Tax year 2026Checked
Trump accounts for babies of F-1 and J-1 parents: can you get the $1,000?
The five conditions the IRS sets for the $1,000 Trump account pilot contribution, what a nonresident parent enters on Form 4547, and which children of F-1 and J-1 students do not qualify.
$1,000 One-time Treasury contribution to an eligible child's Trump account
In short
- The Treasury makes a one-time $1,000 pilot contribution to the Trump account of a child who is a US citizen, has a valid SSN and was born from January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2028.
- The Form 4547 instructions tell a nonresident alien parent who does not have, and cannot get, an SSN to enter an ITIN, so a parent who files Form 1040-NR may make the election if the child qualifies.
- No IRS text names F-1 or J-1 parents, and a child in F-2 or J-2 status is not a US citizen, so that child does not qualify for the $1,000.
- An account opened automatically from October 1, 2026 does not bring the $1,000 with it: a parent must still elect it on Form 4547.
Contents, 8 sections
The $1,000 Trump account deposit depends on the child: the child must be a US citizen with a valid SSN, born from January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2028. An F-1 or J-1 parent who is a nonresident alien and files Form 1040-NR may make the election on Form 4547 if the child qualifies. No IRS text names F-1 or J-1 parents.
The guide to US taxes for international students covers the rest of your return.
Who qualifies for the $1,000 Trump account deposit?
A child qualifies when all five conditions in the Form 4547 instructions are met.
- Born from January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2028.
- A US citizen.
- Has a valid SSN, issued before the election. An ITIN does not count for the child.
- Expected to be your qualifying child for the year you make the election. The instructions point to Publication 501 for that test.
- No earlier $1,000 election processed for the child.
If any answer is no, there is no $1,000. A parent not eligible for an SSN enters an ITIN. A child without the $1,000 can still have a Trump account. The child needs a valid SSN and must not turn 18 before the end of the year the account is opened (IRS Trump Accounts page).
Key facts
- Amount
- $1,000, once per child
- Child born
- January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2028
- Child must have
- US citizenship and a valid SSN
- Form
- Form 4547: check lines 6 and 7 to open the account and request it
- Parent not eligible for an SSN
- Enters an ITIN on Form 4547
- Deposits
- Began no earlier than July 4, 2026
- For
- F-1 and J-1 students and scholars who are nonresident aliens, file Form 1040-NR, and have a child born from January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2028.
- Not for
- Parents asking about immigration status, and families who want Trump account investment, contribution or withdrawal rules; trumpaccounts.gov and the Form 4547 instructions cover those.
Can a parent who files Form 1040-NR make the election?
A nonresident alien parent can, if the child qualifies. The Form 4547 instructions say that a nonresident or resident alien who does not have, and cannot get, an SSN enters an ITIN in Part I.
They also name Form 1040-NR: do not amend one just to attach Form 4547. No IRS page read for this guide names F-1 or J-1 parents.
Do not apply for an ITIN just for Form 4547. The Form W-7 instructions do not mention it. An ITIN is generally issued with a federal tax return unless an exception applies, so a parent with no return to file may not get one (ITIN guide). The parent who has an SSN, or who files a return, can make the election.
Which children of F-1 and J-1 students do not qualify?
A child who fails any one of the five conditions gets no $1,000. Common cases in student families:
| Child | $1,000? | Condition not met |
|---|---|---|
| Born in December 2024 | No | Born before January 1, 2025 |
| In F-2 or J-2 status | No | Not a US citizen |
| US citizen, SSN not yet issued | Not yet | No SSN before the election |
| A $1,000 election already processed | No | Only one per child |
The F-2 and J-2 guide covers what those children file.
How do you ask for the $1,000?
A parent submits Form 4547 and checks lines 6 and 7 to open the account and request the pilot program contribution. If the account is already open, complete Part II (except line 6) and Part III.
The IRS Trump Accounts FAQ lists three online routes: the Trump Accounts app, the Trump Accounts website, or your IRS Individual Online Account.
Those pages do not say whether each online route accepts a parent with only an ITIN. On the paper form, the instructions allow an ITIN for a parent who cannot get an SSN. Mail it to the address on the IRS where to file page for your return, using the address for returns without a payment. Form 4547 can be filed at any time, including with your Form 1040-NR.
An account the Treasury opened automatically (from October 1, 2026) does not include the $1,000: you must still elect it on Form 4547. Deposits began no earlier than July 4, 2026.
Worked example: Minh and Thu, F-1 students, baby born March 2026
Minh and Thu are F-1 students. Their daughter An was born in the US in March 2026. By May 2026 she had a US passport and a Social Security card. Minh has an SSN from his campus job. Thu has no campus job and no SSN.
Born in March 2026, inside the 2025 to 2028 window: yes. A US citizen, shown by her passport: yes. An SSN issued before the election: yes. Minh makes the election in 2026 and expects An to be his qualifying child for 2026, the year of the election: yes. No earlier election: yes.
All five are yes, so Minh can elect the $1,000 on Form 4547, entering his own SSN in Part I. Thu has no ITIN, so Minh is the one who makes it. Only one election is processed per child.
Does F1TaxReturn prepare Form 4547?
F1TaxReturn does not prepare Form 4547, and it does not handle dependents: it prepares Form 1040-NR and Form 8843 for single filers. You file Form 4547 yourself, online or on paper.
What to do next
- Check the five conditions for your child, starting with the SSN. A parent who is married to a US citizen may file a different return, but the child's conditions are the same.
- Let the parent who already has an SSN, or who files a return, make the election. Do not apply for an ITIN only for Form 4547.
- Submit Form 4547 with lines 6 and 7 checked (or Parts II and III if the account is already open), online or on paper. On paper you can mail it with your 2026 Form 1040-NR, due Thursday, April 15, 2027 if you had wages subject to US income tax withholding, or Tuesday, June 15, 2027 if you had none; the Form 1040-NR line-by-line guide covers the return.
- Read the other changes for this year in what changed for tax year 2026.
Questions students ask
Can an F-1 student get the $1,000 Trump account money for their baby?
Can I make the Trump account election with an ITIN?
Sources
This guide is checked against these 5 documents, most recently on .