Hello everyone! I am a junior who has lived in the US for basically his whole life. I reside here with an H4 visa but my greencard application is being processed for the past several years. When applying to colleges, do I apply as an international student or as a domestic? Or does it just depend on the school?
Thanks!!
It depends on the college if you will apply as a domestic or international student.
What state do you live in? If you have lived there for a certain amount of time you may qualify for in-state tuition (regardless if they have you apply as a domestic or int’l)…again depends on state and school…so look into that.
You will not be able to get Federal aid with an H4 visa, or have a job. You can volunteer though.
If you get your permanent residency before you apply (probably unlikely as of right now) you would apply as a domestic student.
Once you are 21 (if you haven’t become a perm resident) you will have to get another visa…most apply for an F1…but leave plenty of time to apply. If you do get an F1 visa you may lose in-state tuition status. Probably best to consult an attorney well in advance of your 21st bday.
All colleges we looked at classified anyone who needs a visa to be here as international. When you get your green card, then you will become domestic.
This is not the same as tuition status. You can be “international” for classification purposes but still pay instate tuition if you and your family have met the residence requirements for that.