<PAGE>
MFS EMERGING GROWTH SERIES
MFS VALUE SERIES
MFS RESEARCH SERIES
MFS GROWTH WITH INCOME SERIES
MFS TOTAL RETURN SERIES
MFS UTILITIES SERIES
MFS HIGH INCOME SERIES
MFS WORLD GOVERNMENTS SERIES
MFS BOND SERIES
MFS LIMITED MATURITY SERIES
MFS MONEY MARKET SERIES
MFS/FOREIGN & COLONIAL EMERGING MARKETS EQUITY SERIES
(SERIES OF MFS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST) 500 Boylston Street
Boston Massachusetts 02116-3741
617 954 5000
October 6, 1997
VIA EDGAR
Securities and Exchange Commission
Judiciary Plaza
450 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20549
Re: MFS Variable Insurance Trust (the "Trust") (File No. 33-74668)
Ladies and Gentlemen:
On October 1, 1997, the Trust filed Post-Effective Amendment No. 9 (the
"Amendment") to its Registration Statement with the Commission. The Prospectus
contained in the Amendment describes the Trust's twelve series. As the Trust
offers its series to insurance companies which select certain series as
investment options for their variable annuity and life products, the Trust's
Prospectus is tailored for each insurance company to describe only those series
selected by the insurance company.
The Trust has filed these tailored Prospectuses with the Commission
under Rule 497(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, between May 1,
1997 and October 1, 1997. The Amendment did not contain any disclosure that
affected these tailored prospectuses.
Pursuant to Rule 497(j) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
please accept this letter as certification that the tailored Prospectuses used
by the following insurance companies do not differ from the Prospectus contained
in the Amendment (except to the extent of changes made to limit disclosure to
the specific series) and do not differ from the tailored Prospectuses already
filed by the Trust under Rule 497(c) during the May 1 through October 1, 1997
time period:
Aetna Life Insurance & Annuity Company
The American Franklin Life Insurance Company
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Securities and Exchange Commission
October 2, 1997
Page 2
Ameritas Variable Life Insurance Company
CIGNA Life Insurance Company
CIGNA Individual Life Insurance Company (No. 2)
CIGNA Life Insurance Company (No. 3)
CIGNA Life Insurance Company (No. 4)
CNA Life Insurance Company
Century Life Insurance Company
Citicorp Life Insurance Company
Fortis Benefits Insurance Company
Glenbrook Life and Annuity Company
The Guardian Insurance and Annuity Company, Inc.
Jefferson Pilot Life Insurance Company
Kansas City Life Insurance Company
Keyport Life Insurance Company
Merrill Lynch Life Insurance Company
Nationwide Life and Annuity Insurance Company and Nationwide Life
Insurance Company
Paragon Life Insurance Company
Protective Life Insurance Company
PRUCO Life Insurance Company
Torchmark United Investors Life Insurance Company
Union Central Life Insurance Company
United Companies Life Insurance Company
United of Omaha Life Insurance Company
Please call the undersigned or Kathleen H. Alexander at (617)
954-5169 or (800) 343-2829 with any questions you may have.
Very truly yours,
JAMES F. DESMARAIS
James F. DesMarais.
Assistant Secretary Pro Tempore
JFD/bjn
