Department's Guide to Visa Sponsorship

The Host Department is required to:

• Provide detailed information about research objectives
• Upload Export Compliance Questionnaire
• Upload an offer letter with the minimum funding required and an eligible J-1 title if the prospective J-1 Exchange Visitor will be an employee

The prospective J-1 Exchange Visitor is required to upload:

• Passport
• If applicable, any status-related documents (e.g. I-20, DS-2019, I-797, etc.)
• Resume/CV
• Any documents proving current U.S. immigration status
• If funding is not provided by Jefferson or a Jefferson-affiliated host department, the following requirements apply:   
  o   Minimum funding requirement: Funding must total at least $36,500 per year, be dated within three months, and be liquid in nature (e.g., readily available cash or bank funds).
   o   Acceptable Documentation by Category:
         1. Research Volunteer:
             i. Personal funding- A bank statement or letter on bank stationery in the
              J-1 Exchange Visitor’s name
         2. Visiting Scientist: (funding from home country employer/ institution)
             i.  A letter on official company stationery confirming the funding and duration.
            ii. Personal funding may only be used to support dependents, not the primary J-1     Exchange Visitor.

The host department is required to upload:

• Invitation/Appointment letter
• Incidental patient contact attestation, if the J-1 Exchange Visitor has a medical degree and is expected to have incidental patient contact during the J-1 program
  • What is Incidental patient contact?
    A J-1 Exchange Visitor with a medical degree participating in a program of observation, consultation, teaching, or research may need to have limited patient contact in order to carry out those objectives. If the patient contact is incidental to those objectives, the exchange visitor with a medical degree is allowed to engage in incidental patient contact.

• If the requested J-1 category is Student Intern:
  • J-1 Student Intern Department Certification

The prospective J-1 Exchange Visitor is required to upload:

• Passport Identity Page
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Financial Support Documentation
  • If on payroll, upload an offer letter from Human Resources
  • If not on the payroll, proof of funding must be liquid assets and dated within three months. Funding can be shown through the following documents:
    • Personal Funding - Current bank statement or letter on bank stationery in J-1 Exchange Visitor’s name
    • Government, foreign employer, and other non-Jefferson organizational funding
    • School Funding - Scholarship/fellowship/company sponsor award letter in J-1 Exchange Visitor’s name
    • Other Funding - Family's current, original bank statement or bank letter in their name(s)
  • Funding from a single source or a combination of sources may be used to meet the minimum amount required. The minimum amount for the J-1 and any dependents (2024-2025) is represented in the chart below.
    • J-1 Only: $36,500
    • J-1 + 1 Dependent: $46,850
    • J-1 + 2 Dependents: $57,200
    • J-1 + 3 Dependents: $67,550
    • J-1 + 4 Dependents: $77,900
    • Note: The cost of health insurance is not included in the minimum financial requirements. The scholar must purchase health insurance after showing the minimum funding.
• Proof of English Language Proficiency
  A J-1 Exchange Visitor must have “sufficient proficiency in the English language, as determined by an objective measurement of English language proficiency, successfully to participate in his or her program and to function on a day-to-day basis.” [22 CFR 62.10(a)(2)] The Office of International Services accepts one of the five ways below to prove English language proficiency
  • The E3J1 Interview score of 3 or higher: The E3J1 Interview is an online recorded interview taken at the applicant’s convenience from anywhere with a reliable internet connection.
  • A diploma from an English-speaking institution showing a degree awarded
  • Test score report from a recognized English test (for example, TOEFL or IELTS) with the minimum requirements:
    • Minimum TOEFL score is 90 TOEFL iBT (550 paper-based), and the minimum IELTS score is 6.5
    • The test date should be within the past 3 years
  • Official certification from an accredited school, institution, or language training center that shows successful completion of English classes or training within the past two years
  • A native speaker of English   
• Previous J-1 History, if applicable
• Dependent Passport Identity Page(s), if planning to bring dependents in J-2 status
  • If the dependent is a spouse, also upload a copy of the translated marriage certificate
  • If the dependent is a child, also upload a copy of the translated birth certificate for each
• Diploma
• If the requested J-1 category is Student Intern:
  • J-1 Student Intern Certification
  • J-1 Student Intern’s Home Institution Certification