I think I have a unique case. Double endorsement checks.

[mishka1 17]

To open a joint bank account you need her social security number and an photo ID, you could give to the bank a copy of your wife’s first passport page (that has her photo) and the SS#, and that should be enough.

[Juliet and Steve 93]

I'll bet that if she signs, and then you sign, and you deposit it through an ATM that it'll simply be added to your account.

Indeed banks tend to be paranoid lately about everything and talking to a human brings up that human paranoia. When depositing in via an ATM it simply becomes one incoming check amongst a thousand and it's more than likely that whoever is data entering the check won't even make a connection.

The worst that can happen is they call you up and say: sorry we can't cash it... In this unlikely scenario if I had two banks I'd go and do the same at the second.

[kintu 4]

To make a long story short. I haven't filed AOS for my wife yet and she has been here for about 6 months. I actually have everything ready, just need a translation of her birth certificate and the packet will be ready to go. Anyhow, since she does have a social security number and we got married, I was able to file my 2 previous tax returns as joint returns and was able to get about 3 checks in refund from the government.

Problem is that me and my wife's name are one the check. When I went to cash it, I was told that in order to cash it, my wife and I would need to have a joint account. When I said sure, why not, i'll make my account a joint account, the teller told me that I would need to bring my wife's state ID or drivers license in order to make/open a joint account. Well, how is my wife going to get a stae ID/Driver's Lincense without even being a resident. Why would the government double endorse our checks if they knew my wife isn't a resident yet. ugh! Don't know what to do. Is my only option to cash the checks, is to wait till my wife is granted her green card so that she can be able to apply for a state ID?

i think,since your wife has a social security,she is eligible for a state ID. you need her PP,SSN and one or two govt.issued letter showing her address in the USA.

[Martyshk 137]

She entered in May on a K1. That means you were married this year, which means that you would only file jointly for 2012 (which isn't due yet).. so how did you file joint for the last 2 returns?

Easy, Vanessa...tax fraud!

[perez525 8]

To make a long story short. I haven't filed AOS for my wife yet and she has been here for about 6 months. I actually have everything ready, just need a translation of her birth certificate and the packet will be ready to go. Anyhow, since she does have a social security number and we got married, I was able to file my 2 previous tax returns as joint returns and was able to get about 3 checks in refund from the government.

Problem is that me and my wife's name are one the check. When I went to cash it, I was told that in order to cash it, my wife and I would need to have a joint account. When I said sure, why not, i'll make my account a joint account, the teller told me that I would need to bring my wife's state ID or drivers license in order to make/open a joint account. Well, how is my wife going to get a stae ID/Driver's Lincense without even being a resident. Why would the government double endorse our checks if they knew my wife isn't a resident yet. ugh! Don't know what to do. Is my only option to cash the checks, is to wait till my wife is granted her green card so that she can be able to apply for a state ID?

I haven't filed for AOS for my husband either, he was able to get his state ID and driver's permit, and also open a bank account with just his passport. As a bank sales rep, a passport and some type of address verification should be fine.

[Martyshk 137]

I added my husband to my bank account with his SS and his passport.

This is how I added my (at a time fiancee) wife before we even got married. Then we went over with her GC and changed her name.

All in all though, our tax returns (the past two years that we HAVE BEEN MARRIED) get direct deposited to save the headache and whatnot...

[KayDeeCee 4,892]

Careful buddy U have to be married and living together for the yr U filed jointly for or at least for 9 mths if am not mistaken, so how do U file jointly for 2 yrs , also with all these checks is your wife in the mix to cash them ? she can use her valid pp and SS card to cash the checks if both of U want to, if U try to cash it without her thats where U may have a prob. U can cash checks from IRS at any Ace check cashing with a valid PP and social, or any reputable check cashing place, the IRS do not play, so sort yourselves out.

You do not have to live together for 9 months. You can get married by Dec. 31st and still file taxes jointly for that year. So, anyone who gets married this month can file jointly for 2012. The problem is, you cannot retroactively file back taxes as married for years that you were not married. I am not sure why the OP thought you could do such a thing. I think he should not bother cashing that check because the IRS is going to want their money back.

[ceadsearc 516]

You do not have to live together for 9 months. You can get married by Dec. 31st and still file taxes jointly for that year. So, anyone who gets married this month can file jointly for 2012. The problem is, you cannot retroactively file back taxes as married for years that you were not married. I am not sure why the OP thought you could do such a thing. I think he should not bother cashing that check because the IRS is going to want their money back.

This is my thought. I wonder if OP was confused by how amending tax returns works. For example, if you are married but your spouse hasn't yet received their SS # you can do married filing separately until the SS comes and then amend it to married filing jointly for a bigger return. But there is definitely no amending to married when you were not married during any part of the year.

[Teddy B 17,251]

I am a Canadian citizen, living in Canada, with no SSN or ITIN and I have a US bank account and a US Visa Check Card.

It is allowed and perfectly legal, it's just most tellers are not trained in how to open accounts for foreigners.

This is very true. A lot of banks and their employees are ignorant to this. Sometimes you have to be insistent with a manager and have tem look into it, but it is clearly stated on the Us gov't SSN page.

Try a different bank or a different location. But first straighten out the tax situation because that isn't just an IRS problem. USCIS might think you lied and were really married before your fiancée came here, and assume you committed visa fraud.

OP, I would take this advice and make sure you correct those tax returns before you file for AOS, not only could it hurt you with tax fraud, but immigration fraud as well.

[Speeds03 16]

For the people jumping the gun and shouting TAX FRAUD!!!!! Quiet down. I have stated that I worded the OP wrong (which I can't edit). I wasn't the one that handled my taxes ( I wouldn't know where to start). I went to a tax preparer, he looked at my two previous taxes. Told me that the guy who filed my previous taxes (another tax preparer) filed them wrong. Do I know ####### he did specifically? No. Do I have the records? Yes. Have I cashed the checks? No. Will I go back to the Tax preparer to double check (just in case) since some people here have expressed concern the APPROPIATE way? Yes. Most likely sometime next week i'll be able to make the appointment. Would I purposely do anything stupid to jeopardize my wife's AOS? No. Do the checks amount to more than 2k? No. Am I trying to go behind my wife's back to cash a few extra bucks? LMAO ridiculous since they are signed by both. Have I gotten some important feed back from good people on this thread? Yes. I had no Idea my wife could get a state ID/Drivers Licence. I have everything prepared to go with her tomorrow morning to get her state ID. hopefully we don't have a problem seeing as other people who aren't Residents (yet) on this thread have recieved their state ID or opened up bank accounts. Will I now try to open a jointly account with a different bank regardless of the issue with the checks? Yes. I had no Idea banks allowed it. The two tellers I spoke to are obviously ignorant so i'll be speaking with manager.

If you have any more negative and presumptious things to say, go ahead and post it, I'll respond in kind. If You have any more helpful information, please post it because every bit of information helps me and others alike. - Cheers!

Edited December 6, 2012 by Speeds03

[Darnell 8,478]

i think it's egregious to have 4 dogs and only feed them twice a week.

/end of my negative comments.

[Teddy B 17,251]

For the people jumping the gun and shouting TAX FRAUD!!!!! Quiet down. I have stated that I worded the OP wrong (which I can't edit). I wasn't the one that handled my taxes ( I wouldn't know where to start). I went to a tax preparer, he looked at my two previous taxes. Told me that the guy who filed my previous taxes (another tax preparer) filed them wrong. Do I know ####### he did specifically? No. Do I have the records? Yes. Have I cashed the checks? No. Will I go back to the Tax preparer to double check (just in case) since some people here have expressed concern the APPROPIATE way? Yes. Most likely sometime next week i'll be able to make the appointment. Would I purposely do anything stupid to jeopardize my wife's AOS? No. Do the checks amount to more than 2k? No. Am I trying to go behind my wife's back to cash a few extra bucks? LMAO ridiculous since they are signed by both. Have I gotten some important feed back from good people on this thread? Yes. I had no Idea my wife could get a state ID/Drivers Licence. I have everything prepared to go with her tomorrow morning to get her state ID. hopefully we don't have a problem seeing as other people who aren't Residents (yet) on this thread have recieved their state ID or opened up bank accounts. Will I now try to open a jointly account with a different bank regardless of the issue with the checks? Yes. I had no Idea banks allowed it. The two tellers I spoke to are obviously ignorant so i'll be speaking with manager.

If you have any more negative and presumptious things to say, go ahead and post it, I'll respond in kind. If You have any more helpful information, please post it because every bit of information helps me and others alike. - Cheers!

You have made more than one post in this thread with conflicting information, don't blame the people trying to help you for your mistakes.

[Speeds03 16]

You have made more than one post in this thread with conflicting information, don't blame the people trying to help you for your mistakes.

I wrote what I THOUGHT while stating that I don't know jack-shyt about taxes... Screaming faul while not providing helpful information is not... Helpful. Thanks to the people that have given helpful information, I know what to do to make sure i'm not gutting myself or hurting the AOS process for my wife. Come again

[Speeds03 16]

You do not have to live together for 9 months. You can get married by Dec. 31st and still file taxes jointly for that year. So, anyone who gets married this month can file jointly for 2012. The problem is, you cannot retroactively file back taxes as married for years that you were not married. I am not sure why the OP thought you could do such a thing. I think he should not bother cashing that check because the IRS is going to want their money back.

Thanks for the info. Definately going to revise with the Tax preparer that did my taxes before I cash anything. Then If I can, I will be calling IRS to get the (yeah it's perfectly fine for you to cash it without any problems/legal issues) before I even take the checks to the bank. I will however, be taking my wife to get her State ID and also opening a joint bank account because I had no Idea we could do this without her Greencard. Preparing the AOS certainly made me feel like when I was filing the I-129F lol (good times). I still have to do the I-693 form though, I'm a little confused with it.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Thanks for the info. Definately going to revise with the Tax preparer that did my taxes before I cash anything. Then If I can, I will be calling IRS to get the (yeah it's perfectly fine for you to cash it without any problems/legal issues) before I even take the checks to the bank. I will however, be taking my wife to get her State ID and also opening a joint bank account because I had no Idea we could do this without her Greencard. Preparing the AOS certainly made me feel like when I was filing the I-129F lol (good times). I still have to do the I-693 form though, I'm a little confused with it.

Why do you have to do the I-693? Were her shots not complete when she did her K1 medical? She does not need a new medical if the shots were complete at the time of the K1 medical and it was done less than 12 months ago.

**Edit - most DEFINITELY speak to either the same tax preparer, or another one. You are not legally able to file married when you were married. I think s/he screwed up but luckily you posted here and hopefully now you can get it fixed (or find out exactly what the deal is). Do you have a copy of the taxes? You should have NOTHING that lists you as married, your wife should not be on any of your taxes. She should only be mentioned when you file next year. If he continues to say there's no problem, seek a second opinion, or call/visit the IRS to see what's going on.

Edited December 6, 2012 by Vanessa&Tony