8

first a little bit of background about me. I'm a phd student on an F1 visa. I have been in the US for a little over 2.5 years and I expect to stay here for about the same length of time. Because I've only been here 2.5 years, the IRS counts me as a non-resident alien.

Now back to my problem. I have a little bit of money saved up and I'd like to invest this in a Vanguard mutual fund. However Vanguard has told me that only a "lawful permanent resident of the United States" can invest in the funds. Does this mean I am not allowed to invest in any mutual funds in the US?

I ask because this post seems to suggest that there might be some confusion in terminology between the IRS and Vanguard and that I am indeed allowed to invest in the mutual funds.

Any suggestions or pointers to further information will be appreciated. Thanks!

Improve this question

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
6

However Vanguard has told me that only a "lawful permanent resident of the United States" can invest in the funds. Does this mean I am not allowed to invest in any mutual funds in the US?

No, it means that you cannot invest through Vanguard directly. Open a brokerage account and invest in publicly available funds. The answer on the site you linked answers your question quite clearly.

Improve this answer
2

I was also on F1-visa, and later got converted into H1B visa. I spoke with Vanguard customer care regaridng my situation, and came to a conclusion that once I am a Resident Alien for tax purposes (via Substantial Presence Test), I will be eligible to open a brokerage account.

I became a Resident Alien in June 2018, and hence I was able to open an account with Vanguard. Hope this helps.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .