J-2 Dependents

Who is Eligible?

If you are working and/or studying at UT with J-1 status, your spouse and unmarried children (under age 21) are eligible to apply for J-2 visas. As long as you maintain your J-1 status, your dependents may remain in the United States.

How Do I Add a J-2 Dependent?

J-1 Students

You will need to submit the Add J-2 Dependent request in myIO. Once submitted, an International Student Advisor will review your application and issue a new DS-2019 for you and your dependents. To do so, you will need the following documents:

  1. Proof of Financial Resources in the form of a bank statement and/or departmental offer letter that covers your tuition and fees as well as living expenses for you and your dependents for the duration of your entire remaining J program. The funding document should be less than 1 year old at the time of your request.

Dependent funding amounts (per year):

  • Spouse = $10,900
  • Each child = $5400 

2. Official documentation for your dependent(s), such as copies of their passport(s), indicating their:

  • Full name
  • Date of birth
  • Country of birth
  • Country of citizenship
  • Gender
  • Whether they are a child or spouse
J-1 Faculty/Scholars

You will need to submit the Add J-2 Dependent request in myIO. Once submitted, an International Scholar Advisor will review your application and issue a new DS-2019 for you and your dependents. To do so, you will need the following documents:

1. Proof of Financial Resources in the form of a bank statement and/or departmental offer letter that covers living expenses for you and your dependents for entirety of program. The funding document should be less than 1 year old at the time of your request.

Dependent funding amounts:

  • Spouse: $908/month
  • Each child: $450/month

2. Official documentation for your dependent(s), such as copies of their passport(s), indicating their:

  • Full name
  • Date of birth
  • Country of birth
  • Country of citizenship
  • Gender
  • Whether they are a child or spouse

What Happens Next?

An advisor will review the documentation you uploaded in myIO and issue a new DS-2019 for you and your dependents. Your dependents will then present the DS-2019 when they apply for a J-2 visa in your home country. They should also present copies of your immigration documents (DS-2019, passport, visa, and proof of enrollment) during the visa appointment. In addition to a valid passport and visa, your dependents will need to show their dependent DS-2019 upon entry to the United States. If you are requesting a change of status to J-2 within the United States, speak to an advisor about the change of status procedure.

J-2 Benefits

J-2 dependents are eligible for the following benefits:

Primary and Secondary Education for J-2 Dependent Children

If you have a child (under the age of 21) who you wish to bring to the United States in J-2 status, they are eligible to enroll in elementary or secondary school. You can find information on Austin Independent School District on their website. Look under “Schools” and click on “Find Your Assigned Schools” to see where your child should be attending. Children generally attend school if they are the age 18 or under.

Higher Education for J-2 Dependent

Your dependent (spouse/child) is eligible to go to school (college/university) part-time or full-time in J-2 status.

Work Authorization for J-2 Dependents

J-2 Dependents are eligible to work full or part-time during their stay in the United States.

Approval length is up to the discretion of the USCIS officer, but is generally a year or the current end date of your primary’s J-1 program. This application can take around 3 months to process, though longer wait times can happen. Follow the steps above in order to apply. After you have gathered the documentation and filled out the forms, make an appointment with an International Advisor, who will review the application and submit it to USCIS.

If your spouse has work authorization, Workforce Solutions is a good resource, free to the public, which will help in your job search.

Applying for J-2 Work Authorization

Email Texas Global

Eligibility

  • Be the spouse or dependent of a J-1 visa holder
  • Must be present in the United States
  • Primary J-1 visa holder must have attended International Briefing & Check-In (IBC) if the J-1 is a student OR J-1 Scholar Orientation if the J-1 is a scholar

Prepare the following:

  1. Form G-1145
    1. Please staple your I-765 filing fee check to the front of this form.
    2. Check the USCIS website for the latest filing fee as it changes periodically.
  2. Typed and completed Form I-765, signed in black ink. Ensure you are using the current edition of Form I-765 by downloading the form directly from the USCIS website and checking the edition date in the bottom left-hand corner of the form. The current edition date can be found on the USCIS website; see “Edition Date” under “Form Details.”
  3. Copies of both the J-1's and J-2's Form DS-2019
  4. Copies of both the J-1's and J-2's Form I-94
  5. Copies of both the J-1's and J-2's visa
  6. Copies of both the J-1’s and J-2’s passport (identification and expiration date page)
  7. Copy of marriage certificate (if J-2 is the spouse of J-1), or a copy of the birth certificate (if J-2 is the child of J-1). The certificate should be accompanied by an official English translation if the original is not in English.
  8. Two recent, passport-style photos on white background. The photos must meet USCIS requirements. Using a pencil, print your name and I-94 number on the back of the photos. See an example photo.
  9. Check or money order made payable to: Department of Homeland Security (do not write or make corrections in the upper portion of the check). Verify the correct amount directly on the USCIS website (see “Filing Fee” under “Form Details).
  10. J-2 Expenses Letter
  11. Copies of any previous Employment Authorization Documents (EAD)

Texas Global will provide a preliminary review of your application. However, the application for a J-2 EAD is a personal application and it is your responsibility to submit a complete and accurate application to USCIS. Application processing can take 3 – 6 months. You may begin working only after receiving the EAD, and only within the specific timeframe printed on the EAD. Approval length is up to the discretion of the USCIS officer, but is generally a year or the current end date of your primary’s J-1 program, whichever comes first. You are allowed to work at multiple jobs with no limit on the type of job.

J-2 Status Maintenance and Restrictions

All persons in J-2 status must maintain the same health insurance benefits as their J-1 primary*, per Department of State guidelines. Failure to comply could result in a termination of your visa status.

* It does not have to be the same insurance policy.

J-2 dependents lose J-2 status if the J-1 student/scholar completes or otherwise ends their status. J-2 dependents are required to file taxes if they earned income in the U.S., and are eligible to use the tax preparation software ISSS provides for help with their U.S. tax return. To access the software, J-2 dependents need the same access code obtained by their J-1 primaries.

If the J-1 primary is subject to the two-year home residency requirement, all J-2 dependents are similarly subject.

Keep in mind, if your child turns 21 while you are here, they will lose their J-2 status and need to change to another legal immigration status. Please go to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website for questions about changing status. You may also make an appointment to discuss change of status options with an ISSS advisor.

While the J-1 primary is not physically present inside the United States, J-2 dependents should not remain in the country for more than 30 days.

* Due to current USCIS backlogs, Change of Status applications are taking around 10 months.

Travel in J-2 Status

J-2 dependents may travel outside of and re-enter the United States with or separately from the J-1 student/scholar. In all cases, J-2 dependents should carry the following documents in order to request J-2 status upon arriving in the United States:

  • An unexpired passport valid at least six months into the future upon arrival
  • A Form DS-2019 issued in the J-2 dependent's name, with a travel signature from ISSS or the J-1 sponsor that is no more than 1 year old on the date of re-entry
  • A copy of the J-1's signed Form DS-2019 (necessary only if traveling separately from the J-1)
  • An unexpired J-2 entry visa (exception: Canadian citizens are not required to obtain visas)