How to Know If You Qualify for the U.S. Recovery Rebate Credit as a Nonresident
📅 January 20, 2025 – ⏱ 4 minute read
Last updated: January 20, 2025
😕 Stimulus confusion, sorted
You came to the U.S. to study or work, not to decode pandemic stimulus rules. If you’re a nonresident who received a payment by mistake (or you’re wondering whether you can claim the Recovery Rebate Credit), this quick guide cuts through the noise so you know exactly what to do — and what not to do. 🧭
📚 Table of Contents
1️⃣ 2025 Update: Why some nonresidents just received money
2️⃣ What is the Recovery Rebate Credit?
3️⃣ How much was the credit?
4️⃣ Can a nonresident claim the RRC?
5️⃣ Filed the wrong status and claimed RRC? Fix it with 1040X
6️⃣ Received a payment by mistake? How to return it (step-by-step + addresses)
7️⃣ How J1 Summer Tax Back can help
🆕 2025 Update: What changed — and why you may have been paid 💵
In December 2024, the IRS began sending out unclaimed Recovery Rebate Credit payments (from the CARES/ARP stimulus) to people who hadn’t filed 2021 or 2022 returns. Some nonresidents were paid in error, often because a Form 1040 (resident) was filed after 2022 or their status was misread.
👉 If you were a nonresident in 2020 or 2021 and you received an RRC/EIP payment, you must return it and notify the IRS of your nonresident status for those years.
🧠 What is the Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC)?
The RRC was part of the COVID-19 relief laws (starting with the CARES Act in 2020). It reconciled the stimulus (“Economic Impact Payments”) you should have received for 2020 and 2021 on your tax return. Think of it as the IRS’s way to top-up or correct your stimulus amount.
💵 How much was the credit?
Many taxpayers received up to $1,200 (2020) plus $500 per qualifying child, and $1,400 (2021) or $2,800 if married filing jointly.
The amount depended on filing status, qualifying dependents, income, and any stimulus already received.
🚫 Can a nonresident claim the RRC?
No. To claim the RRC you had to:
Be a U.S. citizen or resident alien for the relevant year (2020/2021)
Not be claimed as someone else’s dependent
Have a Social Security number valid for work issued by the return due date
International students and other nonresident aliens generally do not qualify. If you received money by mistake, return it (steps below).
🧩 Filed as a resident and claimed RRC by mistake? Fix it with 1040X ✍️
Don’t panic — it happens a lot. If you filed as a resident (Form 1040) but you were actually a nonresident, file an amended return (Form 1040X) for the affected year(s) to correct your status and repay any RRC improperly claimed. This is routine and fully fixable.
📬 Received a payment by mistake? How to return it (step-by-step) ✅
If you got a paper check and have not cashed it:
Write “Void” in the endorsement area on the back.
Do not staple, bend, or paper clip the check.
Mail the voided Treasury check immediately to the correct IRS address (see list).
Include a brief note: “Returning EIP/RRC issued in error — nonresident alien for 2020/2021.”
If you cashed the check or it was a direct deposit:
Send a personal check or money order payable to “U.S. Treasury.”
On the memo line, write: “Third EIP” and your SSN/ITIN.
Include a short explanation: “Returning EIP/RRC issued in error — nonresident alien for 2020/2021.”
Mail to the correct IRS address below.
📮 IRS mailing addresses (use the one for your state/territory)
ME, MD, MA, NH, VT
Andover Internal Revenue Service
310 Lowell St.
Andover, MA 01810
GA, IA, KS, KY, VA
Atlanta Internal Revenue Service
4800 Buford Hwy
Chamblee, GA 30341
FL, LA, MS, OK, TX
Austin Internal Revenue Service
3651 S Interregional Hwy 35
Austin, TX 78741
NY
Brookhaven Internal Revenue Service
1040 Waverly Ave.
Holtsville, NY 11742
AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, WI, WY
Fresno Internal Revenue Service
3211 S Northpointe Dr.
Fresno, CA 93725
AR, CT, DE, IN, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NJ, OH, WV
Kansas City Internal Revenue Service
333 W Pershing Rd.
Kansas City, MO 64108
AL, NC, ND, SC, SD, TN
Memphis Internal Revenue Service
5333 Getwell Rd.
Memphis, TN 38118
DC, ID, IL, PA, RI
Philadelphia Internal Revenue Service
2970 Market St.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Foreign address / U.S. territories / APO–FPO / filed Form 2555 or 4563 / dual-status
Austin Internal Revenue Service
3651 S Interregional Hwy 35
Austin, TX 78741
🤝 How J1 Summer Tax Back can help
We help nonresidents:
🧭 Confirm the right filing status (resident vs. nonresident)
✏️ Prepare 1040X to correct any mistaken RRC claims
📬 Draft your return-payment note and choose the right IRS address
🛡️ Stay fully compliant while avoiding future issues with the IRS
If you’re unsure about your status for 2020 or 2021, we’ll review your days in the U.S., visas, and forms so you can fix errors confidently and quickly. ✅