges Connection at Duke is an organization that exists to connect, care for, and serve international students, visiting scholars, and all other internationals connected to the university. We are a caring community which seeks to help international students by meeting practical, social, and spiritual needs. All our staff at Duke have lived and studied overseas. We understand the unique challenges facing international students. We are here to serve all the international students and visiting scholars (and their families) at Duke University. As part of our language development and cultural adaptation services, we provide opportunities for international students to meet one on one with one of our staff (or a volunteer) to practice conversational English. The topics range from telling your story to discussing what you are studying to current events to talking about philosophy and religion. The goal is to help you with your listening and speaking and overall confidence in your studies and daily life here in America. Our program caters to you, the student, so we can meet at a convenient time for you. You can choose to meet once a week or once a month. We understand that you are busy with heavy course loads, experiments, research, and studying. We are flexible and will work around your schedule. If you are interested, you can fill out this form.
    • International Students at Duke: “Welcome international students, visiting scholars, and spouses! We’re focused on serving international students and staff from all religious backgrounds with various activities on-campus and off-campus, to allow internationals to connect with each other as well as with local families.  This includes hikes, outings, on-campus gatherings, holiday events, and Supper Club.” Email ron.manila@duke.edu to join the mailing list. 

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Volunteering

  • Many internationals wonder if they or their spouse/partner can get their 'foot in the door' by volunteering. While it may be possible, Federal law limits severely the kinds of employment an alien in temporary visa status may undertake in the US. Please see the Visa Services Volunteer Activities page for more information.

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Interstride

  • Interstride is a interactive career platform designed to enhance the career exploration and job-search experience for international researchers. Duke University has a site license so that students and researchers may use Interstride. Sign in using your Duke UniqueID at https://www.interstride.com/duke

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Office of Postdoctoral Services - Resources