prpplague

Please note that in the state of texas you need a state issued ID to purchase and/or use alcohol or tobacco. your passport is not acceptable id for those items. if you get stopped or "carded" you _will_ receive a ticket if you don't have some sort of state issued id.

Is the ITIN number only needed if filing jointly. What about if married, filing seperatley. I know on the 1040 it asks for spouse name and SS, but I would like to skip this dance if I do not have to ; but I still need to file since my wife is abroad and does not have her visa yet, and has her interview sometime this Spring. Thanks for the great info

Dave & Pricilla

if you file seperately there is no need to get an ITIN. if your spouse has no income in another country you get a bigger standard deduction by filling jointly, therefor more money back. which is why most people go to the trouble of getting a ITIN prior to a SSN. (btw, my statements can not be considered tax advice)

Count me in guys..

I'm in the same situation.. My wife and daughter are in the Philippines right now and I want to include them on my 2007 filling..

What should I do? I know the passport thing has been discussed..

So I have a photocopy of her passport, I just have to get it notarized? To any Notary Public? Stating what?

I also want to include my daughter on the filling.. But she haven't been here and she's a USC.. Since she haven't been here so she doesn't have a SSN.

What should I do?

if it were me, i would also file for an extension to october 15th. then i'd go ahead an apply for a SSN for your daughter. in the mean time, have your wife visit the consulate/embassy and get a certified copy of her passport made. it will cost you to fedex/ups to the states but you'll have untill october to get it done.

Here is another thing that can effect an ITIN. I called IRS because we sent in DS-230 in Oct. '07 and checked the box that we wanted a SSN issued. Found out the IRS considers this a SSN applied for and aliens can not hve both SSN and ITIN applied for. Since we won't be coming through POE until late March, there will not be enough time to get SSN before filing deadline of April 15th. IRS specialist advised me to make sure enough tax had been paid in to avoid owing anything and just file for automatic extension, then file taxes when SSN arrives. He told me "applied for" is no longer accepted in the SSN/ITIN box.

You mean amend it?

i assume he means get a standard extension until october 15th.

He told me "applied for" is no longer accepted in the SSN/ITIN box.

yea we were told the same thing, problem at H&R block along with all the other tax preparers i tried, their software packages will not allow them to complete the tax return without something in the space provided for a SSN or ITIN. what i did as a backup was made a photocopy of that page, used white out on the "applied for" and then made another photocopy of the page. i then took both the "applied for" marked paged and the blank page with me to the IRS office. i pointed out the "applied for" section to the IRS rep, she said the "official" policy was that it was not accepted but they do all the time. so she accepted the page with "applied for" on it.

http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96287,00.html

What documents are acceptable as proof of identity and foreign status?

IRS has streamlined the number of documents the agency will accept as proof of identity to obtain an ITIN. There are now 13 acceptable documents.

An original, or a certified or notarized copy, of an UNEXPIRED passport is the only document that is accepted for both identity and foreign status.

I recieved a letter from the IRS in Sept. 2007 that for a foriegn spouse I must submit a valid passport. Some of those acceptable ID's in the instructions do not apply for foreigners. They did reject a certified copy of her passport from DFW office in the Philippines. Here is the number for ITIN information 215-516-4846. I hope this will help.

yea we went round and round about who could make a certified or notarized, it finally boiled down to either i had to send the passport in with the income tax return or take it in to the IRS office.

You do not have to send the passport. Just get the passport and make a copy of it and have it notarized here in the states, then send the copy.

i tried like 15 different notary services, none would certify a copy of a foreign passport. i don't know if it was just my bad luck or if there some rule regarding foreign documents.

we applied for a ITIN for my wife prior to her visa approval. here is a summary of what we learned 3 years ago, no idea if the rules have changed:

1. the return has to filed in paper format, it can not be electronically filed.

2. the section where your spouses SSN or ITIN is suppose to be filled in should be left blank or in the case of H&R block they had to put in "APPLIED" in the space provided so their software wouldn't complain.

3. the completed W-7 needs to be included and....

4. here is the kicker, you have to either include the passport with the application OR go to an IRS where they will photocopy the passport when accepting the tax return.

i went directly to the IRS office to file our return. the offices won't tell you but the office supervisor is authorized to make certified copies of foreign passports. i wait in line for about 30 minutes, the irs rep took the return, had the supervisor do the photocopy and said that was it. if you do go to the IRS office, make sure you record the date and time as well as the IRS rep's id number. there have been reports of "misplaced" returns with W-7's attached.

here is also a giant warning, after your spouse gets their SSN number you MUST, i repeat, MUST notify the IRS that the ITIN needs to be revoked in favor of the SSN. the IRS will not automatically void the ITIN after a SSN is assigned. i've been told that using the new SSN without voiding the ITIN will case a flag for getting audited.

I found roti way to messy to eat,

Maybe you just need to find a Trini to teach you proper technique!

we've been trying to find some roti skins in the DFW area for ages. there is a new grocery specializing in international foods, gonna try it this weekend!

First of all I live in Guyana , so I have 2 options so far which I know about :

From Guyana to JFK then I have to connect from there to meet Minnesota which is my destination

Or From Guyana to Miami then I connect from there to meet Minnesota

Can U plz tell me if JFK / Miami P.O.E is the best ?

Thank You

generally speaking, the miami POE is pretty good. there have been few reported problems on VJ. (my wife is from barbados). the ticket prices direct to JFK are usually pretty expensive, you might think of going through miami.

i certainly would and do turn in suspected illegals. i pay a significant amount of property taxes for the local school district. our local school has a very high number of illegals attending, so many that many times school papers and announcements are sent home ONLY in spanish. i don't think that my children's school should bear the burden of illegals sending their kids to school at my expense. in addition there are many other expense that are accrued by illegals such as car wrecks by uninsured drivers, other criminals acts, and the burden on local medical resources(since they generally only go to emergency rooms).

We inquire to SS local Office and nobody can give us the status of the SS number/Card application. Even in email inquiry and here is their reply:

Thank you for contacting the Social Security Administration.

We’re sorry, but we can’t estimate how long it may take to receive a Social Security card. We’re working harder than ever to protect you, prevent identity theft, and ensure the integrity of your Social Security Number. To do that, we may have to verify documents you present as proof of identity. How quickly we issue the card may depend on how quickly we can verify the documents.

Did anyone experienced this?

Lily

we waited for 3 months after POE and still did not receive a SS card. we then went directly to the SS office and applied again. we receive the SS card 10 days after applying. the lady at the SS office said they had lots of people coming in and reapplying for a SS card.

We just received Packet 3! Very exciting

Despite reading the information a hundred times already, I am still a bit confused about the vaccinations. My husband (the beneficiary) does not have any past immunization records, so...

- should he go to his doctor this week and get the vaccinations required (at least the first dose)?

- or is he supposed to wait and have them done at the official consulate medical exam in Naples?

Also, am I understanding correctly that, as a 36 year old, he only has to have the following?:

- Td

- MMR

- Varicella

Also, I would love to hear from anyone who has had a Naples medical and interview experience!

Thanks!

my wife had lost her vacination card, so she was going to have to get some shots. we asked about doing it before hand. turns out in our case it was cheaper and easier to just get it done at the time of the medical exam. after reviewing her records, the doctor said she only need to the MMR and DPT. the only thing i would recommend as a concern with getting the shots at the medical is that 1 in 20 people have a reaction with the MMR shot about 7-12 days after receiving the shot. so if you can help it, try to get the medical done at least 14 days before your interview. you don't want to be sick at the interview.

Has anyone gone for the medical exam and needed vaccinations? If this is the case, will the physician give the needed vaccinations then, or will we have to go get the vaccinations before the interview. If the interview date is close to the medical exam and we are unable to get the vaccinations by interview time, will the embassy hold off on granting the visa until all vaccinations are complete?

Thanks

my wife had lost her vacination card, so she was going to have to get some shots. we asked about doing it before hand. turns out in our case it was cheaper and easier to just get it done at the time of the medical exam. after reviewing her records, the doctor said she only need to the MMR and DPT. the only thing i would recommend as a concern with getting the shots at the medical is that 1 in 20 people have a reaction with the MMR shot about 7-12 days after receiving the shot. so if you can help it, try to get the medical done at least 14 days before your interview. you don't want to be sick at the interview.

So, my fiance will be arriving Aug. 1, Dallas will be his POE. Yay! Please can someone give me some advice...as to the general procedures upon arrival? My concern is because my fiance speaks very little English, so I'm very worried about how he will process through at the airport. I'll be driving up from Houston....and will be at the airport, but I know that you cannot contact anyone at immigration as they will not release any info. I was thinking of writing a note in English and having him carry it w/ him to present to the officer in case they ask him any questions he cannot answer. Something along the lines of "My name is ____, I am here on a K-1 visa to marry my fiance ___. We will marry w/in 90 days. My fiance is waiting for here in the airport, her number is _____, for further reference." What do you think...should I write such a note for him???

(I understand that there are usually interpreters present, but the language my fiance speaks is not one of the 'common' ones....so should they decide one is needed....they wait may be quite long until they get an interpreter.) I'm just trying to do anything I can to prevent that scenario.

Also, a small related question. We'll be staying the night in Dallas, before coming back to Houston. Does anyone have ideas of a decent 'budget' hotel around the airport....no frills necessary, we won't have time to notice.

i've stayed at the bedford super 8 a couple of times. its just a short trip from the dfw airport(about 5minutes).

http://www.super8.com/Super8/control/Booki...il&rate=000

as far as dealing with the language issue, they are used to dealing with non-english speaking individuals. in addition, the paperwork in his MBE will contain notes as to his native language. for my wife's POE, they didn't even ask her any questions. basically took a fingerprint and had her sign a couple of pages.

dfw is a pretty good sized airport, so you might want to check his arrival gate online before hand.

Oh wow...I just got back to the Big D recently myself. Dallas is AWESOME.

good to see you online. how are you taking things?

My attorney in BANGKOK just called TWO weeks before my SO's interview and said the U.S. Embassy requires the original decrees of my divorces; not copies. Has anyone ever heard of this? Is this true? The VJ guidelines state copies of the decrees.

Has anyone's SO had their interview yet that the interviewer has required originals? Can anyone point me to USCIS or DHS webpage that states these requirements? Or is it up to the embassy to what they want?

Thanks,

reach449

my divorce decree was out of texas which normally only provides "non-certified" copies to the divorcee. the embassy(barbados) did require a certified copy from the county clerk's office, which i was able to obtain pretty easy for a small fee(if i recall correctly it was $10USD). generally the CO can accept just about any documents, certified or not, however the CO often gets his work reviewed and if there is a problem the CO can get a reprimand, so they generally are very strict with the policies regarding the documents.

we arrived at MIA from barbados at around 10:30am on june 20th. we approached a representative at the immigration area and told him we had an immigrate visa packette. he steared us to the US Citizen line. after waiting in line for about 2-4 minutes we were called up. the CBP officer reviewed the kids passports(USC), as well as mine(USC). then reviewed my wife's barbados passport. he said we should follow him and he led us to a room there to the side of the initial area. we waited for about 10 minutes, then a CBP officer called my wifes name. she went to the desk. he took a single fingerprint, had her sign a form, and stamped her passport. he informed her that untill she receives her green card, she would need to use the visa in her passport if she intended to travel outside the country. then he welcomed her to america and said we were done. overall it went pretty smooth. the american airlines staff did give me a little trouble about having a one way ticket for her, but after speaking to a supervisor everything was cleared up.

my wife has her MBE, but she noticed that the address on the outside of the package was our old address. all of our immigration related paperwork has been delivered to our new address. so the question is, should she point out that the address on the MBE is incorrect at the POE, or should we just followup later to make sure they have our correct address?

I don't think it's breaking the law not to require a SSN for non-tax purposes.

http://www.fdic.gov/regulations/laws/rules/8000-8500.html

Hah. Another reason for me to stay away.

?? to stay away?? stay away from what?

I don't think it's breaking the law not to require a SSN for non-tax purposes.

http://www.fdic.gov/regulations/laws/rules/8000-8500.html

The downside is of course that you are now a member of Bank of America.

I have more issues than I can explain with those people.

1. They stole the Keep the Change idea from a guy in West Palm. Currently being taken to court.

2. I have to wait 15 minutes to talk to a person if I need any help. And that's just navigating through their sneaky menu that purposely tries to prevent you from talking to a live person.

3. http://redtape.msnbc.com/2007/05/id_thief_bounce.html

4. They told us that my husband didn't need his SSN or ITIN - mine was fine. Cue a letter arriving that they needed it with a copy of his passport. Luckily he had an ITIN - if he hadn't, they would have closed the account. Apparently the fact my SSN was all over the account didn't matter, and I was lied to at the branch.

...yeah I'm with a credit union now

(PS - yes, I should have added this onto the first reply, but it wouldn't let me. :( )

i too have had a ton of problems with BoA. as far as opening a bank account, simply use your ITIN or SSN, its the law. why support banks that break the law by not requiring ITIN's or SSN's. first thing my wife and i did after getting married was obtain a ITIN for the purposes of IRS filling and the ability to put her on our checking account.

First I want to let everyone know that I married my beautiful wife on June 8th. And, seconf I would like to know how many couples are in the greater Dallas/Ft. Woth area?

congrads!!!

we live in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford area, my wife and kids will be doing the POE thing on june 20th!

Should every Italian be searched and detained at the border for being Italian and connected to the mob? Should every Irishman be detained for maybe being connected to the IRA? Or every Russian because ya just never know, they may be a pinko commie? Or or or...?

I'll remind people here that prior to 9/11 the most horrific terrorist act perpetrated on US soil was by a born US citizen. Perhaps all former US Army should also be questioned and detained under suspicion that they may want to blow up a governement building?

if they fit the profile for possibly creating a problem in the US, yes. stop them and search them.

ok, maybe not..

and ppl saying that you can't take his word that they actually asked him "do you know Osama bin Laden" is completely rude, ridiculous and aggravating on its own.

Would it be different for you all if it was an American citizen saying that he was accosted at a border in an arab country? Would you believe him on his word as opposed to this guy?!

no i would not! people exaggerate and untill i see something that coberates the statement, its just hearsay.

Then would you have a problem if you are someday subjected to something similar? Would you still feel that it's ok to engage in profiling? It is possible you know.

first i am a US citizen, i do have protection under the law. second, USCIS is charged with keeping undesirables from entering into the US, be it criminals, drug users, terrorists or religious extremists. the surpreme court ruled that there are certain limits on religious freedoms in the US. mainly if the religion performs or encourage behavior that is counter to the maintenance of a stable community, i.e. sacrificing virgins because it is "your religion" is not acceptable. if you are NOT a US citizen and choose to try and enter the US, you are subject to scrutiny on ALL levels.

. . or dentists who happen to be muslim.

And actually, you might want to bone up on your rights at the border - even as a US citizen you have NO Rights at the border. You have no miranda rights; ou cannot make a phone call; you do not have the right to talk to a lawyer; you can be held without knowledge and awareness of anyone by your own border authorities and it is perfectly legal. The border guards are the ultimate authority and they make the deciisions about what you will and will not be allowed to do. So, even if you are a US citizen, if they want to believe you are a person of interest, you don't have any rights at all. I think it is in everyone's interests - US citizens and visitors to the US - that border officials are educated, knowledgeable and perform their jobs responsibly, intelligently and with integrity.

But perhaps he was held under the fact that he is an imam who airs public views about his religion?

If we're talking red-flags that might be the bigger one, rather than the fact that he's a muslim who also happens to be a dentist.

we already know that USCIS uses google.com to do checks. i did a quick google for el-kasem and ran across several references. no surprise to me that he got extra questioning.

and as far as being scrutinized on entry into the US, i have nothing to hide, USCIS is welcome to do all the checks they want on me when i enter the US.