Dependents

If you are a participant in the University of Miami's Exchange Visitor Program and wish to add your legally married spouse and/or minor children to your Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) record so that they can receive their own Form(s) DS-2019 and apply for J-2 visas, click here to access, complete and submit the electronic Edits to Form DS-2019 Request for Exchange Visitors in J-1 Status to International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) for processing. 

If you are a participant in another exchange visitor program, contact your exchange visitor program sponsor for information on how they can add your legally married spouse and/or minor children to your SEVIS record.

The following information is for participants in the University of Miami's Exchange Visitor Program who wish to add a legally married spouse and/or minor children to their Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) record.

If you are a participant in another exchange visitor program, contact your exchange visitor program sponsor for information on how they can add your legally married spouse and/or minor children to your SEVIS record.

• Proof of relationship: To request that your legally married spouse and/or minor child(ren) be added to your SEVIS record, upload copy of your marriage certificate translated into English, or in the form of your child's birth certificate, also translated into English, respectively, to the electronic Edits to Form DS-2019 Request for Exchange Visitors in J-1 Status.
• Proof of Funding:Unless your Form DS-2019 already shows sufficient funding, you need to provide ISSS with proof of funding to cover not only you, but also your dependent until the program expiration date listed on your Form DS-2019. The additional proof of funding must be submitted in the form of a bank letter that is less than six months old, or a letter from your sponsoring department that is less than six months old. If a third party is sponsoring you, such as a family member, they will have to provide a letter from their bank that is less than six months old.
• Passport Biographical Data and Expiration Date Page(s): To request that your legally married spouse and/or minor child(ren) be added to your SEVIS record, upload their passport biographical and expiration date page(s) to the electronic Edits to Form DS-2019 Request for Exchange Visitors in J-1 Status. 

Issuance of Form DS-2019

Once your application to add a new dependent has been reviewed and approved by ISSS, new Forms DS-2019 will be issued and provided to you for you and your dependent(s).

Applying for a J-2 Visa

With the Form DS-2019, the original proof of relationship, original proof of funding documents, valid passport, and current photograph, your dependent will be able to apply for a J-2 visa from a U.S. consular office outside of the U.S. Please check the U.S. Department of State website for information on required documents your dependent will need to submit for the visa application.

After entering the U.S.

Once your J-2 family member has arrived in the U.S., click here to access, complete and submit the electronic Confirmation of J-2 Dependent Arrival Form for Exchange Visitors in J-1 Status to ISSS for processing.

J-2 dependents of J-1 scholars/exchange visitors who wish to obtain work authorization in the U.S. can apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

1. You must hold valid J-2 status, and the exchange visitor must hold valid J-1 status in the U.S.
2. Your income may not be used to support your J-1 spouse or parent.
3. You may not begin to work until you have received your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The EAD is an identification card laminated in plastic, with your photograph, and the expiration date of your permission to work.
4. You may work part-time or full-time, at any job, for any employer (except that you may not practice medicine, even if you have a license). There is no legal limit to the amount that you may earn.
5. USCIS can authorize J-2 employment for as long as the J-1 exchange visitor has permission to stay. Permission to stay expires on the date shown on Form I-94. If Form I-94 shows "Duration of Status" or "D/S," permission to stay expires on the program end date shown in item #3 of Form DS-2019. USCIS practice is to limit issuance of all EADs to no more than one year at a time. Please note that J-2 employment authorization is valid only if the J-1 exchange visitor is maintaining their immigration status in the U.S.

You will need to submit the following items to ISSS via the electronic Dependent Work Authorization Application Review Form for Exchange Visitors in J-1 Status to apply for J-2 work authorization:

1. 1. Form G-1145, "E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance."
   2. Form I-765, "Application for Employment Authorization." (enter eligibility code (c)(5) in item #27).
   3. Two photos as specified in the Form I-765 instructions (with name and I-94 number written on back in pencil) (Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that the photographs comply with the I-765 instruction. ISSS does not assume any responsibility for CIS's decision as to whether your photographs meet the I-765 specifications.).
   4. Previous EADs (if applicable).
   5. USCIS mailer in which previous EAD was received (if applicable).
   6. Copies of the J-1 exchange visitor's and your biographical passport pages, passport expiration date pages, J-1 and J-2 visa pages, and passport pages bearing entry stamp from last entry to U.S. (if available).
   7. Copies of the J-1 exchange visitor's current Form I-94 and your current Form I-94.
   8. Copies of the J-1 exchange visitor's current Form DS-2019 and your current Form DS-2019.
   9. Evidence of your relationship to the J-1 exchange visitor (i.e., J-2 spouse of a J-1 exchange visitor must include a copy of the marriage certificate and English translation).
   10. Money order or cashier's check for USCIS Form I-765 processing fee made payable to "U.S. Department of Homeland Security." (see current Form I-765 processing fee information on the USCIS Fee Schedule)
   11. A letter (see sample in handout) from the J-2 dependent to USCIS requesting work permission. The point of the letter is not to demonstrate financial need, but to show USCIS that the J-1 exchange visitor has sufficient resources for their own expenses and will not depend on your earnings. In the letter, the J-2 dependent should indicate the sources and amount of the J-1 exchange visitor's support and include a short budget or statement of family expenses to show that their resources are adequate without any income from your employment. You should give a reason for requesting work authorization such as an interest or activity that might include family travel, recreational or cultural activities. In your letter, you must state specifically that income from your earnings will not be used for the J-1 exchange visitor's support.

After review by International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), applications for J-2 employment authorization must be sent to the USCIS Dallas Lockbox for processing and adjudication. It is estimated that it will take USCIS a minimum of 120 to 150 days to process these applications. You may not begin employment until you receive your Employment Authorization Document (EAD).

Once you receive the receipt notice for the J-2 EAD application and/or the actual EAD from USCIS, click here to access, complete and submit the electronic Dependent Work Authorization Reporting Form for Exchange Visitors in J-1 Status to ISSS.

Authorization to Work
Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification

When you begin work, your employer will ask you to complete Form I-9, which requires you to document your work authorization. For Form I-9, your EAD card is acceptable proof both of your identity and your permission to work.

If your permission to stay expires, so will your EAD. Your spouse's (or parent's) J-1 Responsible Officer or Alternate Responsible Officer will explain how to extend permission to stay for the J-1 exchange visitor and all J-2 dependents. A pending application for extension of stay, or for a new EAD, does not authorize you to continue working. When you have the new EAD, you will have to update Form I-9 with your employer.

Social Security Number

To put you on the payroll, your employer will need your Social Security number, which you can obtain by applying for a Social Security card. You can do so at the same time as you apply for your EAD by completing Form I-765 and indicating that you also wish to apply for a Social Security Card.

Taxes
The earnings of J-2 dependents are subject to applicable federal, state, and local taxes, and Social Security taxes, and employers are required by law to withhold those taxes from paychecks. By April 15, you must file an income tax return, Form 1040NR, with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), covering the prior calendar year. The return determines whether you owe additional taxes to the IRS or whether the IRS owes you a refund. With Form 1040NR, you must also file a Form 8843. Please consult IRS Publication 519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens, for further information.