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Obtaining Visa Documents for Dependents — USC OIS

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F-1 or J-1 students who wish to bring their spouse and/or unmarried children under 21 as dependents to the United States must obtain the appropriate visa documents from USC for each dependent.

Who Is Considered a Dependent?

An F-1 or J-1 visa holder’s spouse and/or unmarried children under the age of 21 are considered dependents. 

The visa holder must request an F-2 I-20 or J-2 DS-2019 from USC for each of their dependents. Dependents will need these documents to apply for the F-2 or J-2 visa at the U.S. embassy in their home country.

As per the guidelines outlined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, domestic partners, fiancés, a student’s parents or other relatives are not eligible for an F-2 or J-2 visa, and therefore cannot be issued dependent I-20s or DS-2019s.

An F-2 I-20 or J-2 DS-2019 can be issued for same-sex spouses as long as the country where the couple got married legally recognizes the marriage. For more information on visa applications based on same-sex marriages, please visit the U.S. Department of State’s website.

If You Are Expecting a Child

You must submit valid passport copies for all children, including infants and newborns. If your child is expected to be born prior to travel to the United States, they will be required to receive a dependent Form I-20 or DS-2019 and have a separate F-2 or J-2 visa on their passport.

If You Plan to Marry Before Arriving in the United States

USC is only able to process dependent spouse Form I-20 or DS-2019 requests after the date of marriage listed on your marriage certificate has passed. In addition, the marriage certificate issuance date must be prior to the date the dependent plans to arrive in the United States. 

OIS will require a copy of the passport on which your spouse is planning to enter the United States.

I-20s or DS-2019s for both F-1 and F-2 spouses will be issued together, after marriage, once the necessary documents have been received.

New F-1 students who have certified their intent to enroll at USC can request a Form I-20 for their dependents from the USC Office of Admission I-20 Processing in Trojan International. 

J-1 students who have certified their intent to enroll at USC must request their dependent’s Form DS-2019 from the USC Office of Admission I-20 Processing by submitting an inquiry through askUSC. 

Students must provide copies of:

  1. Additional proof of financial support covering a minimum of $14,253 for your spouse and $7,127 per child. Financial documents must meet all requirements specified by the USC Office of Admission I-20 Processing.
  2. Passport photo page with expiration date and passport number for each dependent (see example).
  3. Marriage certificate, if requesting Form I-20 or DS-2019 for spouse.

  • Upon receiving the dependent Form I-20 or DS-2019 request and required documentation, the USC Office of Admission I-20 Processing  will process the student’s and dependents’ Form I-20s or DS-2019s. Please allow at least 14 days for documents to be issued. Once processed, students and scholars will be notified via their USC email to access their documents online.

  • After receiving the dependent Form I-20 or DS-2019, dependents must apply for the F-2 or J-2 visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate in their home country with the supporting documents required by the U.S. embassy or consulate. To avoid any complications, it is recommended that dependents apply for their dependent visas with the F-1 or J-1 visa holder.

For current F-1 or J-1 students or scholars, Form I-20s or DS-2019s are issued by OIS.

  • To process F-2 Dependent I-20 requests, OIS will need the following documents from the F-1 visa holder:

    1. Dependent(s) I-20 Request
    2. Passport photo page showing the expiration date and passport number for each dependent (see example).
    3. Proof of funding or bank statement in U.S. dollars and dated within the past three months covering at least $14,253 for your spouse and $7,127 per child.

    Dependent I-20 requests take seven business days to process. The dependent I-20(s) will be signed electronically and sent to the F-1 student’s USC email. 

    The dependent(s) must apply for the F-2 visa(s) at a U.S. embassy or consulate located in either their country of citizenship or residence with their F-2 I-20(s) and all other supporting documents required by the U.S. embassy or consulate.

  • To process J-2 Dependent DS-2019 requests, OIS will need the following documents from the J-1 visa holder:

    1. DS-2019 Student Dependent Request or DS-2019 Scholar Dependent Request.
    2. Passport photo page showing the expiration date and passport number for each dependent (see example).
    3. Proof of funding or bank statement in U.S. dollars and dated within the past three months covering at least $14,253 for your spouse and $7,127 per child.

    Dependent DS-2019 requests take 10 business days to process. The dependent DS-2019(s) will be signed electronically and sent to the J-1 student’s USC email.

    The dependent(s) must apply for the J-2 visa(s) at a U.S. embassy or consulate located in either their country of citizenship or residence with their J-2 DS-2019(s) and all other supporting documents required by the U.S. embassy or consulate.

    An exchange visitor may be accompanied by his or her dependent(s) at any time. A J-2 dependent’s DS-2019 may be issued along with the J-1 exchange visitor’s application or at a later time. OIS does not charge an additional fee to issue J-2 DS-2019s, nor are J-2 dependents required to pay the SEVIS fee. 

    To add a new J-2 dependent (spouse or child) after the J-1 has arrived in the United States, the J-1 must submit the J-1 Dependent DS-2019 Request.

Dependent children in F-2 or J-2 status must be registered upon arrival to the United States. Please consult private immigration counsel if you have questions about registering your dependent children.

Registration Deadlines

Children Under 14

Parents must submit registration within 30 days of arrival in the United States.

Children Who Will Turn 14 After Arrival in the United States

Children who will turn 14 after arriving in the United States must register within 30 days of their 14th birthday. Registration includes attending a biometrics appointment for fingerprinting.

How to Register

  1. Visit the USCIS Alien Registration webpage. 
  2. Create an online account. 
  3. Complete and submit Form G-325R. 
  4. For children 14 or older, attend a biometrics appointment. 
  5. After completing these steps, a registration confirmation will be available for download from your account. Anyone over the age of 18 must carry this proof of registration at all times.

F-2 Dependents

J-2 Dependents