Visa (J-1) Information

Selected applicants must satisfy all the necessary MIT financial and visa ( J-1) requirements. Admission to MIT as a visiting student is conditional on the successful completion of the following procedures, which take about 100 days:

  • Your host faculty needs to have your visit approved first by his department’s head, and then by MIT VP for research. Your host department also needs to enter your basic data in the MIT database. Your host professor needs to initiate these procedures.
  • Once your visit to MIT has been officially approved and the department has issued you an official MIT ID number, the MIT International Student Office will request a DS-2019 form on your behalf. You need this form in order to make an appointment at the US consulate in Italy and apply for a J-1 visa. To initiate the visa procedure, you will need to provide the ISO
    • Passport information
      – Upload passport biographic page
    • Program information
      – Upload Letter of enrollment from the Politecnico di Milano on letterhead certifying the student’s current enrollment in a degree program, expected graduation date, good academic standing.
      – Upload Invitation letter from the host Department/Lab (it will be provided by MIT hosting department)
    • Address information
    • Financial information
      – More than 51% of the total funding must come from a source other than personal or family funds (Rocca Fellowship counts among these).
      – Upload funding documents
    • Medical certification
      – All Visiting Students must either purchase the MIT Student Extended Insurance Plan or provide proof that their insurance meets the requirements specified by Federal Regulations for J-1 student visa holders. MIT Student Health Plan Office requires all Visiting Students insurance to cover preexisting conditions. All Medical Insurance questions should be directed to the MIT Student Health Plan Office at stuplan@med.mit.edu.