Fees Payable to Intrax (can be paid by host school or teacher):
- Sponsorship Fee – 1st year: $2,325 (includes insurance valid through June 30, 2025)
- Renewal fee (2nd – 5th year, if applicable): $1,440 (includes insurance valid through June 30, 2025)
Additional Fees Payable to Intrax (optional – depending on services requested):
- J-1 / J-2 Insurance (emergency medical & travel policy; if enrolling in Intrax’s plan): $48/month
- Placement Fee (if Intrax provides placement services): $1,500
- J-2 Dependent Fee (1st): $400
- J-2 Dependent Fee (each additional; if applicable): $250
- Extension Fee (extensions beyond 3 years must be approved by Intrax and U.S. Department of State (DoS)): $442 ($367 DoS fee + $75 for DS-2019 reissue)
- Host School Transfer Fee (transfers to new schools must be approved by Intrax prior to signing a new host school contract, even for transfers within same school district): $500
- Form DS-2019 reissue fee (required for any program date changes after initial DS-2019 issuance): $45
- Travel Validation: included in sponsorship/renewal fee
For teachers applying from Asia: All direct Teacher Exchange Program applications from applicants who reside in Asia are processed via Intrax’s Asia regional office based in Tokyo, Japan. Intrax Japan charges the following fees for direct Teacher program applicants. J-1 Sponsorship Fee – 1st year: $3,800 (includes insurance valid through June 30, 2025).
Additional US Government Fees:
- I-901 SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) fee: $220 (payable to SEVIS)
- Embassy Fee: $185 (payable when scheduling US Embassy appointment)
Insurance:
J-1 Teachers must have insurance in effect for their program’s duration (from the start to the end date as noted on their DS-2019). Insurance must cover any sickness or accidents during the time they are on program in the U.S. Spouses and dependents are also required to be covered for the duration of the J-1 program. Minimum coverage must provide:
- Medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness;
- Repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000,
- Expenses associated with the medical evacuation of exchange visitors to his or her home country in the amount of $50,000, and
- Deductibles not to exceed $500 per accident or illness.
All Intrax sponsored teachers are automatically enrolled in an emergency evacuation and repatriation plan, but it is the teacher’s responsibility to enroll in a medical plan that meets all other J-1 requirements as listed above.
Fees noted above are for Intrax’s J-1 Teacher insurance plan. If enrolling in a different medical plan, teachers must provide Intrax with confirmation of enrollment and a copy of the plan document to verify J-1 program compliance.
Estimated living expenses while in the US:
The cost of living can vary depending on where you will be living in the U.S. Please conduct research to get the best estimate for what your living expenses will be for the city where you will be residing.
Cost of living calculator – this website allows you to compare the cost of living between two cities.
Below are averages for a single person and may or may not apply to your planned living situation in the US.
- Housing: $1,500 – $3,000
- Local transportation: $500 – $800
- Food: $600 – $1,000
- Utilities: $150 – $300
- Cell phone: $50 – $100
- Clothing: $100 – $500
- Travel / Entertainment: $250 – $500
- Medical including insurance deductibles: $300 – $600
- Cable and Internet: $50 – 300
- Childcare: $600 – $1,500 (per child)
Download a Sample Budget Planning Sheet.
Other expenses (payable to applicable vendors):
- Credential evaluations, translations, or other document services: $170 – $500.
- SpanTran is our recommended international transcript evaluation service. They have created a custom application for Intrax Teacher Exchange which will ensure sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate.SpanTran’s fees are: Course Analysis evaluation $170 for standard service (10 Business days) | $270 (5 Business days) | $370 (2 Business days)You can access their application here: SpanTran Application – Intrax Teacher Exchange
- Other recommended credential evaluation services:
- Teacher certification, licensing costs $100 – 300
- Background check, fingerprint services $50 – 150
Potential work-related paycheck deductions:
These deductions will vary depending upon salary and school district and would be reflected in your current employment agreement.
We recommend that Exchange Teachers consult qualified school personnel and accounting professionals for tax advice. Actual payroll tax deductions will depend on your taxable income and tax filing status – Federal Income Tax Return Calculator.
- Federal and state income tax withholding (required for all J-1 program participants)
- Social Security, Medicare (FICA), or Unemployment taxes (FUTA) (J-1 program teachers may be responsible for these taxes depending on their length of stay in the U.S.)
- Union dues (variable): $50 – $100
- Pension plans (variable): $50 – $100
- Insurance (See above for J-1 program insurance requirements. Please review all plan documents carefully to understand your benefits.): $100 – $300
Partner agencies:
Intrax partners with select third-party agencies who assist some teachers with finding teaching positions. These third-party agencies may also provide additional, optional services including school placement, background checks, assisting with obtaining a state license, and assistance with finding housing.
Below is a list of third-party agencies that Intrax is partnering with for the AY (Academic Year) 2024-25.
- Bepauche International LLC (program fee $3,000-$3,500)
- Calculation Bureau (program fee is 6% of first year salary)
- Consolidated Partners (program fee $500)
- Fiides (program fee $1,125)
- Global Exchange International (program fee $3,125)
- Grace International Exchange (program fee $1,495)
- Institute for Education, Research, and Scholarship (IFERS) (initial program fee $495, annual fee $250)
- International Alliance Group (no program fee for teacher)
- Mialakai Group USA (program fee $4,000)
- USEH Inc. (program fee $1,500-$1,525)
- Teach Quest (program fee is 7% of first year salary)
- Teach-USA, LLC – (program fees $2,743) – non-Filipino applicants
- The Au Pair Company (program fee $4,000)
- The iRise USA (program fee $3,500)
- TRUNORD (program fee $1,800)
Should you choose to contract with an agency, Intrax strongly recommends that you carefully review the terms of the contract before signing and consult with an attorney or other professional to ensure that you fully understand and agree to the contract terms.
Intrax cannot provide legal advice but if you have questions regarding any of the third-party agencies that we partner with please contact teacher@intraxinc.com.
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