Residency

Students are classified as residents or nonresidents after completing the Statement of Legal residence shortly after being admitted to the university. Many graduate students (U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and some eligible non-immigrants) who enter UC Berkeley as nonresidents and establish residency for the required year may be classified as residents for tuition purposes within one year after their arrival. These students then receive the benefit of paying fees at the lower resident rate.

The classification process is not automatic. Continuing nonresident students who have made California their permanent home and believe that they are eligible for resident status must submit an online residency classification petition. Supporting documentation can be uploaded to the myresidency portal (or.berkeley.edu/myResidency) or sent to Residence Affairs (in the Office of the Registrar, 120 Sproul Hall) prior to established deadlines. Even though nonresident students will probably not submit a petition to change their residency status until the end of their first academic year at Berkeley, you must start the process of fulfilling the residency requirements as soon as you arrive. This includes documenting when you arrived, that your year of physical presence in this state is coupled with your intent to make California your home, and that you are financially independent.

Document your presence in the state as soon as you arrive. Save your airline ticket or bank/credit card statements showing that you were physically present in California one year prior to the beginning of the term for which you are seeking resident classification.

  • establish a California residence in which you keep your permanent belongings.
  • obtain a California Driver's License within 10 days of arriving in California. if you have never had a driver's license in any state, obtain a California State identification Card.
  • Surrender all out-of-state driver's license and identification cards.
  • register your vehicle(s) in California within 20 days of arriving in the state.
  • register to vote in California, and vote in California elections.
  • Pay California income taxes as a resident on all taxable income earned after your arrival in California, and file California resident or part-year resident tax returns.
  • File nonresident or part-year resident out-of-state tax returns if you have out- of-state taxable income prior to arriving in California.
  • Designate and use a California address as your permanent address on all records (e.g., school, employment, tax forms, military, etc.).

Remaining in California during non-academic periods is a strong indicator of your intent to make California your home. You will be required to document that you were physically present in California for at least 2 of the 3 months during the summer previous to the term for which you are petitioning for residency.

Financial independence is another factor in determining eligibility for residency for tuition purposes. If you will be over the age of 24 during the year that you are petitioning for resident status, then you have fulfilled the financial independence criterion. otherwise, you should do the following:

  • Claim yourself as a tax exemption on your state and federal tax returns, and make sure no other individual claims you as a tax exemption on his/her tax returns; or
  • Work as a Graduate Student Instructor/ Graduate Student Researcher (GSI/GSR) at 49 percent time or more for the semester for which you are petitioning for residency.

The full text of the campus residency policy, what students should do once they arrive, and applicable deadlines can be found on the Residence Affairs website http//:registrar. berkeley.edu/prospective_students/ residency.html. Students with residency questions should contact Residence Affairs by email (orres@berkeley.edu) or phone (510) 642-5990.

Please note that international students with F-1 or J-1 visas/non-immigrant status are not eligible to establish residency.

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