DV 2017 OC Selectees

[san92]

Hi everyone

I just activated my GC at SFO today. I was told to queue in the visitors line and I did so where an amazing officer took my fingerprints and details. He then told me to walk straight to a small office where another officer checked my documents and said I’m good to go.
The whole thing lasted fairly 5 Mins.

However, I just found out the address of a relative which I had given to receive my gc and ssn are no longer residing at that address.

What Can I do?

Should I make an appointment to see a USCIS officer? Since today was a public holiday and tomorrow is too; I guess if I get slotted in for Monday I can explain the situation and advise them of the new address?

Edit: I just checked there are no available slots until 8th December. Since I will be leaving on the 6th, should I go to their office coming Monday?

Would really appreciate any advice!

 

[GreatestNameofAll]

Hey everyone!

I'm sure this has been asked/ answered somewhere before so please let me know if it has.

I'm wondering if there is a hard fast rule/ actual law regarding the amount of time a Green Card holder must spend in the US each year for the first five years before applying for citizenship?
I'm hearing so many different opinions/ viewpoints on this. Some are saying 6 months a year, others less, others more. Others say you can't break up that 6 months a year. So right now, It's just opinion based & I'm really confused & would appreciate any help.

I ask because I have elderly family in Australia that I want to see as much as I can without jeopardising my Greencard. Obviously when I'm in Australia, I will also have to work here.


Thank you,

J

 

[Sm1smom]

Hey everyone!

I'm sure this has been asked/ answered somewhere before so please let me know if it has.

I'm wondering if there is a hard fast rule/ actual law regarding the amount of time a Green Card holder must spend in the US each year for the first five years before applying for citizenship?
I'm hearing so many different opinions/ viewpoints on this. Some are saying 6 months a year, others less, others more. Others say you can't break up that 6 months a year. So right now, It's just opinion based & I'm really confused & would appreciate any help.

I ask because I have elderly family in Australia that I want to see as much as I can without jeopardising my Greencard. Obviously when I'm in Australia, I will also have to work here.


Thank you,

J

The hard and fast rule is for a LPR to actually have the intention of living and working in the US when they apply for the GC.

A LPR wishing to apply for naturalization is expected to meet both the physical presence and continuous residency requirements.
https://www.uscis.gov/us-citizenshi...physical-presence-requirements-naturalization

You break continuous residency when you’re out for six months or more, which resets your continuous residency clock to zero.

 

[SusieQQQ]

Hey everyone!

I'm sure this has been asked/ answered somewhere before so please let me know if it has.

I'm wondering if there is a hard fast rule/ actual law regarding the amount of time a Green Card holder must spend in the US each year for the first five years before applying for citizenship?
I'm hearing so many different opinions/ viewpoints on this. Some are saying 6 months a year, others less, others more. Others say you can't break up that 6 months a year. So right now, It's just opinion based & I'm really confused & would appreciate any help.

I ask because I have elderly family in Australia that I want to see as much as I can without jeopardising my Greencard. Obviously when I'm in Australia, I will also have to work here.


Thank you,

J

There are two separate issues that you may be confusing: the amount of time you need to spend in the US to retain your green card, and the continuous residence requirement for naturalization. (so for example, you can spend more than 6 months out on one trip and retain your green card, but if you are out of the US for longer than 6 months, the 5-year clock for naturalization resets to start at the next entry date). The rules for continuous residence (physical presence) for naturalisation are easy to find and, if you meet them, you will pretty much be ok green card wise in the meanwhile. The rules for retaining your green card are fuzzier - you know when you automatically lose it (12 months or more out the US) but you can be found to have abandoned residence for shorter absences if it seems you are not actually residing in the US (to go back to what sm1smom said above) - this is more likely to happen if you are frequently absent for multi-month periods, which seems to be what you are contemplating. If you need to spend significant time in Australia and work while you are there, you will probably be found at some point to have abandoned residence in the US. Given your background, applying for a green card at this stage may not be the best route for you. Remember you have responsibilities as a green card holder too, including filing tax returns with the IRS on all income earned globally no matter where you reside.

I'm not entirely sure why you are confused about different viewpoints when the official material is quite easy to find, unless it's that you are indeed confusing keeping the green card with what you need to become a citizen. Some official pages (not opinion) that you may find useful:

https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/international-travel-permanent-resident

https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/maintaining-permanent-residence

https://www.uscis.gov/us-citizenshi...physical-presence-requirements-naturalization

 

[san92]

Hi everyone

I just activated my GC at SFO today. I was told to queue in the visitors line and I did so where an amazing officer took my fingerprints and details. He then told me to walk straight to a small office where another officer checked my documents and said I’m good to go.
The whole thing lasted fairly 5 Mins.

However, I just found out the address of a relative which I had given to receive my gc and ssn are no longer residing at that address.

What Can I do?

Should I make an appointment to see a USCIS officer? Since today was a public holiday and tomorrow is too; I guess if I get slotted in for Monday I can explain the situation and advise them of the new address?

Edit: I just checked there are no available slots until 8th December. Since I will be leaving on the 6th, should I go to their office coming Monday?

Would really appreciate any advice!

In response to the query above, I have found the following to help:
If you plan on changing your address from the one you gave at POE:

1. Sign up using the following link:
   https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/logoff.do
   
2. Once you have an active profile; go to this address:
   https://egov.uscis.gov/coa/displayCOAInitForm.do
   Follow through the instructions and select YES for "Is this change of address for an application or petition currently in progress?"
3. It will redirect you to another page:
   Select your FORM NUMBER as OS155A. Also you will need the immigrant visa fee receipt number at this stage so keep it handy.

Fill in all the sections. You will also need to have your old address and your new address since you will have to enter them both. Fill in the form and keep checking your USCIS account for progress.
And your cards will be sent to the new address. I have received my SSN on the new address just awaiting to receive my GC.

Also if anyone is looking to start establishing credit; I suggest you go to Capital One and get a secured credit card. You can also go to Wells Fargo but you will need to have a minimum of $1500 in your checking account whereas Capital One has $0 deposit. I hope the above helps. I have actually gotten both the credit cards and hopefully I can start building my credit asap. (Bay Area)

 

[dilip@_123]

My companion utilizes Instarem which obviously a charges a humble administration expense for littler sums. I'd generally prescribe individuals check the swapping scale versus the live conversion scale to check whether they're getting a better than average exchange rate. It will never be the live exchange rate, be that as it may, some cash exchange administrations take a bigger cut of the conversion scale as their 'concealed expense', regardless of whether they say they're sans charge.

I additionally have a Citibank Plus check card ( which charges no month to month expenses and no % exchange charges for universal exchanges. At whatever point I pull back from an ATM in the USA, I see I draw near to the live conversion standard. Note however that the bank whose ATM you're utilizing may force an expense (about $3), Citibank doesn't charge expenses on their end. I utilize ATM withdrawals for little sums.

I trust that makes a difference.

 

[Pog]

Hi all! I hope everyone is going well with their new lives in the USA!

Does anyone have a recommendation for an accountant or a guide on how to do taxes here - preferably for Aussies ? I paid only a very small amount of tax in the USA last year and I don't particularly want to spend a lot of money filing taxes but it all seems a tad complicated..

Also I thought I might pose a question to help future immigrants out - What do you wish you knew or did before you immigrated to the USA?

For me, I think having an existing American Express credit card to transfer was been extremely helpful to get a credit score quickly. Also getting my head around health insurance was quite difficult - I didn't have cover through an employer so I navigated the marketplace and purchased insurance, only to discover it didn't automatically renew for 2018 so I wasn't covered for January - kind of terrifying when I was snowboarding 3 times a week!!

 

[RejectedSpark]

Does anyone have a recommendation for an accountant or a guide on how to do taxes here - preferably for Aussies ?

Sorry, no advice on this, i still need to do my own. Are you in any of the Aussies in America Facebook groups? There seems to be a number of questions related to this lately.

What do you wish you knew or did before you immigrated to the USA?

I wish I knew what order to do things in, like transfer the Amex asap as your credit history and even how long you've had an account doesn't transfer, all it does is get you a headstart on opening a line of credit and building a score. You've still gotta wait 3-6 months for one to generate. And get a driver's license and bank account asap, because many things require a local license and at least one bill with your name and address to prove your identity. This probably seems kinda obvious, but there are so many things going on in those first few weeks and months that its easy to get by without (eg I was still running my Australian bank account until just a month or so ago because I could. And I didn't get my driver's license because my SO drove us everywhere - and I later found out here in PA I had to go through the whole learners process). Anyway, coming up to six months here and everything is all sorted. I guess the only other thing is an appreciation of what it takes to completely restart your life. Most of the 'things' that support a life are gathered over time, but with this move, you're suddenly trying to get them all at once (house. job, car, insurances, bank accounts, licenses. The list goes on...) still very happy with the move so far, and glad to hear you didn't wipeout on your snowboard

 

[EmilyW]

I use an accountant. I don't know how Aussies do it via Turbo Tax (as an example) since superannuation is not recognized here as a pension fund (it's considered an investment account). It has to be declared and reported differently.

I'm happy to recommend my accountant to anyone on here, via private messaging. She is experienced in Australian / US taxes and we've never had a problem.

 

[RI1985]

I use an accountant. I don't know how Aussies do it via Turbo Tax (as an example) since superannuation is not recognized here as a pension fund (it's considered an investment account). It has to be declared and reported differently.

I'm happy to recommend my accountant to anyone on here, via private messaging. She is experienced in Australian / US taxes and we've never had a problem.

Hi Emily,
I'd love your accountant details if your willing to share. We are currently looking into completing our 1st return and finding the rates exorbitant.

Thanks heaps

 

[TomPerth]

Hi all! I hope everyone is going well with their new lives in the USA!

Does anyone have a recommendation for an accountant or a guide on how to do taxes here - preferably for Aussies ? I paid only a very small amount of tax in the USA last year and I don't particularly want to spend a lot of money filing taxes but it all seems a tad complicated..

Also I thought I might pose a question to help future immigrants out - What do you wish you knew or did before you immigrated to the USA?

For me, I think having an existing American Express credit card to transfer was been extremely helpful to get a credit score quickly. Also getting my head around health insurance was quite difficult - I didn't have cover through an employer so I navigated the marketplace and purchased insurance, only to discover it didn't automatically renew for 2018 so I wasn't covered for January - kind of terrifying when I was snowboarding 3 times a week!!

I know that H&R block in Sydney does tax returns for expats.

The IRS has these publications:

U.S tax guide for aliens https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p519.pdf

U.S tax guide for citizens and resident aliens abroad https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p54.pdf

I only just activated my green card in November 2017 and am of the understanding that I will need to file a tax return for 2017?
One US accountant said no, another suggested I need to file a tax return as non resident between 1 Jan 2017 and the date when I activated by green card and then a resident tax return between from the date I activated my green card until 31 December 2018 even if all my income is from Australia in 2017.

Is anyone familiar with the ACA shared responsibility exemption? I was in the US for 10 days in November 2017 (and no other time in 2017) and then plan to visit in May 2018 for 20 days before settling permanently in August 2018. I am of the understanding that if you are not present in the USA for at least 330 days in any 12 month period then you are will not be charged the ACA penalty.

So in my example, is my understanding correct that the ACA requirement for coverage would be triggered in August 2018 when I move over as I will no longer be out of the USA for at least 330 days in any given 12 month period/window?

(based on my interpretation of #12 of this document https://www.irs.gov/affordable-care...he-individual-shared-responsibility-provision)

Thanks

-Tom

 

[SusieQQQ]

One US accountant said no, another suggested I need to file a tax return as non resident between 1 Jan 2017 and the date when I activated by green card and then a resident tax return between from the date I activated my green card until 31 December 2018 even if all my income is from Australia in 2017.

The second opinion is correct.
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/taxation-of-dual-status-aliens
You become a resident alien the day you land on your immigrant visa and become an LPR - this is the "green card test" https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/alien-residency-green-card-test

We were not charged an ACA penalty in a similar situation to yours.

 

[EmilyW]

Neither were we.

 

[rg_2017]

I am yet to to file a US tax return, but I am curious about what it means to file a US tax return for Aussie-earned income – does this mean I will be taxed twice for the same income, once by the US government and once by the Aus government? Sounds like a bum deal!

Also, my husband had a bit of an issue with his social security card. I received mine, he didn't, even though we both activated our GCs at the same time and both requested SSNs on our DS260. We were concerned his card was stolen on its way to our US contact. My husband called the US SS office, it kind of went around in circles, and we got no clear answer on whether he was issued a SS card which then went "missing" in the mail, or whether some processing error meant that he wasn't given a SSN even though he requested one. Either way, he was told that he'd have to be physically present at a social security office to either get a new number or to find out what his number was, if he did in fact have one already.We're still in Australia right now, so that's not possible until we move in August.

So the point is, my husband can't file a tax return anyway because he doesn't have a SSN (or if he does, doesn't know what it is). I guess this means I will have to file a separate tax return even though we are married? Does anyone else here file separately even if they are married, and what are the benefits of filing separately or joint?

 

[EmilyW]

You only get taxed once (with some exceptions, e.g. capital gains tax). There is a treaty between the US and Australia.

I'd get an extension for both of you. When you arrive in August, get the SSN and then file.

 

[Kojo E]

We are in Charlotte, North Carolina. Not for everyone but it suits us. Good economy, good schools, low taxes, outdoors lifestyle (if that's your thing). Here, we live completely debt free and it's a lovely feeling. When I got here, I took a pay drop. Within six months I was promoted and I now earn the same as in Australia. I just get to keep more of it than in Australia. Getting promoted was validation for us that, if you're prepared to hustle and work for it, America is the land of opportunity still.

In terms of moving, we just winged it. We brought no furniture with us. Just suitcases with valuables and that was it. We've had friends who have moved furniture across but, in hindsight, they wished they hadn't. One said her couch smelled damp for months. Unless it's an incredible family heirloom that you can't part with with, either sell your stuff or put it in storage. Besides, American furniture is pretty nice. You'll enjoy the shopping

Credit history is everything. We build our credit score before we came across with HSBC, but that only works if you are a Premier Customer. Lots of DVers have opened AMEX's while still in Oz, as AMEX will recognize your Australian credit history. One thing we did was get a secured credit card when we got here. $5000 on each card and we used those cards for everything. Between HSBC and the secured cards, we built up our score quickly and, within six months, we're close to an 800 score.

In terms of buying a car, I wouldn't buy online unless it was new. Plus, you can really haggle these guys down in price. We traded in a car for more than what we bought it for earlier in the year. Buying online removes the ability to look them in the eye and negotiate.

We had no real help settling in. We did it ourselves. Now, with quite a few Aussies moving to NC, my husband and I are acting like a welcoming committee. Helping people getting settled in and helping them through the first few weeks of being in the US (which spins your mind out, no matter how prepared you are). There are lots of Aussies in NYC and quite a few DVers who I am sure would be more than happy to help you guys settle.

Hi @EmilyW moving to NC Fayetteville in July. Any tips for getting in the job market in Charlotte or Raleigh? Worked in the legal industry in my home country but looking to move into other available fields, not necessarily the same legal industry.

 

[RPSCHAND]

I use an accountant. I don't know how Aussies do it via Turbo Tax (as an example) since superannuation is not recognized here as a pension fund (it's considered an investment account). It has to be declared and reported differently.

I'm happy to recommend my accountant to anyone on here, via private messaging. She is experienced in Australian / US taxes and we've never had a problem.

Hello Emily

Thank you for your info on the accountant. Can I request the details as we will be moving on 31 Oct to LA.
We really need a help from the accountant please.