J-1 Student Intern Program

J-1 visiting scholars are required to show that they have sufficient financial resources to cover the costs of basic living expenses and health insurance while in the US. The amount that you must document for the current year is indicated below. Please note that your actual costs may vary according to individual needs. In particular, the cost of J-1 health insurance can be significant and will depend on your health insurance needs as well as whether family members are included in your plan.

• $34,800 per year ($2,900 per month) for the J-1 visiting scholar
• If accompanied by a legal spouse and/or unmarried minor children under 21
  • $6,000 per year ($500 per month) for a dependent spouse
  • $3,600 per year ($300 per month) for a dependent child

Living costs in Medford and the Greater Boston area are among the highest in the United States. The estimated required resources here represent the minimum you might expect to pay for housing, utilities, and food. It's important to consider that finding affordable housing often requires living with roommates. Otherwise, your expenses could significantly exceed this estimate. We encourage scholars to plan and prepare for the possibility that your expenses may be higher than what is estimated here.

To qualify for J-1 visiting scholar status, you must submit financial documents showing that you have enough resources for your program. Acceptable financial documents include any combination of the following:

• Personal or family bank statements issued in English within the past six months, clearly indicating bank balances
• A salary letter from a home country employer indicating salary continuation and amounts during your time at Tufts
• Scholarship letters from a government, university, or other types of organization
• Other types of funding support letters or documents

Under US Department of State requirements, all J-1 Exchange Visitors and their J-2 dependent family members are required to have insurance in effect that covers sickness and accidents during the entire period of time that they are expected to participate in research or employment at Tufts University.

Learn more about the J-1 Health Insurance requirements.

The I-901 SEVIS Fee is paid by the J-1 Scholar or Student only after receiving a Form DS-2019 from Tufts. The fee should be paid at least three days prior to applying for a J-1 visa and/or entering the US in J-1 status. The J-1 SEVIS fee is currently $220.00.

J-2 family members do not pay this fee; the fee is paid only by the J-1 exchange visitor.

The International Center will request copies of the student intern's progress evaluation as listed below:

• For internships that are longer than six months, two evaluations are required: a midpoint evaluation of the first half of the internship experience, and a final evaluation.
• For internships lasting six months or less, only a final evaluation is required.
• Evaluations should be completed before the end of the internship and must be presented to the student intern. Both the student intern and the department sponsor conducting the evaluation should sign the evaluations to confirm that the evaluation was conducted and presented to the student intern. The student intern may choose to offer comments in response to the evaluation.