It depends -
Your US filing status will be determined by your visa
type and if you meet certain IRS tests - Green
Card Test or the substantial
presence test . Under your F-1 visa class you
are exempt from the substantial
presence test for the first 5 years as a student and if you changed your visa
class during the year, you would not count these exempt days under the F-1
visa. If you changed your visa class in Oct 2017, you will still not meet the substantial
presence test.
If you do not meet these tests for the first year in the
USA, you will be considered a nonresident alien and will file a Form 1040NR
which is not supported by TurboTax. Here is a link to the IRS website for Form
1040NR, U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return.
However, if you are a Nonresident Alien who will become a
Resident Alien under the Substantial Presence test in the year following this
taxable year, you may elect to be treated as a Dual
Status Alien for this taxable year and a
Resident Alien for the next taxable year if you meet certain tests. Refer to
the First Year Choice area, under Dual-Status Aliens, of Chapter 1 in Publication 519,
U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens.
(TurboTax
does not support dual status filings.)
