Insurance

F-2 dependents are not required to have health insurance, though it is highly recommended that they do have health insurance coverage. Medical emergencies can result in thousands of dollars-worth of unexpected medical bills.

How to Enroll Dependents:  

F-2 dependents are eligible to be enrolled in SSHIP, Grad Plan, or an employee plan for an additional cost. Dependents can be enrolled only during the open enrollment period or based on a qualifying event. Dependents are not automatically enrolled. Students will also need to re-enroll dependents before each coverage period if they are enrolled in SSHIP. Dependent enrollment in Grad Plan or an employee plan will continue until the student’s enrollment ends, the employee is no longer employed, or until the student/employee elects to unenroll the dependent. 

Note for Students: If your spouse or child is also in F-1/J-1 status and will be included as a dependent on your health insurance policy, or vice versa, then student who will be a dependent on the insurance policy still need to submit a waiver application to avoid being charged for SSHIP coverage.  

SSHIP Enrollment:

Texas A&M University – San Antonio | Enroll/Cost (myahpcare.com) 

Grad Plan Enrollment:

Students on Grad Plan can add their dependents in Workday or contact their HR representative for further assistance.

Enrolling Based on Qualifying Event

If students or employees need to get health insurance coverage for their dependents outside of the open enrollment period or 60-day qualifying life change window, they will need to look at purchasing a separate plan for their dependent. This can be very expensive!   

After the 60-day window has passed, they will not be eligible to make any changes to their existing health coverage until the next open enrollment period unless they have a qualifying life event. 
 
Qualifying Events Include:  

• Loss of health insurance coverage 
• Arrival of dependents to the U.S. 
• Marriage 
• Birth or adoption of a child 
• Loss of a spouse or dependent due to death, divorce, annulment, or legal separation 

Documentation:  

Students or employees applying for changes to their insurance policy based on a qualifying event will need to provide proof of the event (i.e., marriage license, birth certificate, or other legal documentation).

Effective Date and Billing:

The premium will be prorated based on what it would have been at the beginning of the semester. However, the effective date will be the latter of the following: the date the student/employee enrolls for coverage, or the day after the prior coverage ends. 

Childcare

Childcare in the United States can be very expensive. As of January 2024, the average base rate for infant childcare in San Antonio, TX is $16.83 per hour which comes to $673 for a 40-hour week or $2,188 per month. If you need childcare for your dependent, please research the various childcare providers in San Antonio and their costs before making the decision to bring your child dependents.

Public Schools in San Antonio

F-2 minor children must comply with compulsory education requirements in attending kindergarten through 12th grade. F-2 children may be enrolled in public schools in San Antonio at the K-12 level. For information on enrolling your child in school, click here.

F-2 Dependent Application Process for I-20

1. Submit to International Affairs the required documents below:

• F-2 Dependent Application Form
• Copy of the F-2 dependent’s passport ID page with expiration date

• Copy of the principal F-1 student’s current I-20, if the student is already in the U.S.
• Copy of the principal F-1 student’s visa stamp, if the student is already in the U.S.
• Copy of the principal F-1 student’s I-94 Form, if the student is already in the U.S

• Completed Sponsorship Form
• Financial Support documents: Current evidence of all sources of financial support for the student and any dependents. You must provide proof an additional $5,000 for spouse and $3,000 for each child for the year in readily available financial support. The total amount of financial resources to be proven is as follows:

If you are a new incoming student, please submit the above documents to International Affairs through one of the two methods:

• E-mail the documents as attachments to International.Affairs@tamusa.edu
• Please do not send compressed files (.zip, .rar, etc.). We accept PDF, JPEG, JPG file formats.
• Mail the documents to:

            International Affairs

            Texas A&M University-San Antonio

            One University Way

            CAB 434

            San Antonio, TX 78244 

If you are already in the United States, please bring the required documents to International Affairs in person during the advising hours (8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.)

2. Upon receipt of all the required documents, International Affairs will issue a dependent I-20 and updated I-20 for the principal F-1 student. The F-1 student is the signatory for the dependent I-20. Make sure to sign the bottom of page 1 of the I-20s. Note:the SEVIS I-901 fee does not have to be paid for dependents.
3. Deliver the F-2 dependent I-20s to your immediate family, along with copies of your immigration documents (I-20, passport ID page, I-94, visa) if you are in the United States.
4. F-2 dependents apply for an F-2 visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate outside of the country.

Please note that if/when your spouse and children come, you will not be able to live in the university dorms and will need to live off campus. Please look at the Off-campus housing links at https://www.tamusa.edu/student-resources/student-housing/index.html to get an idea of the cost and locations of available housing.

Required F-2 Visa Application Documents:

You will need to provide the following F-2 Visa documents to support your application:

• A copy of your marriage certificate (for dependent spouses)
• A copy of your birth certificate or adoption documents (for dependent children)
• Evidence of sufficient funds to support your family while you are staying in the U.S. (see above)
• Photographs
• Visa Application fee
• Visa Application forms
• Proof that you are going back home when the F-1 student’s education is completed. This may be a flight ticket for a destination that is not part of the U.S. territories, or any evidence of your strong ties with your home country.

5. If approved for the visa, the F-2 dependents may join the principal F-1 student. F-2 dependents must provide International Affairs with copies of their stamped dependent I-20s, passport ID page with expiration date, F-2 visa, and I-94 within 5 days of their arrival in the U.S.

We welcome you and your dependents to A&M-San Antonio. If you have any questions about bringing F-2 dependents, please contact the Office of International Affairs at International.Affairs@tamusa.edu.