<p>Here is what I don't have:
Green Card in hand</p>
<p>Here is what I have:
Citizenship of PRC (People's Republic of China)
I moved here April of 2002, so it's almost 7 years.
Social Security Number (I work at Hollister. Inc)
Labor Card (I can work here legally)
US Travel Document (I can travel in and out of country)</p>
<p>My application for green card was handed in July of last year and am really waiting for the "notifaction". I'm almost positive I will receive the green card before next Sept. (when I start college)</p>
<p>Your situation is complicated because you don't yet have the Green Card. You should contact the admissions offices of the colleges/universities that you are interested in, and ask them how they treat students in your situation. Sometimes, everything will depend on your visa status. You might want to consider waiting one more year.</p>
<p>I think if you don't have a green card yet, then you are considered an international student for the purposes of college admissions. However, if you receive your green card between the time you submit your apps and decision day 2009, then do by all means notify the college admissions office.</p>
<p>i think i'm in the same boat. canadian, but lives in new york with a pending green card status. and for penn, it's definately international for you and me. but i think penn treats canadians and mexicans differently. but still, i think we both have to use the international application, unfortunately.</p>
<p>I didn't know Penn had separate application forms for internationals? Must be new. When I applied two years ago they didn't, and neither did any other college I was applying to...</p>
<p>My guidiance counselor called the Penn Admissions Office and asked about my situation (I was in the same room as him), he told me Penn said if you went to high school in the US, then you are not considered international....</p>
<p>^ You don't have to fill in the "international supplement" to the Common App as you did your schooling in the US, but you will still be considered international for financial aid and will probably be placed in a separate international pool, because as it stands you are not eligible for Pell Grants, subsidized loans etc. given to US citizens and PRs.</p>
<p>Now that I see that you are in HS in the US, I see that there are at least two questions to be answered:</p>
<p>Q. Am I domestic or international for academic purposes?
A. You are domestic for this purpose because you have completed all of your secondary education in the US.</p>
<p>Q. Am I domestic or international for financial aid purposes?
A. That depends on your actual visa status. What kind of visa do you hold?</p>
<p>Citizens, permanent residents, and some other specified statuses qualify for federal financial aid. You will need to do research about this. Here is the wording used at the Pell Grant website:
"Other eligibility requirements include the following: You must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or an eligible non-citizen, i.e., U.S. permanent resident with an Alien Registration Card I-551, a conditional permanent resident with an I-551C card, possess Arrival Departure Record I-94 from the Immigration and Naturalization Service one of the following designations: asylum granted, parole, refugee, entrant from Cuba or Haiti."</p>
<p>So for academic purpose my application will be placed within the regular application pool and for financial aid, I'd be considered an international?</p>
<p>If you know FOR CERTAIN that the Green Card is on its way, and if you really, really, really need access to federal financial aid in order to afford college, you may want to seriously consider taking a gap year between HS graduation and college.</p>
<p>No, until and unless you don't have green card, you are considered as an international (Excluding the exceptional case of Canadians).
This is as far as I know.</p>
<p>You are not international if you have a social security number. Only legal U.S. residents have a social security number. You also have an alien registration number, which begins with "A" that you received when you first entered the country. You are a U.S. legal resident, even though not yet a "permanent resident (green card holder)." This means: you're authorized to work, and do all other things that U.S. residents do (besides vote = citizens/naturalized citizens), or join the army (you need a green card for that).</p>
<p>You're international if you're here with a student visa.</p>
<p>
[quote]
You are not international if you have a social security number.
[/quote]
I don't know to what extend this is true in the OP's case, but it is not true in general. International students on F-1 visas (regular student visas) can apply for a social security number because they are allowed to work. They are still international students though.</p>
<p>Do you still need a visa (e.g., F-1) to study in the US as a full time student? That's a question you can clear up with Immigration immediately. If the answer is no, you don't have to apply as an international student. If admitted, the university doesn't have to apply for a visa on your behalf.</p>
<p>Since you attend high school in the US, you will be evaluated against other (out-of-state) US students for admission purpose. That part of the process is the same.</p>
<p>I think for people on H4 visa who are dependents of H1b visa holders, employment is not allowed and they are not eligible for social security. For FAFSA eligibility, you have to have your I-94 stamped as a Parolee.</p>