Maintaining J-1 Status
J-1 Scholar: Financial Information
Financial Documentation
To create a DS-2019, Penn State is required by the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program to collect financial documentation showing adequate financial resources for a prospective or extending scholar and his/her J-2 dependents’ expenses for the entire duration of the exchange visitor program.
Financial Documentation Requirements:
- Bank statements must be official and dated
- All accounts must be easily accessible, liquid assets
- It is preferred that all documents are in English or are accompanied by a translation
- All supporting documentation must be dated within the last six (6) months
- Letters of sponsorship must include exact amount of support and dates of sponsorship
Financial Documentation Types:
- Personal bank statement
- Official letter of support from a government, organization, or employer
- If you are receiving a scholarship from your home government and the letter provides a range for your monthly stipend, we use the lowest amount to calculate your financial support (e.g., if you will receive between $1,400 and $1,800 per month, we will assume your support to be $1,400 per month).
The following documents are NOT acceptable:
- Payroll statements
- Statements verifying future earnings
- Insurance policies
- Property or personal assets (automobiles, land, buildings, jewelry, etc.)
- Non-liquid assets such as stocks, bonds, equities, retirement accounts
- Income tax returns
- Attestations only stating that a sponsor can meet the expenses
ESTIMATED Monthly Penn State Financial Requirements
Scholar | J-2 Spouse | J-2 Child (per child) | |
---|---|---|---|
Living Expenses | $1,850 | $870 | $490 |
Medical Insurance | $287 | $287 | $287 |
TOTAL | $2,137 | $1,157 | $777 |
Multiply the totals above by the number of months your program is expected to last to get your total financial guarantee requirement amount.