Life University International Student Handbook | Page 12

International Students’ Tax Obligations
The information printed in this section is intended as
general guidance on your obligations as an F-1 student
to file certain tax forms each year you are in the U.S.
It should not be construed as tax advice. Specific
instructions are available at the Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) website (www.irs.gov). All tax forms must be filed
by April 15 of every year. The forms are available on the
IRS website, under “Forms and Publications.”
If you are an F-1 student who has been in the U.S for
five years or less and had no earned income (interest
from a bank account is earned income) or scholarships, then you need to file Form 8843 by April 15.
If you had any U.S-source of earned income or scholarship, you will need to file:
• Form 8843
• IRS Form 104NR-EZ of Form 1040NR

Each employer for whom you worked during
the past calendar year is required to issue
you a W-2 before the end of January. If you
are filing Form 1040, you need to attach
copies of the W-2 when you file these tax
forms.
If your employer withheld Social Security
and Medicare (FICA) taxes from your salary,
as a non-citizen, you are entitled to a refund
of these taxes. You may request the refund
from your employer. If the employer is
unable to refund these taxes, you may file
IRS Form 843 and Form 8316 for a refund
from the IRS.
If you have any questions or need federal
non-resident tax forms, visit www.irs.
gov/taxlaw. To download tax forms and
publications, go to the IRS website
www.irs.gov/formspubs/index.html.
The Office of International Programs along
with the Finance Office hosts MANDATORY
international student tax workshops in
the spring. Please check your email for
information regarding these workshops.
Deadline for filing taxes is APRIL 15th.

General Emergencies
911 is an emergency phone number which can be
used for any type of emergency. Remember it is for
emergency use only. An emergency could include
health, crime and fire emergencies. A health emergency
includes cases such as severe pain or bleeding,
unconsciousness, or when someone is in danger or
dying. If you call 911 for an emergency, here are some
guidelines for getting emergency help without delay.
• Promptly state your location, with major cross streets if
possible, and your phone number in case the response
team needs to call back.
• Describe the situation clearly in five words or less.
Example: “The house is on fire,” or “My baby is not
breathing.”
• Stay on the line to listen to any first-aid instructions or
receive other advice from the trained medical dispatchers.
• Remain calm in order to respond clearly to directions and
questions from the dispatcher.

The Police
The police are expected to both enforce the law and
assist the public. It is always appropriate to ask the
police to help with all kinds of matters such as lost or
stolen property and emergency situations.
• EMERGENCY............... 911
• Cobb County Police....... [phone]
• LIFE Campus Safety...... [phone] Emergency
.................................. [phone] Non-Emergency
• Cobb County Sheriff...... [phone]
• City of Marietta Police... [phone]
• Poison Control.............. 1-800-282-5846
.................................. [phone]

There can be immigration consequences
for failing to file tax forms. For example,
applicants for a change from F-1 to H-1B
(the professional worker visa) can be asked
by the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Service to submit copies of previous years’ income tax forms as part
of the H-1B application. Applicants for permanent residency (green cards) can be asked to show copies of
tax forms filed for previous years. A person who appears at a U.S. consulate abroad for consular processing
of a permanent residency visa application may be asked to produce U.S. income tax forms from their
previous years in the U.S.
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