IRS help, Spouse VISA
 

Hello there - I'm trying to sponsor my husband's visa and we're at the point of scheduling the interview..... Or we would be if my taxes were in better order! I've been living abroad for 12 years but I do file. Last year, however, they arrived late (by international standards). I spoke to the IRS a month ago and they said they had them, but hasn't processed them and weren't intending to until April. First question: is this normal?

Second question: obviously, I asked them to process them. They said 6-8 weeks.... This would work for our timeline... But only if they meant it. Do you think it will get done?

Third question: last time I asked for transcripts, they said "oh yes, we have a record of all your taxes" but when the transcripts came, they said "nothing filed". The woman I subsequently spoke to said it had to do with my misaligned tax years (which I thought was normal for ex pats?) and reordered them. But I haven't had them yet in over a month.

Does anyone know how to ensure the IRS processes key paperwork and sends the confirmation needed for the interview? Is there a trick to this? (Other than not leaving it to the last minute like last year)

Re: IRS help, Spouse VISA
 

IRS does not have to have processed them. Rather they have to have received them. You have confirmation that they were received. So your husband can make his interview appointment. Bring your copy of the filed 1040 attached to the I-864.

Re: IRS help, Spouse VISA
 

I don't know if it's normal, but it doesn't really matter if they are processed yet or not.

I don't know, but it doesn't really matter if the are processed yet or not.

I don't know, but it doesn't really matter if you have the official IRS transcripts or not.

I doubt there is a way to ensure the IRS processes them. You don't need the confirmation for the interview.

Not to my knowledge, no.

All you need to provide is the most recent year (or better yet, most recent 3 years) of the forms you submitted to IRS. You kept a photocopy, right?

That being said, what are you using to qualify financially on the I-864? Your tax returns won't really be scrutinized, in my opinion, because you most likely aren't using US based income to qualify financially on the I-864 (sounds like you're living in the UK). If you are using assets, bring proof of assets (which should also be listed on the I-864). If you are using a joint sponsor, you will have another complete I-864 package from the joint sponsor, and it is those tax returns that will be looked at more carefully.

Rene

Re: IRS help, Spouse VISA
 

Thank you so much for this, it's really not obvious that we only need to submit copies of the forms we submitted. We will have no trouble obtaining transcripts for our joint sponsor.

It was causing us a bit of stress, thinking we had to chase things up with the IRS, and would have had to have changed the timeline of our plans to move.

Thanks for your help, Chris