Insurance for Participants Coming to the United States
All J-1 visa holders are required to have health and accident insurance in accordance with minimum requirements established by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). These requirements are as follows:
- Medical benefits of at least $50,000 per accident or illness
- Repatriation of remains in the amount of $7,500
- Expenses associated with medical evacuation from the U.S. to the participant's home country in the amount of $10,000
- A deductible not exceeding $500 per accident or illness
- Policy must be underwritten by an insurance corporation having an A.M. Best rating of A- or above, an Insurance Solvency International, Ltd. (ISI) rating of A-i or above, a Standard & Poor's Claims-paying Ablity rating of A- or above, or a Weiss Research, Inc. rating of B+ or above.
In order to meet these requirements, CDS International requires participants
applying to the Professional Development Program, International Co-op Programs, and USA Internship Program to purchase health, liability and accident insurance. Two different insurance carriers are currently used by CDS to facilitate these regulations. They are Services for International Travel & Education (SITE) and Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI). If you are unsure under which provider you are insured, please contact your Program Officer. For programs not requiring SITE or CISI insurance, please communicate with your Program Officer to make sure that your insurance is from an approved provider.
CDS International policy requires that participants purchase one additional month of insurance beyond the length of the program to provide coverage while traveling to and from the U.S.
If you discontinue your program for any reason, you must notify your CDS Program Officer immediately so that your insurance can be effectively cancelled and the remaining portion of your insurance fees can be refunded.
