I am on F1 visa from Sept. '12 Last year I filed a Resident Alien taxes as I finished my 5 year limit. I changed to H1b on Oct 2018. Type of tax should I do this year?

[Anonymous]

I am on F1 visa from Sept. 2012 to Sept. 2018. Last year for the tax year of 2017, I filed as a resident alien as I finished my 5 year limit as a nonresident alien. So last year I had to do a substantial presence test (which I passed), and I did it as a resident alien. 

This year I changed to H1b on Oct 1st 2018. So should I just continue doing as a resident alien? Or did my clock get reset, on Oct 1st again - and I have to do a non resident alien for the time of (Oct 1 - Dec 31)?

[LinaJ2018 · Accepted solution]

You will likely continue to file as a resident in 2018.  Since you pass the substantial presence test in 2017, as long as you stay more than 183 days or pass the same test in 2018, you are a resident. 

[Anonymous]

So me changing to H1b does not have any effect on my resident status?

[LinaJ2018]

No. you are a nonresident 2012-2016.  After that, as long as you pass the SPT, you are a resident unless you switch back to one of the exempt visas like J or F, then there might be an impact.