J-1
UNC-Chapel Hill generally issues the I-20 form for the F-1 visa to all incoming international students. Exceptions are made either for persons who are eligible for and specifically request the DS2019 form (Certificate of Eligibility) for the J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa, or for persons who are required to use the J-1 visa due to the terms of a scholarship or fellowship.
Note: Students who are solely supported by personal funds are not eligible for the J-1 visa.
J-1 students are part of the Exchange Visitor Program which is administered by the U.S. Department of State for the purpose of educational and cultural exchange. The Department of State designates sponsors such as universities, government agencies and others to administer individual exchange visitor programs. UNC-Chapel Hill sponsors an exchange visitor program for students admitted to the University, and members of the International Center staff are Responsible Officers and Alternate Responsible Officers who are appointed to advise and assist exchange visitors and to issue DS2019 forms. In addition to J-1 students sponsored by the UNC-Chapel Hill exchange visitor program, there are J-1 students at UNC-CH who are sponsored by other agencies such as the Institute of International Education (IIE) and AMIDEAST. Issues relating to travel, employment, extension of stay, etc. should be addressed to the sponsor of your exchange visitor program (noted in Section 2 on your DS2019 form).
In accepting a J-1 visa and entering the U.S. based on this visa, you obligate yourself to comply with the terms and conditions pursuant to this status and as stated on the visa certificate (Form DS2019). Please read the entire certificate (front and back) carefully to be sure that you understand all the conditions governing Exchange visitors.
J-1 visa holders who are financed by either the United States government or the government of their country of residence, or who have special skills which are needed in their country of residence are likely to be subject to the two-year home residency requirement. A J-1 holder subject to this requirement would be compelled to return to the home country for a period of two years upon completion of the J-1 program, before the J-1 holder could petition for either H-1B temporary worker status or an immigrant visa (green card/permanent residence). If you are subject to the two-year home residency requirement you are not eligible to change to any other visa status within the United States.
Another important
requirement for all Exchange Visitors is to purchase and maintain health insurance at federally mandated levels for
themselves and their dependents in J-2 visa status throughout their program of
study. U.S. government regulations stipulate that if you willfully fail to carry
health insurance which meets the minimum federal requirements, your J-1 sponsor
must terminate your program and report the termination to the Department of
State.
J-1
Health Insurance
In addition to the requirements listed in the section on Health Insurance Requirement, students in J-1 visa status have additional health insurance requirements which must meet federal regulations governing J-1 Exchange Visitors and their dependents. These requirements are listed below. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's current student insurance policy and the policies of several other independent companies do meet these federal requirements for J-1 students.
J-1 Insurance Requirements
- Deductible amounts: Most insurance policies require you to pay part of your health expenses yourself (your part is called the deductible), before the company pays anything. The J regulations limit the deductible to $500 per accident or illness.
- Co-Insurance: Even after you have paid the deductible, an insurance policy usually pays only a percentage of your medical expanses. The policy might pay 80%, for example, and the remaining 20%, which you would have to pay is called the co-insurance. Thus, if you were injured and incurred $3,000 in medical expenses, a policy with a $400 deductible and 20% co-insurance would cover $2,080 (80% of $2,600). The J regulations require the insurance company to pay at least 75% of covered medical expenses.
- Lifetime/per-occurrence maximums: Many insurance policies limit the amount they will pay for any single individual's medical bills for any specific illness or injury. Exchange visitors must have insurance with a maximum no lower than $50,000 for each specific illness or injury, which should be enough for most conditions. Major illnesses, however, can cost several times that amount.
- If you should die in the United States, the policy must provide at least $7,500 in benefits to send your remains to your home country for burial. This is also known as "repatriation".
- If, because of serious illness or injury, you must be sent home on the advice of a doctor, the policy must pay up to $10,000 for the expenses of your travel. This is sometimes referred to as "medical evacuation".
- The policy may establish a waiting period before it covers pre-existing conditions (health problems you had before you bought the insurance), as long as the waiting period is reasonable by current standards in the insurance industry.
- Any policy, plan, or
contract secured to fill the above requirements must, at a minimum, be:
- Underwritten by an insurance corporation having an A.M. Best rating of "A-" or above, or a Weiss Research, Inc. rating of B+ or above; or
- Backed by the full faith and credit of the government of the exchange visitor's home country; or
- Part of a health benefits program offered on a group basis to employees or enrolled students by a designated sponsor; or
- Offered through or underwritten by a federally qualified Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) or eligible Competitive Medical Plan (CMP) as determined by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) of the US Department of Health and Human Services.