Students Studying in The United States Applying as a J-1 Student

In order to qualify for a J-1 visa and be eligible to request a Form DS-2019 from Northeastern University, prospective J-1 visa applicants must:

• Be financed directly or indirectly by the U.S. government, the government of their home country, an international organization of which the United States is a member by treaty or statute, or supported substantially by funding from any source other than personal or family funds (greater than 50% of your funding must be from non-personal or family sources).
• Participate in a program that has an agreement between the U.S. government and a foreign government, or according to a written agreement between Northeastern and foreign educational institutions, Northeastern and a foreign government or a state or local government in the United States and a foreign government.
• Be able to demonstrate the required amount of funding for the entire duration of your program in order to be eligible for a DS-2019.

What is a Form DS-2019?

The Form DS-2019 is a Certificate of Eligibility issued to prospective non-immigrant exchange students by a program sponsor (Northeastern University) so that they may apply for a J-1 visa at U.S. Embassy or Consulate Abroad.

Accessing the DS-2019 Request e-form:

If your source of funding for your degree program requires you to apply for a J-1 visa (such as a government scholarship) or you believe you otherwise qualify to apply for a J-1 visa for your degree program, please notify your Northeastern Admissions Office, who will contact OGS. If it is determined you are eligible to apply for the J-1 visa, OGS will directly email you instructions to submit a DS-2019 request.

For incoming exchange students admitted to an exchange program through the Global Experience Office (GEO), you will directly receive a link to request a DS-2019 from GEO after you are admitted to the exchange program.

For all other non-degree exchange programs at Northeastern, your admissions contact will provide you with a link to request the DS-2019 after your admission.

When requesting a Form DS-2019 from Northeastern, you will be required to provide funding documentation that meets specific requirements, and demonstrates that you have sufficient funding for the entire duration of your program at Northeastern. The required amount varies by program and will be communicated to you by your Admissions Office, or can be found here for degree-seeking students.

If you have a sponsor who will support you financially (this can even be a family member), then you must attach a letter of support, in English, from your sponsor. Please view this sample letter.

U.S. Department of State regulations [22 C.F.R. §62.10(a)(2)] require that J-1 Exchange Visitors (EVs) are proficient in English to successfully carry out their J-1 program activities and function in the U.S. on a day-to-day basis. A program sponsor must verify a prospective EV’s English language proficiency prior to issuing a Form DS-2019 through an objective measurement.

As part of your admission to a degree or exchange program at Northeastern, you will be required to provide documentation of your English Language Proficiency, which will also meet the requirements for being issued a Form DS-2019.

U.S. government regulations [22 CFR § 62.14] require all J-1 students and J-2 dependents to obtain health insurance that meets the following requirements:

• Medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness
• Payment for repatriation (preparation and transportation of remains to home country) in case of death in the amount of $25,000
• Payment for medical evacuation (transportation to home country on advice of attending physician) in the amount of $50,000
• A deductible amount not to exceed $500 per accident or illness
• Coverage of pre-existing conditions after a reasonable waiting period
• Payment by the insurance company of at least 75% of the costs of medical care (the patient must not be required to pay more than 25% of medical care costs)
• Continuous coverage for the duration of the program

To comply with these regulations, health insurance policies must be underwritten by corporations having one of the following:

• A.M. Best rating of A- or above
• McGraw Hill Financial/Standard & Poor’s Claims- paying Ability rating of ‘A- or above
• Weiss Research, Inc. rating of ‘‘B+’’ or above
• Fitch Ratings, Inc. rating of ‘‘A-’’ or above
• Moody’s Investor Services rating of ‘‘A3’’ or above.
• Note: Insurance backed by the full faith and credit of the exchange visitor‘s (J-1 scholar’s) government meets this requirement. 

If you purchased health insurance in your home country or have insurance from your home institution or home government, please ensure that it covers all of the J-1 requirements listed above and covers you and any J-2 dependents during your entire period of time in the U.S.

The Department of State requires the Office of Global Services (OGS) to confirm that all J-1 students and exchange students have health insurance that complies with the federal regulations. OGS reserves the right to request proof of health insurance at any time during the J-1 student’s program.

For detailed instructions on the J-1 visa application process after you receive your Form DS-2019, please refer to the J-1 Visa Process page on the OGS website.