J-1 Exchange Visitor Overview

The J-1 Exchange Visitor Program allows Harvard University to bring foreign professors, researchers, and students to the United States. The University has been approved by the Department of State (DOS) to serve as the visa sponsor for these individuals.

Federal regulations govern both the Exchange Visitor Program and the sponsor. The intent of the program is the exchange of knowledge; the assumption is that the foreign national is coming temporarily to the U.S. and expects to return home. The J-1 Exchange Visitor classification is appropriate for most research scholars and for faculty who do not hold tenured or tenure-track positions. To apply for the J-1 visa, scholars are issued a Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status, commonly referred to as Form DS-2019. The HIO issues Form DS-2019 when Harvard serves as the visa sponsor. If the scholar is sponsored by another J-1 program, such as Fulbright, WHO, or NIH, that organization is responsible for issuing the Form DS-2019. The HIO still requires completed Preliminary Data Sheets from the department, and the scholar should still register with the HIO. In that way, the HIO is able to provide useful information to the scholar and may be able to assist him or her in a number of ways, even though Harvard is not the visa sponsor.

Mandatory Health Insurance for all J Visa Holders:

U.S. Government regulations require J-1 and J-2 visa holders to have health insurance which provides all of the following:

1. medical benefits of at least $50,000 per illness or accident
2. repatriation of remains (in case of death)*
3. payment of medical evacuation to home country*
4. a deductible not to exceed $500 per illness or accident
5. coverage of pre-existing conditions after a reasonable waiting period
6. payment of insurance of at least 75% of the costs of medical care (the patient must not be required to pay more than 25%)

* The University has agreed to self-insure (for all Harvard sponsored J visa holders) for repatriation and medical evacuation.

To comply with these regulations, policies must be underwritten by insurance corporations having an A.M. Best policy holder rating of A- or above, an Insurance Solvency International Ltd. rating of A-1 or above, a Standard & Poor's Claims-Paying Ability rating of A- or above, or a Weiss Research Inc. rating of B+ or above. Insurance backed by the full faith and credit of the Exchange Visitor's government will meet this requirement.

Consult the HIO web Go Here for information about health insurance policies that fulfill these requirements. We will confirm with Exchange Visitors when they register with the HIO that they acknowledge their obligation to maintain the required health insurance coverage. Any Exchange Visitor (or accompanying dependent) who fails to maintain insurance coverage as detailed above or who misrepresents such coverage will be in violation of DOS regulations and will be subject to termination as a participant in the Exchange Visitor program.