F1 Taxes, Scholarships, & H-1Bs...

April in the US means one thing: tax season.

If you're on an F-1 or OPT, filing isn't optional and skipping it can hurt your visa applications down the line. We'll walk you through exactly what to do.

Also this month: a very interesting new funding model that replaces education loans, the H-1B lottery results are out, and a few more opportunities worth your time!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What's Changed Recently

• Opportunities in April

• Move Of The Month

• Roam Recommends

• Signing Off

WHAT’S CHANGED RECENTLY

OPT, H-1B, and Taxes: Everything You Need To Know

1. OPT and STEM OPT Are Under Formal Review

DHS has officially confirmed it is re-evaluating OPT and STEM OPT, the work authorization programs that let F-1 graduates work in the US for up to 3 years. No changes are final yet, but a proposed rule is coming.

What to do: File your OPT or STEM OPT application as early as possible, up to 90 days before your program ends. Don't wait. Keep your I-983 training plan airtight and your SEVIS record up to date.

2. H-1B Lottery System Is Now Wage-Weighted + Results Out

The H-1B (the main long-term US work visa) lottery changed in February. Entry-level (Level I) roles now have roughly a 15% selection rate. Level II roles: about 31%. If you registered for FY2027, check your results by March 31.

What to do: If you weren't selected, don't panic. STEM OPT gives you more lottery attempts. Start targeting cap-exempt employers (universities, nonprofits) who bypass the lottery entirely.

3. Tax Deadline: April 15, 2026

Every F-1 and J-1 student who earned US income in 2025 must file by April 15. Even if you earned nothing, you still need to file Form 8843 (deadline June 15 for that form only).

What to do: Use Sprintax as most university international offices offer it free or discounted. If yours doesn’t then check out F1TaxReturn for free federal and discounted state filings. File Form 1040-NR if you had income. Check for a FICA refund if you were on OPT and tax was wrongly withheld.

OPPORTUNITIES IN APRIL

Skip The Lottery, College Transfers, and Scholarships

Skip The Lottery With Cap-Exempt Employers

Universities, government-affiliated research labs, and nonprofits can hire you on OPT and sponsor H-1B without the lottery. With Level I selection at 15%, these employers deserve serious attention.

Our take: Not glamorous, but more stable than hoping for a lottery win. Use MyVisaJobs.com to filter by cap-exempt employers.

TransferX — The Easiest Way to Improve Your Life

Community college to 4-year university transfer support, end-to-end. Handles the process and helps reduce education costs. Working with 30+ California community colleges. If you or someone you know is at a community college and wants to transfer to a better university, this is worth knowing about. [link]

Our take: Founder has done this himself (now at Stanford). There’s real credibility here!

Rotary Peace Fellowship

Fully funded master's degrees in peace and development. Up to 50 fellowships per year. Covers tuition, accommodation, travel, and internship costs. Competitive but worth applying if you're in social impact.

Our take: High effort, high reward. Best for students with demonstrable community leadership. Check the deadline for the US!

World Bank JJ / WBGSP

Graduate scholarships in development-related fields. Japanese nationals: window open until April 17, 2026. Other nationalities: check worldbank.org/scholarships for your country's window.

Our take: Genuinely prestigious. If you're in economics, policy, or development, this is worth your time.

MOVE OF THE MONTH

Claim Your Tax Refunds 💰

The What

April 15 is the federal tax filing deadline for 2025 income. As an F-1 or OPT student, you're classified as a nonresident alien for tax purposes (in most cases, for your first 5 years in the US). That means you file differently from US citizens and using regular software like TurboTax will likely get it wrong.

The How

Head to F1TaxReturn or Sprintax. Check whether your university's international office has a Sprintax discount code first, many do. You'll file Form 1040-NR (if you had income) or Form 8843 (if you had no income this one's still required). Have your W-2 and/or 1042-S ready. If you were on OPT and FICA tax was withheld, file to claim that refund as it can be a meaningful amount!

The Why

Stay compliant with the IRS, protect your future visa applications, and potentially get money back. Missing this deadline risks penalties and complications with USCIS down the line. It's not worth the risk.

Want To Save Even More?

If you're still repaying a student loan from home on a high interest rate, April is also a good time to check whether refinancing makes sense now that you're earning.

We just helped a student cut their rate from 15% to 10.5% last week, check out ReFi by Roam to see how much you could save.

ROAM RECOMMENDS

A New Way To Finance Your Education — Skillsvest 🤝

Skillsvest is a new kind of student funding where you only repay if you get a job.

Most student loans don't care whether you land a job or not, the repayments start either way. Skillsvest works differently. They back you financially for your education, and if you don't secure employment after graduating, you don't repay. No job, no payment.

Why we like it: The founders are international students themselves. They've seen the stress of mounting interest on loans taken out back home while grinding through a degree abroad. So they built something that actually aligns their incentives with yours… they succeed when you succeed.

It's a model we think more students should know about, especially in an environment where OPT is under pressure and job timelines are less predictable than they used to be.

Find out if you're eligible: skillsvest.com

FROM KRISH’S DESK

Here’s what I’ve been listening to lately:

🕰️ 12 to 12 | sombr — Snowy day cozy window energy. You know the feeling.

🏎️ Good Trip | King — Perfect hype song before a job interview.

🔥 Incendeia | McKevin o Chris — Banging pregame vibes.

Where I’m working from mentally this month:

Where are you working from this month? Generate your dream workspace and send it to us. The best office will be featured in next month’s newsletter :)

SIGNING OFF

Good luck with tax season. It's not fun, but you’ll be glad you did it!

~ The Roam Team 🌍
www.roam.college | refi.roam.college