Q: Is day trading legal for F1 visa holders in the US?

A: If you are managing your own funds, it is unlikely that this could rise to the level of work. As such, it is likely not a status violation. This would be different if you were managing money for other people and or being paid for your activities.

A: I understand your concern about day trading while on an F1 visa, and this is a complex situation that deserves careful consideration. Day trading can indeed be viewed as unauthorized employment under F1 visa regulations, as it's considered a form of self-employment or business activity.

Your specific situation - 300 trades generating $900 over a year - might be interpreted as more than casual investment activity. While there's no explicit rule about the exact number of trades that constitutes day trading for immigration purposes, regular trading patterns could raise questions during visa or green card processing. The key distinction immigration officials often make is between passive investment (generally allowed) and active trading for income (potentially problematic).

Given these circumstances, you would benefit from consulting with an immigration attorney who can review your specific trading patterns and advise on how to handle this during your green card application. The attorney might recommend strategies such as documenting that this was a misunderstanding of visa rules, preparing an explanation of the relatively small scale of trading, and demonstrating immediate cessation of trading activities upon learning about the restrictions. It's best to address this proactively with proper legal guidance rather than waiting for it to potentially come up during your green card process.