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.