Hello,
I am an american and my wife is chinese, and we both live and work in japan.Shes been here for about 8 years and ive been here for 4.I want to do dfc but i am a little confused and hope of you great people can assist me.

I havent filed taxes for the last few years and I have been living and working in Japan.I recently learned that I864 only needs the most recent tax year.Do you think not filing will hurt my chances and if so, how long will it take for the irs to process my all returns so i can get a receipt???

Since i have lived in Japan for 4 years, can I be her sponsor since i am not currently living in the US???


And It looks like i need to get my wife an ITTN number ..which i was suprised since she is not a us citizen and she hasnt ever worked in the US.How long does it take to get this ittn????

Or would it better/let say faster to say she isnt working and than she is a dependent on my tax forms. So, then i only have to file my taxes.I made around $30,000us last year,so i believe we have above the poverty line.And I have saved a ton of cash as well.

I want to do DFC but in Japan, but i have to go to tokyo and i live far from there.I have a US consulate in my city but they refuse to help me with any questions or information.They told me i have to go to Tokyo or call or email them, but heres the catch, i have to pay if i want to find out any infomation from tokyo via a credit card, which i dont currently have.Last year, i could get the info free of charge but now they wont answer any questions unless i pay the tokyo embassy.


I am almost ready to file except the tax receipt since i havent filed yet.I have all the info but this.
What do you recommend i do..because if i am right , i have to send everything at once...right??
(I130, g326a, ds23o(4 parts), I129f, medical reports, police reports, birth certs/translation, wed cert/trans,
employment letter showing i have a job and im in good standing(in japan),photos,copies of our passports...so is this correct, you need to file everything at once if you file in japan?
Whats the difference if i file US?
What are my options ?? i have read countless hours of info and i still need some help or advice.....
Thanks in advance to all to help me
kw

Hi and welcome. You may like to do a search on posts by others filing or already completed DCF in Japan. Here is a link from the timelines for DCF Japan

Edited to add.....here is a tokyo experience http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=928&hl=

There is a world of information on the Tokyo Embassy site about applying for Immigrant Visas:
http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/e/visa/tvisa-ivgeneral.html

We applied for my husbands ITIN number from New Zealand. It took a little less than a month. It has to be accompanied by the filing of a tax return. See:
http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,...287,00.html#who

There was a sheet included in the initial packet we received from the NZ Consulate (we are filing DCF here in NZ) about U.S. Citizens living abroad filing taxes.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a101/sad...62006_00000.jpg
2nd page:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a101/sad...62006_00001.jpg
I don't think it would be better or faster to say your wife isn't working. The worst thing you can do to Immigration Service is be untruthful. If they find out later and they will, it could cause you a lot of grief.

I think as her husband, you have to be her sponsor and if you don't meet the poverty guidelines you would need a co-sponsor. You must also have domicile in the U.S. If you want to see the form we got about that, let me know.
Have you contacted the Embassy and asked for the initial packet? If not, you might want to do that and if you don't have a credit card to use, you could write them & tell them you are a US Citizen and a legal resident in Japan and want to file the I-130 petition for your Chinese wife who is also a legal resident of Japan and would they be kind enough to send the forms you need. In that packet are all the instructions and requirements for your Embassy there. All Embassies and Consultates are different.
HTH

Are you saying she already has her medical and police certificates? And, where did you get that info, that you have to file everything at once? Just curious.

A month ago, i had a friend who lives in tokyo go to the us embassy and ask for the documents for me and they told him that all info was on the website and if he wants the documents, then use the net.They wouldnt give him any help besides that.Tell this isnt frustrating!!!
So, they wont give out documents or packets like you called it.
so....all i can do is use the internet and ive been doing this for months.

How do i determine or prove that i have a US domicile??Can i use my parents address, what do i need to do here??

Since, i dont know specifically what tokyo requires because they wont help me, i read that you must file everything
(I130(for her)
g325A(both of us)
ds230 for her
police reports from china and japan for her,
medical documents(from an approved hospital)
marriage cert(but i dont have it translated yet(CAN i do this and go to the consulate for notary stamp???)
passport copies/photos/
I864(but i need the file my taxes,and get her a ITTN number and then file and then get the receipt)

kwinjp

If you look at that last link I posted above you can see how another one that filed in Tokyo did things. The member also has his/her email addy in there as well.

Have you read the DCF guide here on VJ. There is links within there on 'domicile'
http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?autocom=custom&page=dcf

The Tokyo experience is well documented by your friends who have gone through the process and left ther stories for your use. Be sure to search the archives (pre2006) here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums2/index.p...Search&mode=adv

Slow down for just a couple of days; I think you will find everything you need to understand the process posted here already, including the info on domicile.

Get your tax returns ready. Add your wife's ITIN application with your return so you can file as "married" (a requirement) and play around with the numbers to see if you do better as married/joint or married/separate. (PS: your spouse can not be your "dependant")

The difference for filing in Tokyo vs US is time and ease of process. In Tokyo, it will take you 30-60 days. If you file in the US, it will be 6-9 months. And, it's all the same info. File locally

I agree with Lorelle, email Danielle (Kauchan) and ask for her help since they were DCF in Tokyo.
The Embassy in Tokyo may have helped you if you went in person and I take it you haven't written them. But if you gather all your documents and it seems like you already have most of them, then you should be able to submit your petition by mail. And if they have courier or registered mail there, I would use that. And make copies of everything. You do need to get your taxes filed with an application for an ITIN number for your wife first. If the Embassy requires a tax transcript from IRS (after your taxes are filed and accepted) you can get that in about 24 hours by using www.accuverify.com which is what I ended up doing after trying to get transcripts for two months from IRS. (however, you do need a credit card or Paypal to use their service) The Embassy there may not require this or may require notarized copy of tax returns, I don't know as each Embassy is different. As Meauxna told you the Domicile issue is covered in the Guides, you can also do a search for it on the forums and get lots of info. Also look here:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/in...nfo_1328.html#4

BTW, you do see that the I-864 has be notarized by a US notary? Not sure about having your marriage certificate translated & notarized. If you were married in China, you might ask someone from there what they did:
http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...sort_order=desc