Immigration Compliance Form

J-1 Scholar Immigration and Insurance Compliance

Immigration Compliance:

J-1 scholars are required to maintain legal status in the United States. Failure to maintain your immigration status may lead to termination of your immigration record and J-1 program. Scholars must be aware of and comply fully with the following:

• You must maintain a valid passport at all times.
• You must pursue your J-1 program at the educational institution named on your Form DS-2019.
• You must complete an official immigration transfer whenever you change educational institutions. 
• You must apply for an extension of your DS-2019 prior to its expiration date
• You must report any change of address in the United States within 10 days of your move by completing a Form AR-11 at www.uscis.gov and by sending an email message to isso@unl.edu.
• You must obtain a travel signature on your DS-2019 from the ISSO prior to traveling outside the United States
• You must notify the ISSO of any accompanying dependents (spouse or child) to make sure they are documented properly.
• You and your dependents must maintain the mandatory health insurance that is required as part of your status at all times. See below for details.

Insurance Compliance:

The U.S. Department of State (USDOS) requires all J-1 Exchange visitors and their J-2 dependent family members to comply with specific health insurance requirements. Additionally, the period of required insurance coverage is the actual duration of the scholar’s participation in the exchange visitor program, as recorded in SEVIS. Please note, exchange visitors who willfully fail to maintain the insurance coverage or who make material misrepresentations to the sponsor concerning such coverage will be deemed to be in violation of their status and will be subject to termination as an exchange visitor.

Your insurance coverage must fulfill all of the following insurance requirements:

1. Medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness;
2. Repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000;
3. Expenses associated with the medical evacuation of the exchange visitor to his or her home country in the amount of $50,000; and
4. A deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness.
5. Coverage must correspond with program start and end dates as listed on DS-2019

• An insurance policy secured to fulfill the above insurance requirements:
  • May require a waiting period for pre-existing conditions which is reasonable as determined by current industry standards;
  • May include provision for co-insurance under the terms of which the exchange visitor may be required to pay up to 25% of the covered benefit per accident or illness; and
  • Shall not unreasonably exclude coverage for perils inherent to the activities of the exchange program in which the exchange visitor participates.
  • Must be underwritten by an insurance corporation having an A.M. Best rating of “A” or above
  • Must have an insurance Solvency International, Ltd. (ISI) rating of “A-i” or above
  • Must have a Standard & Poor’s Claims-paying Ability rating of “A” or above 
  • Must have a Weiss Research, Inc. rating of “B+” or above or such other rating services as the Agency may from time to time specify. 
  • Must be backed by the full faith and credit of the government of the exchange visitor’s home country shall be deemed to meet this requirement.

• UNL Blue Cross Blue Shield employee health insurance does not fulfill the J-1 insurance requirements: 

  • If you choose the UNL employee Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance, you must:

    • Enroll in the Blue Cross Blue Shield Basic Option or Blue Cross Blue Shield High Option and 
    • Secure additional coverage for evacuation and repatriation using an outside insurance company. This means you will have two insurance policies.

     

To ensure you have met the above-listed requirements, it is required that you submit the following to ISSO immediately upon arrival to the United States:

• A copy of the summary of insurance benefits page. This is typically a one-to-two-page summary that outlines the benefits of your insurance plan. 

*All documentation must be in English 

*All documentation must include J-2 dependents (if applicable) 

DISCLOSURE: This information is not exhaustive and is subject to change without notice.  International scholars should contact an International Student/Scholar Specialist to discuss any questions or concerns they may have regarding their legal status in the United States.

For current information on changes in U.S. immigration law and/or changes in University policy and procedures, please read all email messages from the ISSO.  Our website is also a valuable resource for various important information regarding your stay in the United States.  The web address is https://globalnebraska.unl.edu/isso.