• To add a dependent, include their information on your Financial Verification Form/Affidavit of Support Form and upload to your application status page. You will need to provide:
  • Biographical information: Name, Gender, Date of Birth, City, and Country of Birth, Country of Citizenship, and Relationship (spouse/child) – all information should match the dependent's passport
  • Copy of passport for all dependents
  • Copy of marriage certificate for you and your spouse (must be in English)
  • Copy of birth certificate for each accompanying child (must be in English)
  • Financial documentation: An additional $4,000 in financial support for each dependent is required. 
• After all the necessary documents are provided and verified, new I-20/DS-2019 will be issued for dependents. After receiving the immigration documents, your dependent(s) should check with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for instructions on applying for a dependent visa.
• Dependents may obtain F-2/J-2 status by entering the U.S. with an F-2 I-20 and visa or J-2 DS-2019 and visa. Dependents may enter the U.S. with or after their F-1/J-1 student, but not before. Dependents are not allowed to remain in the U.S. after the F-1/J-1 student has departed unless the absence is temporary (less than five months) and the student is in good standing.
• International Student and Scholar Services will need copies of the passports, visas, and I-94 records for all dependents.

• Dependents in F-2 status are not permitted to work in the United States. F-2 dependents should not engage in volunteer activities unless all individuals who take part in the activities are volunteers.
• Dependents in J-2 status are eligible to apply for work authorization through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The application takes approximately three to five months to process. There are no limits to the locations or types of work for J-2 dependents who have received appropriate authorization. J-2 dependents should not engage in volunteer activities in lab work, tutoring or other positions in which a person might receive cash for the work. International Enrollment does not advise on the work authorization process for J2 dependents beyond the general information and process with the USCIS. 

• F-2 dependents are not required by immigration regulations to have health insurance; however, it is strongly recommended that they have insurance.
• J-2 dependents are required to meet U.S. Department of State insurance coverage requirements for the duration of their stay in the United States.

The health insurance offered to dependents through Missouri S&T allows dependents to enroll in the same health insurance as the primary student and for the same period as the primary student - January-July and August -December.   Please contact Student Health Services for enrollment information, including the deadline to enroll in the health insurance for dependents for each insurance term.  

Medical care in the U.S. is very expensive.   Students and their dependents should carefully consider if they have the financial resources to pay for health care costs without insurance.  Illness, injury, or pregnancy can result in expenses resulting in thousands of dollars.  

This information is for any F-2/J-2 dependents seeking to change to F-1 status inside the United States, if you are changing your visa status outside the United States see the information on our website under the Visa Process.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) administers the national immigration system and is responsible for adjudicating immigration requests. The USCIS website can be found at https://www.uscis.gov/.

To file for a reinstatement of your SEVIS status or change of nonimmigrant status within the United States you will be required to submit your request to the USCIS. The request packet consists of Form I-539, Form G-1145, and any other supportive documents necessitated by the type of request you are filing for. Information and instructions about Form I-539 and the filing process can be found at https://www.uscis.gov/i-539. If you intend to change to the nonimmigrant F-visa status please review the specific information found in the related links section under How Do I Change to Another Nonimmigrant Status? and Changing to a Nonimmigrant F or M Student Status.

Due to the increasing complexities of immigration law, the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) is no longer able to advise on Form I-539 or the events necessitating the use of Form I-539. This includes the processes of SEVIS status reinstatement and/or change of nonimmigrant status and communication from the USCIS regarding these topics. We strongly encourage you to seek assistance from an immigration attorney or a professional who specializes in immigration law. Our office cannot recommend an attorney, but we suggest that you visit the link below for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) is a recognized professional association in the United States for immigration attorneys. Please visit https://www.aila.org/ for information about obtaining legal assistance for immigration-related topics. The AILA also offers a link for finding an immigration attorney and can be found at https://www.ailalawyer.com/. DISCLAIMER: This web site is designed for general information only. The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) is a professional legal association and has individual lawyers as members. AILA and ailalawyer.com offer no legal advice, recommendations, mediation, or counseling under any circumstance. This site is not a Lawyer Referral Service but merely assists you in narrowing your choices in selecting your lawyer. The names and contact information included on this site are for the express purpose of searching for an immigration attorney for a particular legal case. The contact information may not be used for commercial, promotional, or advertising purposes.

The United States Department of Justice also offers a list of immigration attorneys pro-bono legal service providers. Please visit https://www.justice.gov/eoir/list-pro-bono-legal-service-providers to access the list by state. DISCLAIMER: The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), Office of the Director, Office of Legal Access Programs (OLAP) administers the List. As required by regulation, EOIR maintains the List of Pro-Bono Legal Service Providers and a roster of Recognized Organizations and Accredited Representatives. See 8 C.F.R. § 1003.61 and § 1292.2. The information posted on the List and the roster is provided to EOIR by the Pro-Bono Legal Service Providers and the Recognized Organizations. EOIR does not endorse any of these organizations, referral services, or attorneys. In addition, EOIR does not participate in, nor is it responsible for, the representation decisions or performance of these organizations, referral services, or attorneys.