To join you in the U.S, your dependents (spouse or children under 21 years of age) will need to apply for F-2 (dependent of F-1) or J-2 (dependent of J-1) visas at the U.S. embassy or consulate nearest their home. Take the following steps to apply for F-2/J-2 visas:

• Request I-20/DS-2019 from UGA that lists them as your dependent

You must complete either the I-20 request form (F-1) or the DS-2019 request form (J-1) available in 110 E. Clayton Street, 4th Floor, Bank of America Building. If you are a new student, you must wait two months after your arrival before you can make this request. On this form, you must list the name, date of birth and country of citizenship of each of your dependents, and their relationship to you (spouse, son or daughter).

• Verify your funds for their living expenses

Use the worksheet on the I-20 or DS-2019 request form to calculate the cost of living expenses for your dependents. Before OIE can issue an I-20/DS-2019 for use by your dependents, we need verification that you have the funds necessary to support their living expenses in the U.S.

Your proof of funding may come from:

Graduate Assistantship: letter from your department that lists the amount of money your assistantship pays you and the dates for which you have been awarded the assistantship.

Personal Funds: an original letter from your bank or monthly bank statement that shows the amount of funds you have.

Notes: ATM or bank computer printouts will not be accepted as proof of funding.
You may use a combination of assistantship and personal funds.

• Submitting Documents to the Consulate

OIE will issue an I-20/DS-2019 for each of your dependents. You will need to mail the form to your dependents. They can then use this form to apply for an F-2 or J-2 visa at the embassy.

It is important for the dependents to submit copies of the assistantship letter and the bank letter with the visa application, so you may want to request 2 copies of these letters from the various offices. For your personal fund information, you should not submit bank statements or printouts of computer screens to the U.S. Embassy. The consular officers do not accept these items as proof of funds.