J1 Visa insurance requirements

• J1 Scholar (Exchange Scholar) Health Insurance policy must provide "medical benefits of at least $100,000 for each accident or illness." Students with older $50,000 policies (Prior to 2015 J visa requirement) should be able to “upgrade” their policies this one time by paying the increased rate.
• If a J visa holder dies in the U.S., then the policy must provide at least $25,000 in medical evacuation and repatriation insurance benefits to send the remains to the home country for burial.
• The J-1 exchange visitor health insurance deductible should not exceed $500 per accident or illness.
• The co-payment of medical expenses (the portion not covered by insurance that the insured pays him or herself) should be of no more than 25%.
• If, because of a serious illness or injury, you must be sent home on the advice of a doctor, the policy must pay up to $50,000 for the expenses of your travel.
• J1 Scholar (Exchange Scholar) Health Insurance policy may establish a waiting period before it covers pre-existing conditions (that is, health problems you had before you bought the insurance), as long as the waiting period is reasonable by current standards in the insurance business.
• If you elect to satisfy the insurance requirement through a policy issued in your home country, the policy must be backed by the full faith and credit of your government. Otherwise, the company providing the insurance must meet minimum rating requirements established by Department of State (an A.M. Best rating of "A-" or better, an Insurance Solvency International, Ltd. (ISI) rating of "A-1" or better, a Standard & Poor's Claims-Paying Ability rating of "A-" or better, or a Weiss Research, Inc. rating of "B+" or better).
• These J1 visa health insurance plan requirements apply to both J-1 visa students and J-1 visa exchange scholars and to their J-2 dependent visa spouse and J2 visa children.

J1 repatriation insurance provides crucial support for J1 visa holders in case of emergencies while in the U.S.

• Medical Evacuation Coverage: Covers transport to the nearest adequate medical facility if treatment is not available locally, ensuring timely and appropriate care.
• Repatriation of Remains: In the event of death, this insurance covers the cost of transporting remains back to the home country, relieving families of financial and logistical burdens.
• Return of Minor Children: Some plans include coverage for returning dependents to their home country if the insured person requires medical evacuation.
• 24/7 Emergency Support: Many policies provide round-the-clock assistance services for medical coordination, language interpretation, and legal help.
• Compliance with J1 Visa Requirements: The insurance meets U.S. Department of State requirements for J1 visas, ensuring the visa holder stays compliant.

Getting a policy to satisfy J visa requirements is easy at America Visitor Insurance! You can simply use our Best J visa health insurance compare engine, enter ages of J visa holders and the dates you need the insurance. There are J1 visa insurance options available, all of which will provide a ‘visa letter’ that you can submit to show you have insurance that meets their requirements.

If you only need insurance for dependents because your institution is covering your own insurance (as J1, so you only need for J2 dependents), then, you can opt for the Patriot Exchange plan which allows the J2 dependents to be ‘alone’ (without the J1 person) on their own policy. Most other companies will require the J1 to be the ‘primary’ insured on the policy. Note that you will have to pay up front for all the dates you sign up for as a one-time payment.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliance requires the student insurance plan to include Medical evacuation coverage. The J1 Visa requirements include minimum coverage for Medical Evacuation of $50,000 and Repatriation of Remains of $25,000. Most university insurance do not provide this medical evacuation coverage, and students do not realize that they are not meeting the J1 Visa requirements. The Medical Evacuation & Repatriation Insurance and Atlas MedEvac Insurance offers coverage for medical evacuation of $50,000 and satisfies the J visa requirements.