Step 1: Online Application
The first step in the sponsorship process is to complete an online application so that IA&A can determine if you are eligible for the J-1 visa and, if so, for which category. If you have a host organization already confirmed, please note that on your application.
We will review your application and contact you within 5-7 business days.
If you are eligible for the J-1 visa but don’t have a host organization, we will keep your application on file until you have found a host organization. Exchange visitors are responsible for finding their own host organization in the United States.
Step 2: Supporting Documents
Once your application has been approved and you have a confirmed host organization, you will be asked to submit the following documents:
- A clear, color copy of your passport. The passport must be valid at least 6 months from the end date of your exchange program in the United States.
- Copy of your current visa or your I-94 record if you are in the United States.
- Names, titles, and email addresses for references (at least 2) whom IA&A can contact to confirm your experience. The references should be individuals from outside of the United States.
Interns must provide names, titles, and email addresses for a professor, tutor, counselor, or other university contact.
Trainees do not have to submit reference information at this stage, as their work experience has already been confirmed.
Short-term and research scholars must provide names, titles, and email addresses for individuals who can confirm their previous experience; one academic and one professional.
Optional: Interns and Scholars may submit two reference letters directly to IA&A with your supporting documents written by your references. Please have them clarify how they know you, how long they have known you, and general comments about your performance. The reference letters must be typed but can be hand signed.
- Financial guarantor documents. An exchange visitor’s stipend or wages might not cover all of their expenses, so IA&A requires that every exchange visitor have a guarantor. Your guarantor must be a family member or friend who resides outside of the United States. You cannot be your own guarantor. This requirement is for all exchange visitors, regardless of whether the program is paid or unpaid. Your guarantor must provide the following documents:
Guarantor’s statement of financial responsibility (sample statement) stating that the guarantor will take full responsibility for the exchange visitor throughout their stay in the United States. It must also state the guarantor’s relationship to the exchange visitor.
Copy of the guarantor’s passport, driver’s license, or other government-issued identification.
Guarantor’s bank statement showing a current account balance equal to at least $1000 USD per month of the exchange visitor’s program plus an additional $1000 USD to cover the 30-day grace period. (For example: if a program length is 6 months, the bank statement must show funds of at least $7000 USD). A final page of the bank statement showing the guarantor's name, date, and final amount is sufficient.
Please highlight the total amount of money shown in the guarantor bank statement. If the total amount is not clearly marked, we will ask you to resubmit this document.
- Proof of university enrollment or graduation. Translations must be included if the original document is not in English.
Interns must provide transcripts or letter from the university confirming current enrollment, or a diploma proving recent graduation.
Trainees must provide a diploma or other proof of graduation.
Short-term and research scholars must provide a diploma or other proof of graduation, if applicable.
- Essay (maximum 500 words) describing your interest in visiting the United States, reasons for applying for a J-1 visa, and future plans once your program has finished.
- Resume/CV.
- Certificate of Workman’s Compensation Insurance (WCI) or Certificate of Liability Insurance (COI) from your host organization (sample certificate). Please request that your supervisor send this document directly to IA&A at outreach@artsandartists.org. If your host organization does not have a policy, they should send us their exemption documents.
- To request financial aid from IA&A, submit a letter of request with your supporting documents. The letter should briefly elaborate on your financial needs and describe the sources of funding you will receive during your exchange program. Requests are subject to review and are granted on a case-by-case basis. If granted, financial aid from IA&A may cover a portion of your IA&A program fees.
Interns and trainees will be sent a link for the host organization to complete the DS-7002 Training/Internship Placement Plan. This link is unique to you and your J-1 visa application, and should only be used once to complete your DS-7002. If your host needs to make changes to the DS-7002 once submitted, they should contact IA&A directly.
Short-term and research scholars are required to submit the IA&A Scholar Agreement and IA&A Host Agreement. We will send you these forms to complete once your application has been approved. The DS-7002 does not apply to scholars.
Please submit all of your documents to outreach@artsandartists.org in one single PDF file. Any documents not in English must be submitted with a translation certification (sample certification). Any documents submitted without translations, like diplomas or guarantor bank statements, will be considered incomplete.
Step 3: Review Appointment
Your review appointment, held over Skype chat, is a chance for us to learn more about your exchange program, clarify any questions we might have about your supporting documents, and discuss the next steps of the application process. The reason we do this first meeting over Skype chat is so that you can keep or go back to read the answers to any questions you ask.
Our Skype username is :USArts.
Step 4: Fee Payment
After your review appointment, you will be sent an invoice for your IA&A sponsorship fees and instructions to make the payment online.
Program Fees
This fee depends on the duration of your exchange program in the United States.
| 3 week to 3 months | $ 900 |
| 4 to 6 months | $ 1150 |
| 7 to 9 months | $ 1400 |
| 10 to 12 months | $ 1650 |
| 13 to 15 months | $ 1900 |
| 16 to 18 months | $ 2150 |
| 19 to 21 months | $ 2400 |
| 22 to 24 months | $ 2650 |
| 25 to 36 months | $ 3150 |
| 37 to 48 months | $ 3650 |
| 49 to 60 months | $ 4150 |
Site Visit/New Host Orientation (SVO) Fee
Site visits are required if this is the first time IA&A will be sponsoring an exchange visitor at this host organization, or if a previous host organization has relocated to a different site of activity. The SVO fee is $ 250.
Expedited Processing Fee
Exchange visitors may request expedited IA&A processing of their sponsorship application. The cost of expediting is determined by the starting date of your program and/or how urgently you need to have your sponsorship process with IA&A completed. The expedited processing fee starts at $300 and increases in $200 increments, based on urgency. If your program starting date is less than 6 weeks away from your review appointment, the expediting fee $500. Other factors that could affect the cost of the expediting fee include the waiting period for visa interviews at your local embassy or how urgently you need to book the interview. Expedited IA&A processing can generally be done in 2 to 3 weeks, as long as you and your host organization are responsive to our deadlines.
Other Fees
Extension fees are current as of August 2023.
| Program Extension: up to 3 months | $ 325 |
| Program Extension: 4 to 6 months | $ 625 |
| Program Extension: 7 to 12 months | $ 1250 |
| Program Extension: 13 to 18 months | $ 1875 |
| Program Extension: 19 to 24 months | $ 2500 |
| J-2 Spouse/Dependent Visa Sponsorship | $ 500 |
| Change of Host/Adding a Second Host | $ 250 |
| Change of Host in Addition to Extension | $ 250 |
Financial Aid
IA&A maintains a modest scholarship fund for candidates with demonstrable financial need. To request financial aid, submit a letter of request with your supporting documents. The letter should elaborate on your financial needs and describe the sources of funding you will receive during your exchange program. Financial aid requests are subject to review and are granted on a case-by-case basis.
Last, but not least...
Please note that your program fees do not include:
- Health insurance, which varies depending on the provider.
- SEVIS I-901 Fee - $220, paid to the Department of Homeland Security.
- Machine Readable Visa (MRV) Fee - $185, paid to the embassy or consulate when you schedule your visa interview.
- Air fare and housing in the US.
The SEVIS and MRV fees are nonrefundable. If a paid program does not cover all of your program expenses, you should make sure to have access to additional personal funds.
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Pay your program fees using the PayPal button below.
Step 5: Health Insurance
Exchange visitors are required to have valid health insurance that meets J-1 visa requirements in place for the duration of your exchange program plus the 30-day grace period.
Documents to Submit
- IA&A Insurance Form
- Certificate of Insurance Coverage with a detailed description of insurance coverage, including the requirements listed below. You must highlight or circle where in the policy description it shows that it meets the J-1 visa requirements.
If you would like to provide your own health insurance, your insurance provider can complete an additional template letter to confirm that your insurance plan meets J-1 visa requirements. IA&A will provide this letter upon request. The insurance requirements below must be clearly stated that they are met in the insurance policy.
Insurance Requirements
Minimum coverage must provide:
- Medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness.
- Repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000.
- Expenses associated with the medical evacuation of the exchange visitor to their home country in the amount of $50,000.
- A deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness.
An insurance policy secured to meet the coverage requirements must be underwritten by an insurance corporation with an A.M. Best rating of “A-” or above; a McGraw Hill Financial/Standard & Poor’s Claims-paying Ability rating of “A−” or above; a Weiss Research, Inc. rating of “B+” or above; a Fitch Ratings, Inc. rating of “A−” or above; a Moody’s Investor Services rating of “A3” or above; or such other rating as the Department of State may from time to time specify. Alternatively, a policy must be backed by the full faith and credit of the government of the exchange visitor’s home country.
Refer to the Department of State J-1 regulations (22 CFR 62.14) for more information on insurance requirements.
Insurance Duration
Insurance should be valid for the duration of your exchange program plus the 30-day grace period. Exchange visitors whose programs are longer than 12 months are advised to purchase the maximum duration of insurance available (typically 12 months). Then, at the first available opportunity, you will need to extend the insurance to cover the remaining time of your exchange program.
Insurance Options
If you are interested in other health insurance options that meet the minimum requirements for exchange visitors, please review the following options. Prices will vary depending on age, deductible amount, and length of exchange program.
Note: IA&A does not endorse the products or services of any of the insurers on this page, nor do we require that exchange visitors purchase coverage from any of these insurers. The insurance providers listed below are just a few options that offer coverage plans meeting the minimum requirements for J-1 health insurance as set by the Department of State. We do suggest that exchange visitors who purchase a J-1 specific insurance plan have it in addition to any other insurance coverage they may have from their home country, rather than as a replacement.
International Student Organization
ISO offers different coverage plans, each of which meets the minimum requirements for J-1 health insurance:
- J-1 Exchange Plan
- J-1 Exchange Plan Superior
Note: If you choose to purchase from ISO, you may be considered a "J-1 student". Your school will be "International Arts and Artists". You do not have a student ID number.
Seven Corners
Seven Corners offers health insurance with plans starting at $71 per month. The “Liaison Student” and “Student Express” plans both meet the Department of State’s minimum requirements.
International Medical Group
The “Patriot Exchange Program” at IMG meets the Department of State’s minimum requirements. To get a quote estimate, click here.
International Student Insurance
ISI offers different coverage plans on a monthly basis that will meet the Department of State’s minimum requirements. If choosing ISI, please remember to pay for your coverage in full (not in monthly payments).
Step 6: Site Visit and New Host Orientation (SVO)
Site visits and new host orientations are required if this is the first time IA&A will be sponsoring an exchange visitor at this host organization.
If a previous host organization has relocated to a different site of activity, there has been a change in staff, or the host organization has not worked with IA&A in several years, an updated SVO will be required. The cost is a one time fee of $250 and is only applied for the first SVO.
IA&A will reach out to your host organization directly to arrange the SVO. If an SVO is required, the Form DS-2019 cannot be issued until it has been completed.
Step 7: Webcam Orientation
After we receive your health insurance documents and IA&A fee payment, you will be contacted by your IA&A Program Officer to schedule your webcam orientation. During this orientation, we will go over the next steps of the sponsorship process, explain important information to know while you are in the U.S. during your program, and review some questions that you may be asked during the visa interview. Please have your passport with you for this meeting.
The webcam orientation will be conducted via Skype or Zoom. After the orientation, your IA&A Program Officer will send you the Exchange Visitor Program Manual via email. You should read all pages of the manual and confirm with IA&A that you have read it.
Step 8: DS-7002 and IA&A Agreements (*)
Once your health insurance documents have been submitted, IA&A will send you and your host organization the following documents to review and sign:
- IA&A Intern/Trainee Agreement (for Interns and Irainees only)
- DS-7002 Training/Internship Placement Plan (for Interns and Trainees)
* Note: Short-term and Research Scholars do not require the DS-7002 form. This step will be skipped for any Scholar.
Step 9: SEVIS ID and Form DS-2019
After IA&A has received back the signed DS-7002 and IA&A Agreements , we will send you your SEVIS ID email with instructions to begin booking your visa interview. The following visa documents will be attached:
Interns and Trainees
- Form DS-2019 (Certificate of Eligibility)
- DS-7002 Training/Internship Placement Plan
- IA&A Intern/Trainee Agreement
Short-term and Research Scholars
- Form DS-2019 (Certificate of Eligibility)
- IA&A Scholar Agreement
IA&A will also send digital copies of the signed DS-7002 Training/Internship Placement Plan (for interns and trainees) and IA&A Host Agreement, along with the Host Organization Program Manual, to your host organization via email.
Important: the printed copy of the DS-2019 that has the direct signature of the Consular Officer from the visa interview is considered the "original" copy of your DS-2019. Make sure you keep this original copy in a safe place and do not lose it.
Step 10: Visa Interview
All exchange visitors (with the exemption of Canadian citizens) are required to schedule a visa interview at an American embassy or consulate in order to receive their J-1 visa. The time it takes for the embassy to schedule an interview can vary by country or even by city, so keep this is mind when you are confirming your exchange program start date. You will schedule the visa interview after you have received the SEVIS ID from IA&A.
In order to schedule the visa interview, you will first have to fill out an online form called the DS-160. Then, you will schedule the visa interview directly through the embassy website. IA&A will send you instructions on how to fill out the DS-160 and what documents to prepare for the visa interview.
The $185 Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee is not included in your IA&A program fees. This fee will be paid directly to the embassy when you book the visa appointment. Canadians do not need to pay this fee.
The $220 SEVIS I-901 fee is not included in your IA&A program fees. It is payable at www.fmjfee.com. Canadians must pay this fee and bring proof of payment when they enter the United States.
Step 11: Make Travel Plans
We highly recommend that you wait to book your travel to the United States until your J-1 visa has been approved during the visa interview unless you are booking flexible or refundable flights. Delays can occur in visa processing, especially around the winter holidays (December) or during the summer period (June through September).
If you must book your travel, we recommend that you purchase refundable/changeable tickets in case of a delay.
You can enter the United States up to 30 days before the start date listed on your Form DS-2019. Once you’ve arrived in the United States, contact your IA&A Program Officer to confirm your exchange program start date, your address, and phone number.