Computer graphics education in USA for a foreigner

[Morexod]

Hello, I'm a complete alien so some questions may be too evident.

I'd like to get a degree in computer graphics (something like physically-based animation and rendering) in a major American university. I'm a Russian national with German residency, never been to US. I already have a degree in applied mathematics and 7 years of experience as a software engineer in Russia and Germany (not directly related to computer graphics). That makes my question complicated, since I don't need most of the courses for a computer science degree. What should I do? Which university to apply? Is it actually possible? Whom should I speak to? An advisor or a specific professor or another faculty member?

How much may it cost? I have 20.000-30.000$ to spend.

[steven]

One thing you might not know.

If you stay too long (even as a tourist during 1 year)
you will be subject in all countries to the US IRS for life. Even if you are not us citizen.
You might not pay but the irs will have access to your accounts.

Perhaps in Russia you might not be affected but in European countries you will

[johnhpus]

If you stay too long (even as a tourist during 1 year)
you will be subject in all countries to the US IRS for life. Even if you are not us citizen.
You might not pay but the irs will have access to your accounts.

Are you sure about that? Do you have a citation?

It sounds like madness. I can't believe that, by staying in the US, and especially just as a tourist, that you somehow give the IRS some hold over you in perpetuity. What sense does that even make? Why would Russia allow a US tax collection agency to monitor their citizens and access their accounts under any circumstance? And based on a silly 1 year limit at that?

Another obvious problem with that is that for it to apply to another country's people, it would require a treaty with the US. Could it really be that the US has managed to secure treaties with all the countries of the world that gives them that kind of access?

I just can't believe that you're right. My guess is that if you plan on staying in the US for so long that you have to disclose your assets for some kind of tax purposes *while you're still there*.

Edit:

Another guess - could it be that you've misread something about how the IRS continues to tax US citizens even while they live abroad? I believe that we're the only country that does that.

[steven]

It's madness isn't it

Just to clarify I didn't say you would PAY IRS all your life (although in certain conditions you might)
but that the IRC can -if he wants to- have access to your bank accounts to determine if you are still having a US revenue that would make you a resident for tax purposes.

You see what I mean?


Now I don't keep a copy of all the Economist or newsletter articles I read.

And I will definitively not make a copy of the forms I had to file to open bank accounts in my countries
where I had to declare I was not subject to the US IRC, I "never lived more than 1 year" and "wasn't conducting business with a US citizen".

And I will not make a copy of my Swiss tax files where I must state I am not a subject to the US IRS.

I searched 3 minutes for information as I will not lose my whole day for something I consider stealing.
And I found only some examples of the reach of the US IRS

* Some Nonresidents with U.S. Assets Must File Estate Tax Returns
Deceased nonresidents who were not American citizens are subject to U.S. estate taxation with respect to their U.S.-situated assets. U.S.-situated assets include American real estate, tangible personal property, and securities of U.S. companies.
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/int ... 29,00.html

Securities such as shares!!! If my father decease I will be subject to the IRC because he has some shares in Apple! This made the news headlines in Switzerland some months? year? ago.

* Taxation of Nonresident Aliens
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/int ... 77,00.html

An alien is any individual who is not a U.S. citizen or U.S. national. A nonresident alien is an alien who has not passed the green card test or the substantial presence test.

* Substantial Presence Test
You will be considered a U.S. resident for tax purposes if you meet the substantial presence test for the calendar year.
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/int ... 52,00.html

Hence if you have "failed" on the substantial presence test you become a "U.S. resident for tax purposes" !
As you can't redeem being a "U.S. resident for tax purposes" ... it's for live. Good luck.

You know that as US citizen even if you change nationality and want to stop being an US you will still be subject to the IRS! Even if you don't hold anymore a US passport or whatever.

See also

* Aliens and U.S. Citizens Living Abroad
http://www.irs.gov/faqs/content/0,,id=199953,00.html

etc etc etc.

I will not continue on this subject I already lost 15 minutes of my life for something I don't want to become an expert in.