By Dave Basner Apr 13, 2021 By now, millions of Americans have received their third stimulus check, but some of the recipients of the $1,400 direct payment need to return theirs to the government. Kiplinger, there are a few reasons a person might need to send the check back to the IRS. The first is if the recipient is classified as a nonresident alien. This means they are not a US citizen, do not have a green card, and aren't in America for a required amount of time. While qualifying resident aliens who have a green card and a Social Security number were eligible and can keep their check, the nonresident aliens might have gotten one by mistake and need to return it.