Documents Required to establish residency abroad

[rdtogg 0]

What documents are required to establish residency abroad?

I have been living in China for the past 4 years. My most recent residency permit expired 16 days ago. My plan for the foreseeable future is to spend 50% of my time in China with my wife while we are waiting on this process. We do have an apartment in China as well.

Does an apartment and a very recent residency permit qualify for residence abroad?

Is there anywhere that I could find a list of documents that could establish my residency abroad?

Thanks,

Tommy

[Confusedtinybird 41]

Have you already filed doing DCF?

Don't think you can file using am expired visa, but I might be wrong. Unless you plan on getting another type of visa.

[Penguin_ie 5,994]

You need to be legally resident for 6 months to file- an expired permit won't count unless you are somehow legally resident in a different way now. On what basis do you live in China now? Ie tourist visa, or illegally, or are you allowed to live in China as the spouse of a Chinese citizen without a official permit, or....?

[RandyW 149]

The six month requirement was dropped in 2011 for filing DCF. Do you presently LIVE in China or not? Do you have a valid visa/residence permit or not? Your exit and entry stamps should show where you are/were at any point in time. What other evidence do you HAVE and what do you expect to use it for?

If you have returned to the US, you will not be eligible to file DCF. If you are still in China, it shouldn't be a problem, although legal presence MAY be required.

The IRS has one set of guidelines, the clerk at the USCIS office who accepts DCF applications another. No one else will care too much about where you get your mail or hang your hat.