If you have a family member who has moved to the US for a study exchange program and you want to join them there, the J-2 visa may be what you need. This visa is designed for spouses and dependents of J-1 visa holders. It allows you to live and work in the United States for as long as your family member holds their visa.
Remitly is here to help you make your dream of living and working abroad a reality. Let’s take a look at the advantages and limitations of the J-2 visa, dive into the application process, and see how you can use it to stay connected with your family members.
What is a J-2 visa?
The J-2 visa for dependents is designed for the immediate family members of anyone holding a J-1 visa, which includes their spouse or children up to the age of 21. The visa is intended to allow J-1 holders to bring their family with them when they travel to the US for an educational or cultural exchange program.
Key benefits of the J-2 visa
The J-2 visa allows you to reunite with a family member who has moved to the US as part of the J-1 visa program. Once you obtain a J-2 visa work authorization, you can also work in the United States with an Employment Authorization Document, or EAD. The money you earn as a J-2 visa holder cannot be used to support your J-1 visa holder partner, but you can use it to support your family and build a more comfortable life in the US.
Plus, J-2 visa holders can send their kids to American schools. J-2 visitors can also study in American colleges and universities.
J-2 visa requirements
The J-2 visa is only available to the immediate family members of a J-1 visa holder. That means a spouse or dependent children up to the age of 21. For example, you won’t be able to bring your parents to the US on a J-2 visa, even if you have a J-1.
Because getting a J-2 visa depends on your family member getting a J-1, it is only open to the family members of people working in an approved program. That includes au pairs, interns, professors, research scholars, students, teachers, and camp counselors.
When your partner applies for a J-1 visa, they will be able to request a DS-2019 for each family member they want to join them in the US. The documentation they need will be the same as for their J-1 visa, including a sponsorship request from a qualifying school or other organization.
To get a J-1 visa, your partner or parent needs to be earning a minimum of $2,000 USD per month. Every J-2 dependent a J-1 visa holder wants to bring to the country needs an additional $600 per month in support. So if you have a spouse and three kids, that’s another $2,400, for a total of $4,400.
Your J-1 visa holder will need a DS-2019 from the organization that is hiring them. They will also need letters of financial support to prove they have enough money. They may need to show bank statements or other sources of income to prove this.
They will also need proof that they can speak English well enough to live in the US. That could be an attestation from the sponsoring organization, or official TOEFL, IELTS, or TOEIC test results taken within the last two years. However, you don’t need to prove English proficiency as a J-2 visa holder.
For both the J-1 and J-2 visa, you will need health insurance coverage.
If any of your documents are in a language other than English, they will need to be translated for your application.
J-2 visa application process
Getting a US visa of any kind means following a very precise process. But getting a J-2 visa for dependents doesn’t have to be difficult. Here’s what the process looks like:
- Your spouse or parent gets an offer from a qualifying organization. This could be a university, college, school, a camp, or a sponsoring family for an au pair program. It’s called Form DS-2019, and it is required as part of the J-1 visa application. During this process, the J-1 visa applicant will be able to add their family members to the application. Each family member must be approved by the sponsoring organization, and each family member will be issued their own DS-2019.
- Once you have your DS-2019 form, you can apply for a J-2 visa stamp in your passport at the US Embassy or Consulate in your own country. First, you’ll need to go to the website and fill in Form DS-160, which is an online Nonimmigrant Visa Application. You’ll also need to pay the visa application fee, if there is one. Then, you’ll be able to schedule an appointment. Make sure you submit your DS-160 form at least two business days before your appointment so that the embassy or consulate has time to process it.
- Go to your interview. Make sure to bring documentation of your partner’s or parent’s J-1 visa, if they have it. You will also need to show proof that you have enough money to support yourself in the United States, and you will need to show that you have ties to your home country, such as an existing residence. Both the J-1 and J-2 visas are nonimmigrant visas, so the US Embassy or consulate must be satisfied that you do not intend to live permanently in the United States.
- When you enter the United States, you will need to show your DS-2019 and the J-2 visa stamp in your passport. You cannot enter the United States unless the J-1 visa holder is there already or is traveling with you. You can enter the country up to 30 days before the start date listed on your DS-2019 form.
- Processing time for a J-2 visa depends on where you are applying for it. However, don’t be surprised if the process takes several months.
One of the most interesting features of the J-2 visa is that you will be eligible to work in the United States. And unlike a J-1 visa holder, you’re not limited in the kind of job you can take; it doesn’t have to be in education.
However, there are some requirements you will need to fulfill to get the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) you need in order to work.
Requirements:
- Your partner or parent must have a valid J-1 visa
- You can’t use income from your job to support your J-1 visa holder
- Once the J-1 visa expires, you must stop working and leave the country, even if you have an EAD
How to apply:
- You will need to complete and submit Form I-765
- You’ll need a copy of Form I-94, which you will be given when you enter the United States. For this reason, it’s not possible to apply for an EAD until you are physically in the country.
- You will need to include a copy of your DS-2019, and provide evidence that any money you make from any job you get will not be used to support your J-1 visa holder
- You will need passport photos that fit American passport standards, a photocopy of your marriage certificate translated into English if it is not already, and copies of all information included to get the J-1 visa
Typically, receiving an EAD card takes around 90 to 120 days. Once you have your card, you can apply for jobs just like an American citizen would. You don’t need to be sponsored by an employer, and you aren’t limited in the jobs you can apply for.
There is a $470 USD online filing fee with your I-765, or a $520 fee for paper filing.
Rights and restrictions
A J-2 visa lets you live and even work in the US with your J-1 visa holder family member. It gives you certain rights, but also comes with some restrictions. Let’s take a closer look.
Rights
- A J-2 visa lets you live in the United States for as long as your visa is valid. Generally, this is based on the J-1 visa of your family member.
- A J-2 visa allows children to go to school in the United States
- A J-2 visa holder can study in an American college or university just like a citizen
- With an Employment Authorization Document, a J-2 visa holder can get a job in the US. You’re not restricted in the kind of job you get, and can apply for any job just like a US citizen would. You can also get an American bank account and a driving license.
- Holders of a J-2 visa can travel outside the US and return, as long as their visa remains valid
Restrictions
- Your J-2 visa is dependent on your partner or family member’s J-1 visa. When their visa expires, so does yours.
- You need to be married to the J-1 visa holder or an unmarried child of one
- Any money you earn cannot be used to support your partner. You can use it to support your kids or send it to family members at home, but your J-1 visa holder must earn enough to support themselves.
- Dependent children up to the age of 21 are eligible for a J-2 visa. After that age, they will not be granted a J-2.
- Once your J-1 and J-2 visas have expired, you must return to your country of nationality or the last country you lived in before the United States for at least two years
FAQs
Can J-2 visa holders study in the US?
Yes. Although there is no requirement to be involved in the education field like there is for the J-1 visa, a J-2 visa holder can enroll in an educational institute. Dependent children with J-2 visas can also attend US schools.
What happens if the J-1 visa holder’s status changes?
Your J-2 visa is dependent on your partner’s J-1 visa. When the J-1 visa ends, your J-2 visa is also no longer valid, and you’ll need to leave the country.
It is possible to change your nonimmigrant status once you arrive in the US, but you will need to apply through the proper channels and demonstrate why your status has changed.
Are there any renewal or extension processes for a J-2 visa?
A J-1 visa can be extended to a maximum of 24 months. If that happens, you can then apply for an extension of your J-2 visa, too.
Can a J-2 visa holder apply for a green card?
It is possible to apply for a green card as a J-2 visa holder. If your J-1 visa holder family member gets a green card, you will get one as their dependent. You can also apply based on family or employment reasons.