Q: Do students on F1 visa who accept travel grants from US-based professional associations violate visa regulations?
As an international graduate student on F1, I regularly submit material to professional conferences for presentation.
Some conferences and professional associations award travel grants to deserving graduate students in order to enable them to present and then ask them to complete a W-9 or a W-8BEN in return.
My question: Can I accept such a grant? Does a travel grant count as taxable income? If so, would accepting such a grant and filling out a W-8BEN constitute a violation of F-1 visa regulations?
If so, it seems that these regulations in effect serve to discriminate against deserving, but economically challenged international grad students as they make it harder, if not impossible, for them to participate in the kind of academic activity that finding a job in the profession requires. Any input on this issue would be very much appreciated!
A: You can accept them from an immigration perspective. For tax purposes, contact a Tax Attorney.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
