Required minimum funding for Exchange Visitors
Please be aware that the minimum funding required per year is the following:
- $28,000 for a J-1 Scholar or Visiting Student
- for a spouse, an additional $14,000
- for each child an additional $7,000
The total financial support declared above should match or exceed the estimated living costs of the J-1 Exchange Visitor and his/her dependents, if applicable.
IMPORTANT: A J-1 Visiting Student can only use personal or family funds for up to 50% of the required minimum funding. This means that more than 50% of the required funding would need to come from the university or outside funding.
Example:
An Exchange Visitor with a spouse and two children staying for one year would need to show the amount of $28,000 for Exchange Visitor, $14,000 for spouse, and $14,000 for children – $56,000 in total.
A J-1 Student would only be able to show half of $56,000, or $28,000, in personal or family funds. They would also need to provide at least $28,000 from Northeastern, their home institution, or another funding source.
Guidelines for acceptable proof of funds
Funding from sources other than Northeastern (private sponsor, government funding, scholarships, personal funds, etc.) will be considered towards meeting the NU minimum funding requirements, with the following restrictions:
- All documentation must be officially translated into English; currency must be clearly referenced and converted into USD.
- If you are providing bank statement(s), they must include the following information:
- English translation
- Name of the account holder
- Currency (USD, Euro, RMB, etc.)
- Amount available
- Issue date (the bank statement cannot be older than 9 months upon receipt by OGS)
- If you have multiple statements, upload all documents in this category together in one pdf and attach the coversheet.
- Documentation must be copies of originals (note that the U.S. Consulate requires original documentation during the visa process).
Sponsorship by family member(s):
If the Exchange Visitor will be supported financially by a family member(s), please submit the following
- Financial institution documentation, such as bank statements or letters, including name of the financial sponsor; documentation must be recent, and not older than 9 months upon receipt by the OGS
- A letter signed by the financial sponsor attesting that the Exchange Visitor is entitled to the funds in the sponsor’s account
Sponsorship by home country organizations:
- In cases in which the documentation reflects a range in funding, the OGS will use the lowest figure in the range unless the Exchange Visitor provides a letter from the funding source indicating otherwise. Note: OGS retains the right to request original documentation or other means of clarification.
- If an Exchange Visitor is sponsored by his/her home country employer (e.g., during a sabbatical from the home university), the letter form the employer must state that the EV will continue receiving a salary while at Northeastern University (salary statement alone is not sufficient).
- Note: OGS retains the right to request original documentation or other means of clarification.
Failure to follow the instructions above will result in the delay of DS-2019 issuance.
For any questions or concerns regarding financial requirements for visiting appointments, please contact Rachel Hollabaugh ([email protected]).