Dependents of the J1 Visa – The J2 Visa World
June 17th, 2013 by Jennifer Frankel
With over 170,000 J1 visa holders in the USA each month, there are going to be situations where partners will want to bring their significant other, known in the visa world as dependents. If you are traveling on a J1 visa, your spouse or unmarried child (under the age of 21) typically arrives on a similar visa as dependents of the J1 visa, called the J-2. This is similar to the J1 visa in that it allows you to travel and live in the USA for a defined period of time.
J-2 Eligibility
Dependents of the J1 visa include a spouse or child under the age of 21, but it does not extend beyond these two categories and would exclude parents, siblings, grandparents, etc. Not all programs allow the J1 holder to bring dependents, so be sure to check to see if your program is eligible.
Travel
When it comes to travel, many of the same rules that apply to a J1 visa holder also applies to the J-2 visa. The duration of stay in the US, for example, is the same under both visas and while the J-2 visa holder cannot arrive in the US in advance of the J-1 holder, once admitted in the US they do not need to be accompanied by the J1 holder when leaving and reentering the US.
Study
Under the J-2 visa, dependents can become a full-time or part-time degree-seeking student, and can choose to stop their program at any time. J-2 dependents who find that their academic program extends beyond their J-2 status in the US can switch their status to a F-1 (international student) .
J-2 Insurance
The US Department of State requires that J-1 visa holders obtain a specified amount of coverage. These same health insurance requirements also apply to J-2 dependents and will be required throughout the duration of their stay.
Work Authorization
Like J-1 visa holders, J-2 dependents can also accept financial support for work as long as they’ve received an employment authorization from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Those interested in working will need to submit Form I-765 after arrival in the US, wait approximately 3-5 months for processing and will receive their EAD authorizing work up to one year.
What is Student Insurance?
June 14th, 2013 by Bryanna Davis
Pursuing a higher education abroad allows individuals to not only gain insight into concepts of the educational world that may have never otherwise never been conceived, but to also experience the everyday unknown. For many, it’s the chance to live away from home, develop new relationships and discover what path in life they want to take. While this is exciting and a chance of a lifetime, it’s important that students not only make plans for their next big adventure, but also plan for the unexpected.
One of the best ways to prepare is finding an international student health insurance plan that not only protects you, but also works for you!
Students who come from a country where purchasing health insurance is not the norm may be overwhelmed at first when trying to answer questions about what is student insurance. International students who have a few moments to spare can sit back, continue reading and walk away with the answer to what is student insurance.
The first step in figuring out what is student insurance is to know that this insurance is primarily purchased to prepare for the unexpected. While some plans have coverage for wellness, such as general check-ups and immunizations, these are not typically included in international student health insurance plans. However, students will want to make sure their plan includes coverage for illness and injury including the following key benefits:
- Doctor visits
- Hospitalization
- Emergency Medical Evacuation
- Repatriation of Remains
- Prescriptions
Depending on the situation, students may also require other benefits beyond this. Schools often have coverage requirements that students will need to meet. A few of the most commonly required benefits include maternity, mental health and coverage for pre-existing conditions after a reasonable waiting period.
Upon purchasing an insurance plan, students will pay a premium for the plan. The frequency of payment will vary from plan to plan, it may be required up front or monthly- it all depends on the plan. After the first premium, students will then receive their insurance documents which are typically used to show their school proof of health insurance.
When discovering the ins and outs of student insurance it’s important to understand what the insurance will cover and what the insured will be expected to contribute- the premium may not be the only payment associated with the health insurance plan when the individual receives medical care. Plans typically have a co-pay, deductible or co-insurance. When comparing plans, students should look at the benefits but also what out of pocket expense they will be required to fulfill upon a trip to the doctor’s office or hospital.
International Student Health Insurance for Florida State University
June 11th, 2013 by Ross Mason
International Student Insurance provides health insurance for students studying at Florida State University (FSU). Learn more about your insurance options online.
As an international student studying in the USA, your school will most likely require you to show proof of international student health insurance coverage prior to enrolling in classes. In some cases, they will even provide you with an insurance plan that meets their requirements – but often these plans can be very expensive and there are better, more affordable options that you can use during your studies.
If you are an international student at Florida State University in 2020/2021, you have the option to waive out of your schools health insurance plan and purchase alternative coverage that still meets their requirements. Florida State set out their comparable coverage requirements for international students in where you can see all the 15 points that they want your insurance plan to meet – if you can meet all those points, you are eligible to waive out of your schools insurance plan.
Alternative Insurance Coverage
While the Florida State insurance plan is an excellent solution, you can save money and purchase a comparable plan such as the Budget, Select and Elite plan of our Student Health Insurance plan. Not only will these plans meet all the requirements, it will also save you money! For example, a student age 24 and younger:
- Florida State International Insurance Plan – $2,832 for 1 year
- Our Student Health Plan:
- Budget – $513.24 for 1 year
- Select Level – $1,161.16 for 1 year
- Elite Level – $2,140.32 for 1 year
Saving you more than $2,000 per year on your student health insurance coverage!
The insurance plan offered at Florida State also does not offer intercollegiate sports coverage, but our international student health insurance plan will! To learn more about our Student Health Insurance plan, please visit our website or contact our customer service team who will be more than happy to assist you. You can also learn more about about the Florida State University insurance requirements here.
Updated August 5, 2020
Follow, Fan and Circle Us on Social Media
June 6th, 2013 by Ross Mason
Social media is still on the rise, Facebook and Twitter are steadily increasing and just this week it emerged that Google+ had taken over from Twitter as the number 2 social media platform in the USA. The success of social media is that it allows you to engage and interact with people, sharing images and information quickly and easily in snippets.
International Student Insurance has had social media accounts for many years, and in the past has shared them with our sister site, International Student, however with the continued rise of these platforms, we have decided to resurrect our Facebook, Twitter and Google+ accounts so that you can connect with us directly on your preferred platform.
Over the coming weeks and months, we will be running some cool competitions and offering up some prizes for you to win, along with sharing cool content and topics that are relevant to international students and travelers wherever you are in the world. We encourage you to share our content, like it and interact with us as much as possible – the more feedback we have from you, the better we can make the things we share!
If you have not done so already – please connect with us at:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/internationalstudentinsurance
Twitter – https://twitter.com/intl_insurance
We look forward to seeing you guys there!
June 2013 Travel Warnings
June 4th, 2013 by Ross Mason
The June 2013 travel warnings are a listing of any warnings that have been posted by the US Department of State in the month of May, warning travelers who plan to visit those countries. Remember to exercise extra care if you are visiting these countries, and check with your travel insurance provider to make sure you still have coverage in place – sometimes coverage can be excluded to countries that are under a travel warning.
Countries listed through the month of May 2013 include:
Niger – 29th May 2013
On May 23, 2013, terrorists using suicide car bombs attacked a Nigerien military compound in Agadez and a uranium mining facility, operated by a French company, in Arlit. Therefore, the Department of State warns of the risks of travel to Niger, and urges caution due to these recent attacks in the northern Nigerien towns of Arlit and Agadez. This replaces the Travel Warning for Niger dated January 16, 2013.
Iran – 24th May 2013
Some elements in Iran remain hostile to the United States. As a result, U.S. citizens may be subject to harassment or arrest while traveling or residing in Iran. Since 2009, Iranian authorities have prevented the departure, in some cases for several months, of a number of Iranian-American citizens, including journalists and academics, who traveled to Iran for personal or professional reasons. Therefore, The Department of State warns citizens to carefully consider the risks of travel to Iran and dual national Iranian-American citizens may encounter difficulty in departing Iran. U.S. citizens should also stay current with media coverage of local events and carefully consider nonessential travel. This replaces the Travel Warning for Iran issued December 7, 2012.
Mauritania – 21st May 2013
There is an increased risk for US Citizens traveling to Mauritania, and urges those who travel to Mauritania to exercise extreme caution because of activities by terrorist groups in the region, including al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). AQIM continues to demonstrate its intent and ability to conduct attacks against foreign nationals, including U.S. citizens. This replaces the Travel Warning for Mauritania, issued November 30, 2012.
Cote d’Ivoire – 16th May 2013
In April 2013, municipal and regional elections were held and were generally peaceful; however, there were limited and localized incidents of violence in the days following the election, as results were announced. Local security forces responded to these events, which were quickly resolved. However, U.S. citizens who reside in or travel to Cote d’Ivoire should still monitor conditions carefully, maintain situational awareness, and pay very close attention to their personal security. Although the security situation significantly improved in 2013, security conditions can change quickly and without warning. This Travel Warning updates U.S. citizens on the current security situation in Cote d’Ivoire, replacing the Travel Warning of November 16, 2012.
Eritrea – 10th May 2013
The Eritrean government continues to restrict the travel of all foreign nationals. These restrictions require all visitors and residents, including U.S. diplomats, to apply 10 days in advance for permission to travel outside Asmara’s city limits. Permission is rarely granted. As a result, the U.S. Embassy is extremely limited in its ability to provide emergency consular assistance outside of Asmara, and thus warns U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Eritrea and strongly recommends U.S. citizens defer all travel to the country.
Central African Republic – 10th May 2013
U.S. citizens are warned against all travel to the Central African Republic (CAR) and recommends that those who remain in CAR depart immediately by taking advantage of existing commercial flights. U.S. citizens who have decided to stay in CAR despite this warning should review their personal security situation and seriously consider departing. This replaces the Travel Warning of December 28, 2012, to reflect the lack of security, increased risks in CAR, and the Government of France’s role as the U.S. government’s Protecting Power in CAR while U.S. Embassy operations and services are temporarily suspended.
Libya – 9th May 2013
In early May, the security situation in Tripoli deteriorated when armed groups seized Libyan government buildings in a dispute over a law regarding officials of the former regime. In response, on May 8, the Department of State ordered the departure of a number of U.S. government personnel in Tripoli. Therefore, U.S. citizens are warned of the risks of traveling to Libya and strongly advises against all but essential travel to Tripoli and all travel to Benghazi, Bani Walid, and southern Libya, including border areas and the regions of Sabha and Kufra.
While traveling, please keep these May 2013 travel warnings in mind. Additionally, travelers are advised to enroll through the U.S. Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to stay up to date on travel security information.
The Top 5 Packing Tips When Studying Abroad
May 28th, 2013 by Ross Mason
We all love international travel, but when you travel abroad for any length of time, knowing what to pack and how much to take can be a daunting task. In most cases, your school or organization you are traveling with should give you some guidance on what you should take and how much – you certainly don’t want to be traveling with 15 suitcases if you are only abroad for a short period of time – and likewise, how do you bring everything if you are going to be abroad for 8 months?
Knowing this information will help guide you, but that list coupled with our top 5 packing tips will put you in good shape, and it will help you avoid over or under packing:
- Ship Your Luggage in Advance
There are some really good services that will allow you to ship your luggage ahead of time via express courier. With airlines now charging exorbitant fees to bring on your luggage – not to mention excess luggage – shipping your items ahead of schedule could save you a lot of time and hassle! It also allows you to have a fully tracked solution, so the chances of your case going missing should be minimized. A few good solutions that you can check out are Luggage Free and Luggage Forward.
- Pack Into Smaller Suitcases
“Don’t keep all your eggs in one basket.” If you are going to take suitcases, try not to pack it all into one large suitcase. Not only could your bag be overweight, but if you have one larger suitcase with all your things and it goes missing – you have lost everything. It is much better to pack your items into 2 smaller cases, or better yet – ship some of your items ahead of schedule.
- Makes Copies of All Your Documents
Of course you need all of your original documents with you, but before you travel make copies with a scanner or just take pictures with your mobile phone. You can upload these scans or images to a service such as Evernote or DropBox so that they can be accessed securely anywhere in the world – just go online and get all the documents you need.
- Electronic Items/ Power Adapters
You should never put your main electronic items, such as a your mobile phone, laptop or anything that is expensive in your checked luggage. These should always be carried with you and you need to make sure you also have the relevant power adapters for the country you are traveling to. There is nothing worse that being delayed and then running out of battery simply because you do not have power adapters.
- Medications
If you are taking any medications, or if you have a special over-the-counter medication that you take (for example allergy medication or pain killing medication), the brand you like or use may not be available in the country you are traveling to. You also have to be aware that in most cases, your travel insurance plan will not cover these medications if they are for a pre-existing condition. Therefore, taking enough medication to cover you while you are abroad can be very important!
Hopefully with these very simple tips, it should help make your study abroad experience even more memorable! If you have other tips you want to add, we look forward to hearing them in the comments!
How to Evaluate International Student Insurance Plans
May 24th, 2013 by Ross Mason
With the summer travel season coming up, and with the new school year just a few months away, many students will be busily getting everything ready for their adventure abroad. In some cases your school will offer international insurance coverage, however in some cases this may not fit your needs or you may want to look for something that is slightly cheaper. If English is not your first language, then trying to understand insurance plans is much more difficult – if not impossible!
So how do you evaluate international student insurance plans? We have developed a number of resources that should help guide you in the right direction:
Step 1 – Know Your Insurance Lingo!
Insurance terms can be confusing enough, but if you take some time to understand what some of the core terms mean, you will quickly be able to tell your deductible apart from your coinsurance, and your medical evacuation from your trip interruption. To get started, you can learn more about the most important insurance terms on our website.
Step 2 – Know What You Want!
The only person that can help you choose what is important to you….. is you! That is why we recommend that you write down what benefits are most important to you and what should be included in any plan you purchase. Everyone is different, and depending on what you want (maternity benefits, sports coverage, etc.) – it could be the difference between two plans and might allow you to purchase a cheaper insurance plan.
Step 3 – Compare Benefits!
Once you have figured out what is important to you, you need to compare plans side-by-side to work out how the benefits and plans line up. To do this, we recommend you use our handy insurance comparison PDF that you can print off, and write in the insurance details of the plans you are comparing. By doing this, you will be able to clearly see how each plan differs on key areas such as price, policy maximum and – of course – plan servicing and administration.
For more in-depth information and tips for evaluating student insurance plans, please see our full length article as that goes into more detail on the benefit of an insurance plan. You can also call and speak to our customer care representatives who will be more than happy to help you.
How To Get a Job on OPT – Target the Right Employers!
May 21st, 2013 by Keith Clausen
For many international students in the United States, the capstone to their US education comes after graduation when they are allowed to work legally in the US for up to a year on the optional practical training program, or OPT. For those lucky students in a STEM field – science, technology, engineering or mathematics – the period can be extended to up to 29 months. However, the right to work on OPT is subject to many rules and limitations, but it is still one of the best parts of an F1 student visa!
Learn more about what is OPT here.
So how does an international student go about getting a job? In addition to normal difficulties that anyone has when finding a job, international students have other struggles. Many employers do not regularly hire non-US citizens and they may not know what is involved. For example, some insurance plans will not let OPT students on their policy so students will need to purchase OPT insurance coverage.
Alternatively, some employers simply cannot afford the additional expense of hiring a student on OPT or sponsoring a worker on an H1B visa. So, a critical part of any OPT job search is targeting employers who have the will and the resources to hire OPT and H1B employees.
There are online resources that can help you identify companies that regularly hire employees on OPT and H1B. Particularly if your goal is to be sponsored for an H1B visa after you are done with OPT, it is important to find a company that regularly sponsors H1B employees.
The foreign labor certification website published by the Department of Labor has great data available to anyone interested in H1B and other employment programs for non-US citizens. Of particular interest to job hunters is the comprehensive data by quarter on LCA filings – these are the filings that an H1B employer needs to make. You can download the latest spreadsheet directly from this page, sort by employer, and you’ve got your list of active H1B employers.
If you have not chosen an employer yet and you are no longer part of your school’s insurance plan, you can get a health insurance quote and apply online on your own for one of our options here. You may also contact us directly for assistance in finding the right OPT insurance for you!
Good luck with the job hunt!
Monthly Travel Warning Email Alert
May 14th, 2013 by Ross Mason
Each month, as a resource to the international student and international education community, we report on the changes to the US State Department Travel Warning list that occurred in the previous month through our blog. This quick overview summary at the beginning of each month keeps you up-to-date with the latest changes, without bogging you down in having multiple emails or notifications each time there is a change to the list – and it removes the need to have to visit the US Department of State Website each time you want to know about the very latest updates.
The updates we post monthly can be found by visiting our category page at:
/blog/category/travel-warnings
Like any blog, we offer a convenient RSS and Email Feed option (which you can find in the sidebar to the right of this post), allowing you to receive updates on all our posts as we put them online. However, with a neat little tool/ website call IFTTT you can now receive just our travel warning summary emails on a monthly basis. IFTTT stands for IF This Then That, and if you have never heard of it before its excellent at helping you organize things and notify you of changes.
In this example, to get our monthly travel warning summary emails simply:
- Sign up for a free Account at IFTTT
- Use our IFTTT Email Recipe we created for our travel warning summary emails
- That is it!
Now each month as we post our summary email, IFTTT will email you a copy – a quick and easy way to receive our monthly travel warning email alert! You can even go as far to modify the recipe further if you wish and it can post to Facebook, or Twitter.
If you have any questions let us know, but hopefully you find this very useful!
Health Insurance for International Students in New Zealand
May 10th, 2013 by Bryanna Davis
Have you thought about studying in New Zealand? If so, you’re in good company. In the 2010/2011 academic year, 2900 US students studied abroad in New Zealand according to the latest “open doors” report, but students from around the world have been choosing to make New Zealand their host country and rightfully so.
New Zealand is packed with friendly natives, crisp blue water, the chance to ski and surf in the same day, and landscapes to appease any taste. It’s a location that many individuals long to visit, let alone study in.
If you plan on becoming an international student in New Zealand it’s required that you apply for a student visa. While you do not need to show proof that you have health insurance at the time of application, you do need to declare that you will purchase health insurance for international students in New Zealand for your entire duration of your studies there.
If you are trying to find a few options when it comes to health insurance for international students in New Zealand you might want to check out the following three plans:
Europe Travel: This plan offers medical coverage to those traveling from Europe and also includes enhanced travel insurance benefits as well. Also, if you want a plan that is priced in Euro, this is the option you have been searching for.
Atlas Travel: The flexibility of this plan is what many students studying in New Zealand are searching for. You can choose your coverage amount and deducible which allows you to pick a combination that is within your budget.
Student Secure: Many students choose the Secure Secure plan not only for the comprehensive coverage it offers, but also because this plan allows students to make monthly payments.
To find more on health insurance for international students in New Zealand you can visit here or contact one of our agents for assistance today.
