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Crazy Cat

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Everything posted by Crazy Cat

  1. Priority dates for immediate relatives of US citizens are immediately current. These would be IR-2.
  2. Yes. They will not get interviews until the priority dates are current.
  3. F2A cases with a priority date of 1 Jan 2022 are just now becoming current. You could be looking at a few more years for the F2A interviews. @Boiler, @appleblossom, @OldUser, what do you think?
  4. What is the I-130 priority date for the F2 cases?
  5. Be aware that there is at least one case where the person who requested an I-131 was denied entry into the US because she had never really lived in the US prior to the re-entry document being issued. Something to be aware of.
  6. It seems you are doing a great deal of research. Just be aware that benefits are sometimes not as apparent as you might think. You are already living together. Having a Green Card immediately upon arrival in the US has big advantages. Final thought: I have seen many, many K-1 couples regret their decision. On the other hand, I have seen only 1 or 2 couples regret a spousal visa. Good luck on your journey from 70+ year old codger. BTW, she can start getting spousal SS benefits after 1 year of marriage (assuming she is 62+)....Doesn't require citizenship.
  7. Maybe not. The clock for citizenship starts when she receives a Green Card. I think your estimates for a K-1 are unrealistic. Then, you have to add a year or more for her to obtain a Green card. Every couple has their own priorities, and each couple must decide which visa is better for their situation. K-1 More expensive than CR-1 Requires Adjustment of Status after marriage (expensive and requires a lot of paperwork) Spouse can not leave the US until she/he receives approved Advance Parole (approx 3-6 months) Spouse can not work until she/he receives EAD (approx 3-6 months) Some people have had problems with driver licenses, Social Security cards, leases, bank account during this period Spouse will not receive Green Card for many months after Adjustment of Status is filed. A K-1 might be a better choice when 18-21 year old children are immigrating also In some situations, marriage can affect certain Home country benefits, making a K-1 a better choice A denied K-1 is sent back to USCIS to expire K-1 entrant cannot file for citizenship until after having Green Card for 3 years. Once an I-129F has been approved, delaying the case is difficult to impossible if the need arises. CR-1/IR-1 Less expensive than K-1 No Adjustment of Status(I-485, I-131, I-765) required. Spouse can immediately travel outside the US Spouse is authorized to work immediately upon arrival. Spouse receives Social Security Card and Green Card within 2 or 3 weeks after entering the US Opening a bank account, getting a driver's license, etc. are very easily accomplished with GC, SS card, and passport. Spouse has legal permanent Resident status IMMEDIATELY upon entry to US. The clock for citizenship filing starts immediately upon entry to the US. A CR-1/IR-1 case can be delayed indefinitely at NVC if the need arises.
  8. It is valid for 5 years...No need to renew until then.
  9. Updating a mailing address alone is not an issue, and is common. The form just verifies that both physical and mailing addresses are correct.
  10. The FBAR and foreign income exclusion were already mentioned earlier in this thread. They are just a couple reasons I recommend new immigrants consult a competent tax pro for the first year minimum.
  11. Absolutely. Many people inside the US do that.
  12. That is inaccurate. We set wife's passport appointment immediately after receiving the oath notice. There were no issues at all. There is no requirement to be a US citizen prior to setting the appointment.
  13. Same here. The year my wife arrived, she filed as a dual status alien as she had significant income prior to arriving in the US. Our accountant showed us the best strategy for our particular situation.
  14. Yes, I-130s can be done online. Yes, it could take close to 2 years.
  15. Good point. Agree. I always recommend that, too. Dual status aliens, Foreign income exclusions, FBAR, foreign asset reporting, etc, can get involved. Wife and I have been using a pro in Dallas to do our taxes every year since she arrived in 2017. I have peace of mind knowing EVERYTHING has been reported correctly. Note: The FBAR is submitted to the Department of the Treasury....not the IRS...I had no idea at the time.
  16. Yes. He, as a non-resident alien, can file a joint return if he wants to be treated as a resident alien for tax purposes for the entire year. I would just E-file as MFJ. The IRS says ".... nonresidents married to U.S. citizens or residents can choose to be treated as U.S. residents and file joint returns. " Unless the 1040 changed for 2024, it doesn't even ask about resident status if filing a joint return.
  17. ***Moved to the Philippines regional forum for country specific questions***
  18. That would not be a problem. People change PO Boxes (mailing address) sometimes.
  19. I don't think anyone implied that. I said a SSN allows E-filing. As stated in one of my posts above, if he does not have a Green Card, and he does not pass the substantial presence test, he is a non-resident alien. Nonresident aliens | Internal Revenue Service "An alien is any individual who is not a U.S. citizen or U.S. national. A nonresident alien is an alien who has not passed the green card test or the substantial presence test. " In addition, in order to file a joint return, he must be treated as a resident alien. Nonresident — Figuring your tax | Internal Revenue Service "Generally, you cannot file as married filing jointly if either spouse was a nonresident of the U.S. at any time during the tax year."However, nonresidents married to U.S. citizens or residents can choose to be treated as U.S. residents and file joint returns.
  20. Weird. Thanks. Didn't see that...LOL.
  21. I hope you aren't planning to leave VJ. Your rock-solid, reliable information is vital to our community..
  22. Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!! This is BIG!!!!!!! I've been with you the entire journey!!!!!! I am so happy for you!!!!!
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