Hi, I was just wondering if I am considered a US Resident. I am originally from South Africa but I moved here about 8 years ago on a student visa. Whenever I apply for sweepstakes and stuff, it always says "US Residents or Legal Residents only" I was just wondering if that applies to me or only to people with a green card. Technically I am a legal resident because I am here legally and the government knows about me. It just whether I'm considered one or not...

Although visa and immigration status are closely related in many ways, they are completely different. A visa is basically a travel document issued by the Department of State (DOS) that allows the visa bearer to travel to a port of entry. The visa holder's immigration status, if admitted, is then determined by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the POE. If the visitor wishes to extend his/her stay or change status, the request is handled by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Therefore, yes you are here legally, but on a temporary non-immigrant visa which allows you to be here, but according to Immigration your are still a resident of your own country until you Adjust your status by obtaining a green card. For example I have been here in the US since 1997 and I first came on an F-1 Student visa. Then I was sponsored by a Company for an H-1B and then E-2 visa. I got married in 2008 and on January 2010 I got my conditional green card and only then my status changed to permanent resident. So although I have physically been here for the last 13 yrs accoding to Immigration I have only been a resident for the last two.

Of course when it comes to pay taxes you are "residing" here for a centain number of days out of the year so you're considered a resident of that state and have to pay both state and federal taxes accordingly.