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J-2 Dependents

Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 may qualify for J-2 dependent visa status to accompany you or join you later, provided sufficient financial support is documented. �Ӱ�ԭ��requires the following amounts to be shown for dependents:

• $500 per month for a spouse

• $250 per month for each child

Status

J-2 status is tied directly to your J-1 status. When your J-1 program ends, J-2 status also ends. If you leave the U.S. while your dependents remain, you must return within a reasonable time to avoid them falling out of status.

Note: Dependents may also choose to enter the U.S. under another visa category (e.g., F-1, H-1, or independent J-1), if eligible.

Obtaining a J-2 Visa

If your sponsoring department notified us that your dependents will accompany you, you will receive a Dependent Certificate listing their names. This allows them to apply for J-2 visas along with your J-1 application. Dependents may also apply later, but if they come after you, we can only issue their DS-2019 once you have arrived in the U.S. and reported to our office. Proof of required insurance coverage will be verified before processing.

Insurance

J-2 dependents must maintain the same health insurance coverage required of J-1s.

Two-Year Home Residence Requirement

If you are subject to the two-year home residence requirement, your dependents are as well. If you receive a waiver, it also applies to them.

Employment

Unlike many dependent categories, J-2 dependents may apply for employment authorization (EAD) through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

• EADs allow work on or off campus in nearly any field.

• Permission is typically valid for one year, or for the remaining validity of the DS-2019 if less.

• Renewal requires your J-1 status to be extended first.

• Processing takes several months, and dependents may need to stop working while waiting for renewal.

• J-2s with EADs must pay into Social Security.

Travel

Dependents may travel with you outside the U.S. and re-enter with their DS-2019 forms.

Extensions

J-2 status is extended along with your J-1 program. Proof of sufficient funding and continued insurance coverage is required.

Changes of Status

J-2 dependents may apply to change to another immigration status if eligible and not restricted by the two-year home residence rule.

Changing from J-2 to J-1

A J-2 may apply to change to J-1 status (for academic employment or other purposes). However:

• They may not change if subject to the two-year home residence requirement.

• USCIS may require a signed statement acknowledging that a J-1 who changes to J-2 cannot extend their stay beyond the original program limit.

• The “12-month bar” also applies: a J-2 who has been in that status for more than six months cannot become a J-1 professor or research scholar until 12 months have passed outside of J status.