Residency Requirements: Graduate Students

All Graduate Students must have the legal ability to establish a permanent domicile in the United States, meaning that they must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or hold a valid, qualifying nonimmigrant visa. Further, Graduate Students must demonstrate at least one-year of continuous physical presence immediately prior to the Residence Determination Date while in an eligible immigration status, and which continues for duration of enrollment.

Read the full policy on immigration status (pdf)

All Graduate Students must provide objective evidence of a permanent Domicile and physical presence in California on a continuous basis for a period of at least one year immediately before the relevant Residence Determination Date (dates indicated in the tables below).

Physical presence in California solely for educational purposes does not constitute the establishment of California residence, regardless of length of stay. Students whose absences exceed 6 weeks in total during this qualification period are presumed to be disqualifying.

Read the full policy regarding physical presence (pdf)

All Graduate Students must establish required legal ties to California through acquisition of one or more items of required governmental evidence of intent listed below by the relevant deadlines. Any and all ties to the past place of residence must have been severed at least one year prior to the Residence Determination Date for the relevant term.

Required Governmental Evidence of Intent (subject to applicable deadlines indicated in the tables below):

• State of California Driver License or State of California Identification Card for non-drivers and the relinquishment of driver licenses or ID cards issued by other states
• Valid voter registration in California, if legally eligible to register
• State of California car registration for all motor vehicles owned by the Student
• State of California tax return filed as “resident” status effective with date of declared California residency; tax returns amended after the submission of a Statement of Legal Residence, Petition for Reclassification, or issuance of a Nonresident Classification will not be accepted for the Resident Determination Date for term being evaluated; state and federal tax transcripts may be requested

Please note: An Graduate Student who takes steps to establish a residence in California but whose activities and circumstances suggest temporary or indeterminate residence will be considered as Nonresidents for purposes of UC tuition. Such activities and circumstances include, but are not limited to, maintaining ties to and the continued maintenance of the prior residence, and returning to the prior residence during periods of non-instruction. Graduate Students who have satisfied the one-year physical presence requirement and have acquired one or more items of required governmental evidence of intent but have not timely obtained other California legal indicia and/or continue to hold out-of-state legal indicia may be denied a Resident Classification for the term for which a Resident Classification has been requested.

Read the full policy regarding intent to remain in California (pdf)