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Tax year 2026Checked

Your 1040-NR refund: how long it takes and how to receive it

Processing times as the IRS states them, how to track a paper Form 1040-NR in Where's My Refund?, why you need a US bank account now that paper checks are limited, and how state refunds work.

6 weeks or more, usually, after the IRS receives a paper return

By F1TaxReturn Tax Team. Published ; updated . Facts checked against the sources below on . 10 minute read.

In short

  1. The IRS says a refund on a paper return usually takes 6 weeks or more from the date the IRS receives it. For tax withheld on a Form 1042-S, the 2025 Form 1040-NR instructions say to allow up to 6 months.
  2. Where's My Refund? shows a paper return about 4 weeks after you file it. You need your SSN or ITIN, your filing status and the exact whole-dollar refund from line 35a.
  3. Put a US bank account in your own name on lines 35b to 35d (2026 draft Form 1040-NR). Without valid bank details, the IRS holds the refund and sends a CP53E notice.
  4. The IRS has generally stopped issuing paper refund checks after September 30, 2025, so keep your US bank account open until the refund arrives.
  5. If your return is due Thursday, April 15, 2027 and you file on time, the IRS owes you interest if it has not refunded you by Sunday, May 30, 2027 (45 days later).
Contents, 13 sections

If you mail a paper Form 1040-NR for tax year 2026, the IRS says your refund usually takes 6 weeks or more from the date it receives the return. To receive it quickly, put a US bank account on the direct deposit lines. Without one, the IRS holds the refund and sends a CP53E notice, and any paper check comes weeks later.

This guide is for F-1, J-1, M-1 and Q students and scholars who were nonresident aliens in 2026 and file in 2027.

How long does a paper 1040-NR refund take?

A refund on a paper return usually takes 6 weeks or more from the date the IRS receives the return (IRS: refunds). The status of a paper return shows in the IRS tool Where's My Refund? about 4 weeks after you file it.

For a refund of tax withheld on a Form 1042-S, the 2025 Form 1040-NR instructions say to allow up to 6 months. Paper returns expecting a refund are generally processed before other paper returns (IRS processing status). Other times quoted on forums describe single returns, not IRS figures.

Timeline of a paper Form 1040-NR refund. Day 0: you mail the return. About 4 weeks after you file: the status shows in Where's My Refund? 6 weeks or more after the IRS receives the return: the refund is usually sent to your US bank account. If the return has no valid US bank details, the IRS holds the refund and sends a CP53E notice. You then have 30 days from the notice date to add an account. If you do nothing, a paper check is mailed after about 6 weeks. If a return filed on time is not refunded within 45 days after the due date, the IRS owes interest. Those 45 days end May 30, 2027 for a return due April 15, 2027. For one due June 15, 2027, they end July 30, 2027.A vertical timeline. Day 0: you mail your Form 1040-NR, by Certified Mail with a postmarked receipt. About 4 weeks after you file: the status shows in the IRS tool Where's My Refund?, which needs your SSN or ITIN, your filing status and the refund amount on line 35a. 6 weeks or more after the IRS receives the return: the refund is usually sent by direct deposit. A warning panel: if the return has no valid US bank details, the IRS holds the refund and sends a CP53E notice; within 30 days of the notice date you can add an account in your IRS Online Account; if you do nothing, a paper check is mailed after about 6 weeks. A final panel: if a return due April 15, 2027 is filed on time and not refunded by May 30, 2027, 45 days after the due date, the IRS owes interest; for a return due June 15, 2027 the 45 days end July 30, 2027; for a late return the 45 days count from the date you file.Your paper 1040-NR refund, step by stepTimes the IRS states for paper returns. None is a fixed date.Day 0: you mail your Form 1040-NRUse Certified Mail and keep the postmarked receiptAbout 4 weeks: status in Where's My Refund?Enter your SSN or ITIN, filing status and line 35a6 weeks or more: refund sent to your US accountCounted from the day the IRS receives the return!No valid US bank details on the return?The IRS holds the refund and sends a CP53E notice.Within 30 days of the notice date, you can addan account in your IRS Online Account.If you do nothing, a paper check is mailedafter about 6 weeks.Refund slow? The IRS owes you interestDue April 15, 2027 and filed on time: interest is owedif there is no refund by May 30, 2027 (45 days later).Due June 15, 2027: the 45 days end July 30, 2027.Filed late: the 45 days count from the day you file.Timeline of a paper Form 1040-NR refund. Day 0: you mail the return. About 4 weeks after you file: the status shows in Where's My Refund? 6 weeks or more after the IRS receives the return: the refund is usually sent to your US bank account. If the return has no valid US bank details, the IRS holds the refund and sends a CP53E notice. You then have 30 days from the notice date to add an account. If you do nothing, a paper check is mailed after about 6 weeks. If a return filed on time is not refunded within 45 days after the due date, the IRS owes interest. Those 45 days end May 30, 2027 for a return due April 15, 2027. For one due June 15, 2027, they end July 30, 2027.A vertical timeline. Day 0: you mail your Form 1040-NR, by Certified Mail with a postmarked receipt. About 4 weeks after you file: the status shows in the IRS tool Where's My Refund?, which needs your SSN or ITIN, your filing status and the refund amount on line 35a. 6 weeks or more after the IRS receives the return: the refund is usually sent by direct deposit. A warning panel: if the return has no valid US bank details, the IRS holds the refund and sends a CP53E notice; within 30 days of the notice date you can add an account in your IRS Online Account; if you do nothing, a paper check is mailed after about 6 weeks. A final panel: if a return due April 15, 2027 is filed on time and not refunded by May 30, 2027, 45 days after the due date, the IRS owes interest; for a return due June 15, 2027 the 45 days end July 30, 2027; for a late return the 45 days count from the date you file.Your paper 1040-NR refund, step bystepTimes the IRS states for paper returns. None is afixed date.Day 0: you mail your Form 1040-NRUse Certified Mail and keep the postmarkedreceiptAbout 4 weeks: status in Where's MyRefund?Enter your SSN or ITIN, filing status and line35a6 weeks or more: refund sent to your USaccountCounted from the day the IRS receives thereturnNo valid US bank details on the return?The IRS holds the refund and sends a CP53Enotice.Within 30 days of the notice date, you canadd an account in your IRS Online Account.If you do nothing, a paper check is mailedafter about 6 weeks.!Refund slow? The IRS owes you interestDue April 15, 2027 and filed on time: interest isowed if there is no refund by May 30, 2027 (45days later).Due June 15, 2027: the 45 days end July 30, 2027.Filed late: the 45 days count from the day youfile.
The IRS gives no fixed date: 6 weeks or more after it receives a paper return is its usual time.

Form 1040-NR can also be e-filed through commercial tax software, and the IRS says an e-filed return's status shows 24 hours after filing (About Where's My Refund?). F1TaxReturn prepares a paper return, so the times in this guide are for a return you mail.

Key facts

Refund on a paper return
Usually 6 weeks or more after the IRS receives it
Status in Where's My Refund?
About 4 weeks after you file a paper return
Direct deposit lines (2026 draft Form 1040-NR)
35a amount, 35b routing number, 35c checking or savings, 35d account number
No valid US bank details
Refund held; CP53E notice; 30 days from the notice date to add an account
Interest on a slow refund
Owed if not refunded within 45 days of the due date, or of the filing date if later
For
F-1, J-1, M-1 and Q students and scholars who were nonresident aliens in 2026 and expect a refund on a paper Form 1040-NR filed in 2027.
Not for
Resident aliens, who file Form 1040. Social Security and Medicare tax withheld in error is claimed on Form 843, not through this refund.

How do I check my 1040-NR refund status?

Check it in Where's My Refund? on irs.gov. The IRS says you need your SSN or ITIN, your filing status and the exact whole-dollar amount of your expected refund (About Where's My Refund?).

The refund amount is on line 35a of the 2026 draft Form 1040-NR. The filing status is the box you checked under "Filing Status" at the top of page 1, such as Single.

The tool shows three stages: Return Received, Refund Approved and Refund Sent. The IRS updates it once a day, usually overnight.

How do I get my refund by direct deposit?

Fill in lines 35a to 35d of the 2026 draft Form 1040-NR with your refund amount and a US bank account in your own name. Line 35a is the amount to refund, 35b the routing number, 35c checking or savings, and 35d the account number.

The IRS says a refund should be deposited only into a US bank or US bank affiliated account in your own name, your spouse's name or both (IRS refund FAQ). Copy both numbers from your bank's website or app, and check every digit before you sign. To split the refund between accounts, check the box on line 35a and attach Form 8888.

Help with the rest of the return is in how to fill out Form 1040-NR.

What happens if I have no US bank account?

If your return has no valid US bank details, the IRS holds your refund and sends you a CP53E notice. Under Executive Order 14247, the IRS has generally stopped issuing paper refund checks after September 30, 2025, with limited exceptions (IRS questions and answers).

The CP53E gives you 30 days from the date on the notice to add a bank account in your IRS Online Account (Understanding your CP53E notice). The Online Account is also where you choose one of the IRS's limited exception conditions to ask for a paper check. IRS employees cannot add bank details for you by phone. You get one chance to add them, and the account must be in your own name or a joint account you share. If you do not respond, the IRS says it will issue a paper check after 6 weeks.

We could not confirm that someone with an ITIN, or someone living abroad, can open an IRS Online Account. Paper checks are still issued in limited cases (for example hardship, or where no electronic option exists). We found no IRS statement that a student without a US account is one of those cases.

The Taxpayer Advocate Service says the IRS will not ask for your bank details by email, text message or phone (Taxpayer Advocate Service). The toll-free number on a CP53E plays recorded information only. Fake CP53E notices have circulated, so go to irs.gov yourself and sign in there. Do not use a link or QR code from a letter or message.

Watch out

Do not leave lines 35b and 35d blank and wait for a check. Without valid US bank details, your refund is held until you answer the CP53E notice, or until the IRS mails a check after about six weeks.

Can the IRS send my refund to my home country?

Plan on a US account instead. Direct deposit of a Form 1040-NR refund goes to an account in your name at a bank or other financial institution in the United States.

The 2025 Form 1040-NR instructions take that rule for lines 35a to 35d from the 2025 Form 1040 instructions.

Line 35e of the 2026 draft Form 1040-NR still has a space for a foreign address for a refund check, as the 2025 form did. A line on the form does not show that the IRS will mail checks abroad in 2027, and paper checks are now the exception. The 2026 Form 1040-NR instructions, not yet published, may say more.

When can I close my US bank account before I leave?

Keep your US bank account open until Where's My Refund? shows "Refund Sent" and the money is in your account. A closed account cannot receive the deposit.

If you are leaving after graduation, file as early as you can, but only once you have every form (see the dates in the last section). Keep online access to the account after you leave. The rest of the list is in leaving the US after graduation.

When will my refund arrive if I mail my return in early March?

If you mail your 2026 Form 1040-NR in early March 2027, expect the status in Where's My Refund? around the end of March. The refund usually comes from about the third week of April 2027 onward.

Worked example: Camila, F-1 student with an on-campus job

Camila is an illustrative F-1 student from a country with no US tax treaty. In 2026 her on-campus job in Texas paid $20,000, and box 2 of her W-2 shows $2,900 of federal income tax withheld. Her employer withheld no state income tax, so she has nothing to itemize on Schedule A (Form 1040-NR). As a nonresident alien she cannot take the standard deduction (IRS).

Line (2026 draft Form 1040-NR) Amount
1a: wages from her W-2 $20,000
15: taxable income (no deductions) $20,000
16: 10% of $12,400 = $1,240, plus 12% of $7,600 = $912 about $2,152
25a: federal income tax withheld $2,900
34 and 35a: $2,900 minus $2,152 about $748

The tax uses the 2026 rates. The 2026 Tax Table, not yet published, can differ by a few dollars, so her exact refund may change slightly. She enters her US checking account on lines 35b to 35d.

She mails the return by Certified Mail on Monday, March 1, 2027. Her status should appear in Where's My Refund? from about Monday, March 29. If the IRS receives the return on Monday, March 8, "6 weeks or more" points to Monday, April 19, 2027 or later.

Her return is due April 15 because she had wages, and she filed before then. If the IRS has not refunded her by Sunday, May 30, 2027, 45 days after April 15, it owes her interest.

Does the IRS pay interest if my refund is late?

Yes. The IRS owes you interest if it takes more than 45 days to refund you, counted from the due date or the date you file, whichever is later (IRC 6611).

For an on-time 2026 return due Thursday, April 15, 2027, the 45 days end on Sunday, May 30, 2027. If you had no wages and your return is due Tuesday, June 15, 2027, they end on Friday, July 30, 2027, even if you filed earlier. For a return filed after the due date, the 45 days count from the date you file, and no interest is paid for the days before you filed.

What does my 1040-NR refund include?

Your 1040-NR refund is the federal income tax withheld from you in 2026, plus any other payments on the return, minus the tax you owe. Social Security and Medicare tax is not part of it.

On the 2026 draft, line 34 subtracts your total tax (line 24c) from your total payments (line 33).

Employers add an extra amount to a nonresident's wages when they work out income tax withholding, because nonresidents generally cannot take the standard deduction (IRS Publication 15-T). The amount is used only to work out withholding. It is not shown on your W-2 and does not change the tax you owe. Tax withheld on a Form 1042-S goes on line 25g of the 2026 draft (Form 1042-S vs W-2).

Social Security and Medicare tax (W-2 boxes 4 and 6) does not go on Form 1040-NR. If it was taken from pay that was exempt, ask your employer to refund it first (IRS). If it will not refund all of it, claim the rest from the IRS on Form 843 with Form 8316. For 2026 pay, the last day is Monday, April 15, 2030 (FICA refunds for F-1 students).

How do state tax refunds work?

A state refund comes from the state, not the IRS, and only if you file that state's own return. State tax withheld from your pay is credited only on the state return, so the IRS cannot refund it.

California, New York, Illinois and Massachusetts returns for 2026 are expected to be due Thursday, April 15, 2027. None of the four has published its 2027 date yet; for tax year 2025, all four were due April 15, 2026. Of the four, only New York followed the federal June 15 date for tax year 2025. Its IT-203 instructions gave a nonresident alien who qualified for it the same deadline (special condition code E4, 2025 IT-203 instructions). California gave June 15 only to people living or traveling outside the US on April 15 (FTB due dates). Each state pays its refunds separately; look for the refund status page on your state tax agency's website. Whether you need a state return at all is in state income tax for international students.

A state refund can count as income on a later federal return. If you deducted 2025 state income tax on Schedule A (Form 1040-NR), a state refund you received in 2026 can be taxable on your 2026 return. It goes on line 1 of the 2026 draft Schedule 1, but only to the extent the deduction lowered your 2025 federal tax. An Indian student who took the standard deduction for 2025 does not include it (India tax treaty).

What to do next

  1. Wait for every form. Your W-2 is due to you by Monday, February 1, 2027; any Form 1042-S by Monday, March 15, 2027.
  2. Open or keep a US bank account in your own name, and enter its numbers on lines 35b to 35d.
  3. Sign the return and mail it by Certified Mail by Thursday, April 15, 2027 if you had 2026 wages on a W-2, or by Tuesday, June 15, 2027 if you did not. Check the address in the 2026 instructions first (where to mail Form 1040-NR).
  4. About 4 weeks after you mail it, check Where's My Refund? with your SSN or ITIN, filing status and line 35a amount.
  5. If a CP53E notice arrives, add your bank details in your IRS Online Account within 30 days of the date on it.
  6. Keep the bank account open until the refund is in it.

F1TaxReturn is built for students, not J-1 scholars or researchers. It prepares Form 1040-NR and Form 8843 for free and puts the bank details you enter on the refund lines; you print and sign the return, then mail it. It does not take Form 1042-S income. It prepares 2026 returns once the IRS publishes the final 2026 forms and instructions. Create an account.

Questions students ask

Can I check my 1040-NR refund status with an ITIN?

Yes. The IRS says Where's My Refund? needs your SSN or ITIN, your filing status and the exact whole-dollar amount of your expected refund. For a paper return, the status appears about 4 weeks after you file. The tool updates once a day, usually overnight.

Can the IRS deposit my refund into a bank account in my home country?

Plan on a US account. The IRS says refunds should be deposited only into US bank or US bank affiliated accounts in your own name, your spouse's name or both. After September 30, 2025 the IRS generally stopped issuing paper refund checks, so a US account is the reliable way to receive the money.

I am leaving the US in May. What happens to my refund?

Keep your US bank account open until the deposit arrives, and keep online access to it. File as soon as you have every W-2 and Form 1042-S, so the refund has time to arrive before you go. Line 35e of the 2026 draft Form 1040-NR has a space for a foreign address for a refund check, but we found no IRS statement that it will mail checks abroad in 2027.

Why does my refund not include the Social Security and Medicare tax on my W-2?

A Form 1040-NR refund comes from federal income tax withheld (W-2 box 2, or a Form 1042-S) and other income tax payments, minus your tax. Social Security and Medicare tax withheld in error comes back from your employer, or from the IRS on Form 843 with Form 8316. For 2026 pay, the last day to claim it from the IRS is Monday, April 15, 2030.

Do I get a refund if I file only Form 8843?

No. Form 8843 is a statement about your days in the US, not a tax return, so it cannot claim back withheld tax. If tax was withheld from your pay or scholarship, file Form 1040-NR with Form 8843 attached to get it back.

How long do I have to claim a refund for 2026 if I never file?

File your 2026 Form 1040-NR within three years. To be safe, treat Monday, April 15, 2030 as the last day. After that, the refund of tax withheld in 2026 is lost.

Sources

This guide is checked against these 21 documents, most recently on .

  1. Refunds (formerly Topic no. 152, Refund information), IRS
  2. Instructions for Form 1040-NR (2025), lines 35a to 35e and refunds of Form 1042-S withholding, IRS
  3. Instructions for Form 1040 (2025), lines 35a through 35d (direct deposit), IRS
  4. About Where's My Refund?, IRS
  5. Processing status for tax forms, IRS
  6. Questions and answers about Executive Order 14247: Modernizing payments to and from America's bank account, IRS
  7. Fact Sheet 2026-02, Questions and answers about Executive Order 14247, IRS
  8. Understanding your CP53E notice, IRS
  9. Is that CP53E notice from the IRS a scam?, Taxpayer Advocate Service
  10. Frequently asked questions about splitting federal income tax refunds, IRS
  11. Form 1040-NR (2026 draft), IRS
  12. Schedule 1 (Form 1040) (2026 draft), IRS
  13. Nonresident: Figuring your tax, IRS
  14. Working Families Tax Cuts: individuals and workers (2026 tax brackets), IRS
  15. Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods, IRS
  16. Foreign student liability for Social Security and Medicare taxes, IRS
  17. Instructions for Form 843, IRS
  18. Where to file Forms 1040-NR, 1040-PR and 1040-SS: addresses for taxpayers and tax professionals, IRS
  19. 26 U.S. Code 6611, interest on overpayments, US Code (Legal Information Institute)
  20. 26 U.S. Code 6511, limitations on credit or refund, US Code (Legal Information Institute)
  21. Instructions for Form IT-203 (2025), When to file and special condition code E4, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance