General Information
Legal dependents (spouse and children) of international students or
employees in F-1, J-1, TN, or H-1B non-immigrant status may enter the US as
F-2, J-2, TD, or H-4 visa holders. Their stay in the US is completely dependent
on that of the principal alien. If the J-1 exchange visitor withdraws from
school or the H-1B holder leaves his or her employment at Dartmouth College and
leaves the US, the J-2 or H-4 dependent must leave as well. If the F-1 student
leaves the country for an extended vacation term, the F-2 must leave as well.
Similarly, if the TN leaves the country, the TD must as well. The following
information may help to clarify some of the liabilities and responsibilities
associated with a dependent visa status.
Procedure for Bringing Family Members to the US as F-2 Status Holders
In order to bring dependents to the US, the F-1 student must show evidence
of financial resources sufficient to support his/her spouse and/or children. As
a rule, you must show a bank account with about US $5000.00 for your spouse and
US $3500.00 for each child that you wish to bring to the US. If you have been
in your program less than 9 months, we will ask you to submit a letter of
support from your academic advisor. This letter should state that you are
adjusting well to the academic workload and that your advisor is not concerned
that bringing your family to the US might adversely affect your academic
success.
The procedure is as follows:
- Please download and print out the Request for a
Dependent Travel Document. This form must be submitted to the International
Office with all other required documentation.
- Make an appointment with the International Office and bring: a recent (3
months old or less) US bank statement reflecting the necessary funds; the
letter of support from your academic advisor; your current I-20 form, your
passport, and I-94 card.
- Within one to two weeks, we will issue a travel I-20 form for your spouse
and or children to use to apply for an F-2 visa and enter the US.
- Please be advised that the State Department Officer at the US consulate
where your family will apply for their visas will also require evidence of
financial support. They may have different standards that you will have to
meet. The amounts listed above are requirements of Dartmouth College, not of
the State Department.
Studying
Spouses: F-2 dependent spouses are not allowed to participate in full-time
or part-time study in a degree program or in taking courses toward the
completion of a degree program. J-2 dependent spouses may still engage in
part-time or full-time study; however, the Department of State is reviewing
this regulation. A J-2 may accept financial support in exchange for work or an
assistantship, but only after applying for and receiving an employment
authorization card from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS)
(Please see below for work authorization application procedures for J-2's.) If
a dependent is accepted into a full-time program of study, the International
Office strongly recommends applying for a change of status to an appropriate
student visa such as F-1 or J-1.
Children: F-2 and J-2 children may attend elementary and secondary
school.
Employment Regulations
Dependents in F-2, TD, or H-4 status may not accept employment in the U.S.
They may volunteer only if the position in which they are interested has always
been a volunteer position, and always will be. The CIS or the Department of
Labor (DOL) does not allow a dependent to volunteer for a position and then
begin to receive payment for performing the same duties once a change of
immigration status is approved. It is possible for the dependent to be offered
a paid position and apply for a change of status to an appropriate visa that
allows employment. These opportunities are rare, however, and certain
qualifications dictated by the visa type must be met before the visa status
change is approved. In addition, employment may not commence until the CIS
approves the change. This can take five months or more.
Travel
If traveling outside and re-entering the US the dependents need to ensure
that they have valid passports, appropriate valid dependent visas, and the
proper forms (F-2: I-20 form; J-2: DS-2019 form; and H-4: the I-797 H-1B
Approval Notice). The I-20 form held by the dependent must have a travel
signature on the form that is no older than 6 months, or within a year for a
travel signature on the DS-2019 form. The H-4 dependent should have the
original Notice of Approval for the principle's H-1B status, Form I-797.
Please Note:
- If the principal and or dependents will be traveling to Canada, Mexico, or
the adjacent islands (ie: Caribbean islands) for a visit of less than 30 days,
and their visas have expired, they will be allowed to re-enter the U.S. using
those expired visas due to a process called Automatic Revalidation. Please
contact the International Office for more information on this.
- Your U.S. visa will not be valid to let you enter Canada. Citizens of
certain countries are required to have a visa to enter Canada, while others are
not. Please go to this Website to determine if you need a Canadian visa to
visit Canada:
Dependent Orientation
Please visit the following Website pages we have created to help
international spouses and children adjust to the U.S. and the Dartmouth
community. Please contact the International Office if you have any questions.
We are eager to help!
Unfortunately, due to a staffing shortage, the International Office does not
currently offer a formal dependent orientation program. Please explore the
following links for more information that may prove helpful to your family once
they arrive in the US.
Town of Hanover, NH
Schools: Hanover, NH and Norwich, VT Public Schools:
Medical Facilities
Nearby Towns
Real Estate
Agencies
English as a Second Language courses: Rassias Foundation
Libraries:
Local Insurance
Companies
Local
Restaurants
Local Travel
Agencies
Local
Churches and Synagogues
Local
Childcare Agencies
Local Banks
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