The Vietnam Education Foundation 2011 Annual Report

Annual Report 2011 Page 141
K. J-1 EXCHANGE VISITOR VISA
VEF will provide you with a DS-2019 Form to secure a J-1 visa under the Exchange Visitor Program as required by your
VEF Grant. You are personally responsible, financially and otherwise, for making all arrangements for securing your
passport. Your Fellowship grant is available only if you can obtain a passport and a J-1 visa with the 2-year home residency
requirement. VEF will be responsible for documentation required to extend your permission to stay in the United States
throughout the period of your authorized VEF Fellowship participation.
The J-1 visa is your permission to enter the United States and not your permission to remain in the country. The permission
to remain in the country resides solely in you maintaining your J-1 status and the validity of your DS-2019 document. You
may remain in the United States with an expired J-1 visa as long as you are maintaining J-1 status. J-1 visas cannot be
renewed in the United States, and the J-1 visa would need to be renewed if you travel outside of the United States while you
are participating in the Fellowship Program. Please contact Ms. Gunawardena or Ms. Oberheide if you have questions about
this.
Upon completion of your program of study and/or expiration of your Exchange Visitor J-1 status, you are required to reside
in your home country, Vietnam, for two years before you may apply for the following: (1) a nonimmigrant visa (H-temporary
employment visa or L-intercompany transfer visa); or (2) permanent residence or an immigrant visa in the United States.
With the 2-year home residency requirement, you cannot change to an F-1 student status within the United States. During the
two years of home residence, you may be able to enter the United States on other types of non-immigrant visas, such as
visitor or business visas, if granted.
L. HEALTH INSURANCE
Sign here to acknowledge your agreement with Section K. ______________________
As a condition of your J-1 visa, you are required by law to maintain health insurance coverage as stipulated by the
Department of State, which includes medical coverage, medical evacuation coverage, and repatriation coverage for yourself
and all of your dependents in J-2 status for the entire duration of your program in the United States, including the 30-day
grace period preceding and following your program of study, during which you are allowed to be in the United States.
Required coverage amounts are listed on page 2 of your DS-2019 Form and, for your dependents, please see below, under the
section entitled Responsibility for Dependents. Please ascertain if your university health insurance policy will meet these
requirements and, if it does not, you must purchase supplemental health insurance to meet the Department of State coverage
requirements. A willful failure to carry medical and health insurance for yourself or your dependents is considered a violation
of your J-1 status and of the VEF Fellowship Program, and under the law requires termination from the VEF Fellowship
Exchange Visitor Program.
VEF will arrange for you to have health insurance from the time you leave Vietnam through your first few weeks in the
United States for a total of 30 days to help cover you until your University’s insurance policy begins. For the required
medical/health insurance for you as an international student at your University, you must find out in advance of arrival at
your University about the necessary arrangements for, and procedures to secure, this insurance at your University, and then
finalize arrangements immediately after arrival on campus. You must ensure that the University policy begins without fail no
later than the end of the 30-day period covered by VEF. As a part of the financial terms of the VEF Fellowship that your
University has accepted, the University must cover required medical/health insurance for you. However, insurance coverage
and associated fees for dependent family members in J-2 status are your own responsibility. You are responsible for knowing
what your insurance does or does not cover, including any pre-existing conditions. Dental and vision insurance may need to
be purchased separately. Please read your policy thoroughly.
Sign here to acknowledge your agreement with Section L. ______________________
14 | Page VEF Fellowship Grant Letter – Cohort 2011