Thousands on non-U.S. residents have received $1,200 stimulus checks

Thousands on non-U.S. residents who were in the country on temporary work visas have received $1,200 stimulus checks dispensed to them in error under the coronavirus relief CARES Act, NPR reported on Wednesday.

The mistake is apparently due to the fact that many of the foreign workers who annually come to the U.S. for low-wage seasonal jobs filed their tax forms incorrectly.

"I would say probably anywhere to a third to a half [of first-time foreign filers] are filing the wrong return," Georgia attorney Clayton Cartwright told NPR, noting that errors are especially likely if workers use an online tax service such as TurboTax, which is intended only for U.S. residents

A nonresident alien is a person who is not a U.S. citizen and does not pass the green card or substantial presence tests used to determine tax status. Nonresident aliens must pay taxes on income they earn in the U.S.