germanInUS
New Member
- Jurisdiction
- Pennsylvania
Hi,
I have participated in a coding contest in the US and I have won a prize for reaching a very high score. The prize is more than 600$ and that is why I need to fill out a W-9 form in order to receive the money. The problem now is that I am not a US citizen and in the W-9 form I have to confirm that I am either a US citizen OR a resident alien. I might be a resident alien, but I am not sure. Here is my situation:
I am on a J-1 visa (research scholar) and it is my 3rd year in J-1 status. I have been in the US for more than 31 days this year, but I have not passed the 183 days test yet. However, I will pass it by the end of the year. So the question is if I am a resident alien now or not. Can I sign the form or not? What if I can't sign it, can I still get the prize, e.g. using a W8-BEN form?
EDIT: If that is relevant, I am German citizen.
Best
I have participated in a coding contest in the US and I have won a prize for reaching a very high score. The prize is more than 600$ and that is why I need to fill out a W-9 form in order to receive the money. The problem now is that I am not a US citizen and in the W-9 form I have to confirm that I am either a US citizen OR a resident alien. I might be a resident alien, but I am not sure. Here is my situation:
I am on a J-1 visa (research scholar) and it is my 3rd year in J-1 status. I have been in the US for more than 31 days this year, but I have not passed the 183 days test yet. However, I will pass it by the end of the year. So the question is if I am a resident alien now or not. Can I sign the form or not? What if I can't sign it, can I still get the prize, e.g. using a W8-BEN form?
EDIT: If that is relevant, I am German citizen.
Best