I've lived in the US for 6 years as a student (F1) then did 1 yr of OPT (2006) and converted to H1b (2007), a total of almost 8 yrs. Last year (on OPT) I filed a 1040NR based on my own determination. This year, I'm confused. Should I file as an RA or NRA? My H1b started Oct07. Before that I was getting paid on OPT (F1 visa).

If I have a choice between filing RA and NRA, which one is better overall? Which one will get me a bigger return? I'm not eligible for social security or medicare, can I get that money back ($3700 withheld for both)?

Thank you.
Haider.

If you file resident tax return or nonresident tax return, and if you are Single and you are from India, your tax will be the same. On both the returns you will get exemption of $3,400 and standard deduction of $5,350.

What do you mean by "I am not eligible for social security or medicare."?

I am not from India (I'm from Pakistan). I'm under the impression that as a foreigner and a non-resident (on a visa) I am not eligible for benefits of social security and medicare, is that true? I am single with no dependants. Does this change your answer?

Thank you for your prompt reply.