Spouses, Partners, & Children
The spouse and unmarried children (under 21 years of age) of the student or scholar coming to Harvard are eligible for "dependent" visa status. When first coming to the United States, a dependent may be asked for evidence of the relationship to the Harvard student or scholar (such as marriage certificate and/or birth certificate). In addition it is often necessary for the family to show that they have additional finances to support living in the US. For a basic description of the different dependent visa click the appropriate visa type below.
B-2 Visas
Unmarried partners (opposite or same sex) or married same-sex partners are not eligible for dependent visas. To compensate for this policy, the U.S. government provides discretion for U.S. consular officials to grant tourist visas for partners not eligible for a dependent visa. The U.S. Department of State citation on this policy is located in section
9 FAM 41.31 N14.4 Cohabitating Partners, Extended Family Members, and Other Household Members not Eligible for Derivative Status of the U.S. Department of State
Foreign Affairs Manual. Additional
background information on the citation is also available.
The Visa Waiver Program for citizens of certain countries is not included in this policy. Tourists entering under the visa waiver program must depart the U.S. within 90 days of arrival.
When applying for a B-2 visa based on cohabitation, the partner applying should have documentation verifying the long-term nature of the relationship. Such documentation might include:
· Marriage certificate or registered domestic partnership agreement
· A statement from the principal partner coming to Harvard verifying the long-term nature of the cohabitating relationship
· A copy of the U.S. immigration document for the principal partner coming to Harvard University
· Any other type of documentation that supports the spousal nature of the relationship
Presentation of this documentation to a U.S. consular officer does not guarantee the issuance of a B-2 status on the basis of a cohabitating partnership.
Please be advised that B-2 visa holders are not eligible for a Massachusetts state driver’s license or identification document. Additionally, B-2 visa holders may not qualify for certain types of health insurance. Please consider carefully all of your possible immigration options prior to applying for a B-2 visa to accompany a partner to the U.S.
Possible Benefits Eligibility
Unmarried partners may be eligible for certain benefits offered by employers, local governments and agencies if the couple has registered their partnership. Both Boston and Cambridge offer partner registration services.
For Cambridge, click
here.
Resources Same-sex Partnerships with U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents