AaronTMartin

Thanks, Lee, and I wish you guys lots of luck!

¹§Ï²¹§Ï²£¡Congratulations to you both! All the best in the future, be it in the US or China!

Thanks for your kind words, Tom and Xiaofeizhu! I am really excited about going home, and my wife is looking forward to this new chapter in our lives, as well. As for our son Ian, he can't wait to see his grandparents, aunts, uncles and second cousins again. Everyone's support and kindness is very moving---thanks again, folks!

Unbelievable! We've got it! We were quite intrigued when Xuemei received a call on her mobile phone this afternoon saying that she had an EMS envelope to be delivered. We were obviously both thinking it could've been the Consulate, but so fast?! No way. We just sent in our requested documents (and then some) last Wednesday, or 9 business days ago. We then talked about the possibility of it being from someone else, but my wife couldn't think of anyone that would be sending her an EMS delivery. When the deliveryman came to our door, both our hearts were thumping wildly, and I, for one, had cotton-mouth. Xuemei could not open the envelope herself, she was so nervous. But that one sheet of white paper had the news that we've been hoping for for the past 3 months (even less, actually!). As for me, I've been dreaming about this day for the past six years. We both recognized the handwriting as belonging to the VO that interviewed Xuemei 17 days ago. She meant what she said when she told my wife, "Don't worry, you're getting the visa" just after she gave Xuemei the blue slip. I guess that the "one to three months" line that they give blue slip recipients is subject to variations. Man, were we pleasantly surprised (shocked, is more like it)! So for all of you blue-slippers: take heart, because that reply after you turn in the needed information could come very, very quickly. To make a long story short, we'll be going into the Guangzhou Consulate (for the last time?) on Monday at 1.30 to present her passport and to go through any other necessary formalities. Though it's been a great ride these past six years in Ningbo and Guangzhou (and seven counting my initial year in Yichang back in late 2002), I'm ready to say goodbye to the red flag with the five yellow stars and to say hello again to those good ole Stars and Stripes! I'd like to whole-heartedly thank all the members of the CFL community who have so selflessly devoted themselves to helping others on their respective journeys. An extra shout goes out to Randy, Kyle and Dan, who have given momentous support through amazingly prompt replies and lots of encouragement. And thanks to Robert H for introducing me to CFL back in February during a consulate information session. I hope that I too can help folks with any questions on a DCF for an IR-1. This is truly a wonderful site and community, and I wish everyone all the best! Ê®·Ö¸Ðл£¡ÍòÊÂÈçÒ⣡ Aaron, Xuemei and Ian

Thanks for your reply, Rob. We sent off the required documents, and then some, earlier today. I'm hoping for some good news in a month or so. Thanks to all for the help, advice and encouragement! I'll post again once we have news.

Thanks for that, Randy. We're feeling much better today. We know exactly what needs to be done and we're sending it all off on Monday. That's right! A blue slip often simply represents a delay - they just need that one extra piece of paper before they give you the visa. It does NOT represent a "No!" - at least not in most cases.

Thanks for the encouragement and for addressing several of the issues in my post, Kyle. Much appreciated! I neglected to mention the fact that near the end of the experience, the VO did say to my wife, "Don't worry, we're going to give you the visa. Just provide the rest of the documents and you're set."

Hi Friends, Well, we're blue, unfortunately. We were so close I can still smell the scent of pink slips that were being issued, and I was across the street at Jusco. I was hoping Xuemei would be playing a joke on me, but as soon as I answered the phone (I was off-site taking care of our 3-year old son Ian, who wouldn't have enjoyed the 4th floor coffee shop) and heard the tone of her voice, I knew that wasn't the case. All we're lacking is my '07 and '08 tax returns. Why, why, why does the Affidavit of Support form say that previous years' taxes before last year's are OPTIONAL, yet the Consular officials are REQUIRING 3 years' worth?! I turned in my 1040 and 2555-EZ for 2009 thinking that that would suffice; my parents, who were/are acting as co-sponsors, also only provided one years' worth of materials. Can someone point me to a website/document that EXPLICITLY says that THREE years' worth of tax returns are mandatory for the CR-1 interview? The only bright side is that poor Xuemei, who is quite distraught and feels like a "loser," (this is her third experience with being denied a US visa: once in Beijing for a B1/B2 before we were married, once in Shanghai, also for a B1/B2 but after we we were married, and now this) does not need to have a second interview. We mail in the missing information and then get the visa "IN" three months (or "WITHIN" months, I'm not sure which, because Xuemei wasn't clear; I don't want to press her, which would only be upsetting at this point. Big difference in meaning between those two little words, believe me, I know). Can anyone tell us what to expect? If I turn all missing documents by say, next week, can anyone make a guess as to when we'd have some good news? As to the interview itself: Xuemei said that it was very short and only several questions (nothing out of the ordinary) were asked. Though Xuemei speaks English very well, the VO (a young-ish Caucasian women) spoke in Mandarin more than half the time. She seemed surprised to learn that I am still here in China despite the fact that we were married back in October '04. Xuemei told me that though she saw a lot of pink slips being issued, she also saw/overheard people turning in tax documentation for tax years 2006, 2007 and 2008 (but not 2009) also coming away with blue. One thing that concerns me is that they KEPT all the notarized docs as well as the medical records. Why would they do that? What if they lose the stuff?! We have extra sets (though not of the medical exam, of course), but it's just the principle of the matter. I remember the first CO I dealt with back in late April when I tried to file my/our initial petition. I was only missing Xuemei's notarized/translated birth certificate, but the woman was very candid (which I really appreciated) and told me that I might as well take everything with me until all was ready, because GUZ MIGHT LOSE OUR FOLDER. Hmmm. So what's up next for me/us? Aside from providing my own 1040's and 2555-EZ's for '07 and '08, I'll be getting returns and related docs for those same years from my parents, as well. I'll also print out even more statements from my Bank of America accounts back home, I'll get a nice notarized letter from the bank saying that I'm an account holder in good standing, and will wire a bunch of money home, to boot. My current work visa expires next month, so it looks like I'll be going down to HK for a month-long tourist visa at least once (and probably more). Is is still common practice that American citizens can only get 30-day "L" visas, or do I have any 3-month or 6-month options? Sorry for the long post, thanks for bearing with me, and thanks for sending any advice. I wish everyone else out there good luck! Regards, Aaron

Congratulations to you both! Xuemei's interview time is eight hours from now. I hope we have a similar result. All the best to you and your wife!

Thanks very much for the help, Randy. I opted to skip the 1116 altogether, and with some assistance from my father, I was able to finish everything else. Now I can focus on making sure Xuemei's notebooks are in order and can help her better prepare for the big day. Cheers once more; looking forward to pink! Best regards, Aaron

Thanks again, Randy. On another note, what do you think I should do in terms of the dates on these forms? I'm already way past the June 15th deadline, and I did not file the needed extension form. Should I be 100% transparent and simply write today's date? Best regards, Aaron I'm just suggesting a shortcut there that may work in case you don't feel like you can get the returns together in time It would be up to you to explain why you didn't file - hopefully, something like the fact that you didn't owe any taxes. Of course, it IS much better to cover your bases. The Form 1116 doesn't seem very complicated - just take the information you have (income, taxes paid, you probably won't have any deductions) and figure out where to put them on the form. The form covers a number of situations that won't apply in your case - don't spend any time on them.

Thanks for your reply, Randy! Your advice puts me at ease (a little). Since I know exactly how much I made in 2007 and 2008, putting those figures into the I-864 won't be a problem. I still feel I need to finish 2009's 1040, 2555-EZ (which is more do-able) and 1116 (which looks immensely complex) since I will include photocopies in Xuemei's folders. Or can I safely omit at least the 1116, do you think? Regarding writing a note or letter as to why I didn't file, I don't think the IRS (or the US Consulate, for that matter) is going to accept "uh, I was under the impression that I didn't need to file" or "a relative told me that I needn't file" as valid reasons. Thanks again for your input! Aaron

Dear Friends, My wife Xuemei has her interview on Wednesday at 7.15. Her documents and materials are pretty much ready. From my end, I still have a long way to go, and time is running short. In a nutshell, I haven't filed taxes in quite some time. Based on shenzhen's excellent post (found here), I'm assuming that I need to fill out a 1040, a 2555-EZ and a 1116 for this past tax year, plus 1040s for the previous two years (based on Dan and Randy's advice found here I won't be actually filing them until later; I'll simply complete them, photocopy them, and then put these into Xuemei's folder). Since my mother (Xuemei's co-sponsor) only included last year's tax information for her I-864, I am going to do likewise. I just need to finish 2007's and 2008's so that I can complete item 25 on my own I-864. I have pay stubs for the past two years from my most recent employer (an international school here in Guangzhou), and I can most likely get them from my previous employer, though it might be a bit tricky. A big question that I have is: do expats get W-2's? Can the 1040 be completed without one? There's no way that I'd be able to get one at this point, but I just need to finish the job, and I don't know how to do that without a W-2. I'm feeling completely overwhelmed, stressed and exhausted and barely know where to begin---I feel like the proverbial headless chicken. The instructions and worksheets (especially for the 1116) may as well be in Greek. For example, on the 1040, I don't even know what my filing status would be! I'll not beat around the bush and say that this mess is no one's fault but my own. Having said that, I feel really nervous about completing this. Thus, my questions are: Does anyone know of a helpful, plain-English website for tax help? Sites that offer assistance via Skype might also work. The IRS site is confusing to me and I feel like I'm going around in circles. Alternatively, does anyone know of a service that can help me out given my time frame? I'm obviously willing to pay for this. Finally (a probably a long shot), does anyone know of a place in Guangzhou that might have an office that offers tax services for US citizens? There's nothing like face-to-face help for this sort of thing, in my opinion. Any help would be greatly appreciated, folks! I really feel like I'm in a bind here. All the best, Aaron

Thanks, Dan! You read my mind with regards to 21c. I was wondering why my math was not working out. Thanks to you I've now caught two omissions on my mother's form. I'm very grateful for your help. Yes "Yes" needs to be checked on the form by both Primary and Joint sponsors. The "NO" is used in cases where there may be two immigrants as in a parent and accompanying child, and using two joint sponsors, one for parent, and another for child. Note, on your I-864, DO NOT check 21c you dont count your wife as "spouse" on the form, she is the immigrant being sponsored. Your mother if married would check 21c on her form to count your father.

OK, thanks a lot for your prompt reply, Dan, much appreciated! Seeing as a new form via express mail is out of the question due to time constraints, I'll go with the white-out. Regarding the form, I find Part 2 number 8 rather vague. My mother checked the box saying that "I am sponsoring the principal immigrant named in Part 2 above," but then did not check the "Yes" box right below it. I'm certain that she was correct in not checking "No," as it's only my wife Xuemei that is immigrating. Should my mother have checked the box that says "Yes" (and should I also do the same for my own I-864)? Again, I find the step-by-step instructions to be a bit unclear for this one. Many thanks! The only other option is to have your mother do another I-864 checking the correct box and mailing it to you, perhaps priority mail, which takes 10 days or so. My wife did goof up some on her P-4 forms used white-out and had no issues, no initialing or dating the white out.

Thanks, Dan. Good point on the variation in paper size. But doesn't any sort of change on a legal document (be it white-out or a strike-through) require initials and/or date? Maybe I'm incorrect in my understanding. Mother is Joint Sponsor and checks 'd' , and you check 'a' on yours. I would simply white out the incorrect check box on your mom's and check 'd' for her. Or do as you said fill out page 1 to correct. Your mother's intent is to joint sponsor, so this if fine. Only issue I would have is in China paper is A4, and US is 8.5x11" so the consulate may question why one page is on different paper that the other. Using the white out will look like she made a mistake and corrected.

Thanks again for the input, folks! Quick question on the I-864... In preparation for filling out my own affidavit of support form, I was looking through the I-864 that my mother completed. In Part 1, she checked box 'a', which says that she is the petitioner. I'm thinking that she should have checked box 'd', which states "I am the only joint sponsor." Can anyone confirm this? If this is the case, how should I correct the mistake? I could either type up the information on the first page (this however would contrast from the other pages, which were hand-written), or strike through her choice of box 'a', check box 'd' and then forge her initials (not too keen on that option!). Or, I could simply download a new copy and then fill out the first page by hand, seeing as there is no signature on that particular page. What do you think? Many thanks in advance for the advice! Best, Aaron

Thanks a lot for your help and advice, Kyle and Dan. Man, thanks especially to point number 1 in your reply, Kyle...I would have overlooked that completely! I'll be filling out my own I-864 tomorrow. Regarding my presence on the big day, I'll just wait outside the Consulate. Thanks again for the links and tips, gents. As to Xuemei's former passport, I'm hoping it won't be an issue. Her current US B1/B2 visa is in her current passport; the old may have had an exit/entry stamp from Hong Kong, and that's all. I mention this because Kyle said that his wife's passports were linked via a memo. My wife is 95% sure that they took her old passport in Yichang when she got her new one, but there is the slightest possibility that she may have misplaced the old one. Either way, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't become a problem. Dan and Randy, thanks for the tips on taxes. Technically not having to send these off in the mail (at least not immediately) gives me a little breathing room. Dan, one or two of your links seemed to be incorrect, but I'll PM you if I cannot find them on my own. I feel a bit apprehensive about the interview happening so soon, and a small part of me would like to postpone it, if I could know that it would only be pushed back a couple of weeks at the most. Though we've got pretty much everything ready, I don't feel as though I'm presenting what I've seen referred to as a "slam dunk" case. I'm still curious to know if anyone out there has postponed an interview. Again, thanks so much for all the help, everyone! All the best, Aaron

Hi Friends, Well, I was a bit unsure as to where I should place this post, but in the end, since the main issue is tax-related, I chose this thread. I could subtitle this post "Several questions plus 'Oh man, our interview is in six days! How could this be happening so fast'?!?'" Xuemei and I just got back from a 2-week trip to western Hubei Province. The main purpose of the journey, other than visiting her family and friends, was to complete her police certificate. Towards the end of the trip, she received a call saying that an EMS envelope (containing Packet 4) was waiting for her. Thus we cut our visit a bit short and came back down to Guangzhou. I am shocked about two things: 1) the speed with which our case (a DCF) is being handled---it's been less than 60 days since I filed form I-130, and 2) the quick turnaround time between sending in Packet 3 and getting an interview date---Xuemei's is NEXT WEDNESDAY! Good thing we came back early. First, several questions: My parents are (co)sponsoring Xuemei and have completed and sent form I-864, along with their W-2 from last year, to us. Do I/we need to complete form I-134 as well? I'm thinking it's not needed based on what I read in the instructions page of that form. In section C of the 'Evidence of support' part of the "Appointment Instructions for Immigrant Visa Applicants," it mentions presenting evidence of current employment. Since my parents are sponsoring us, this needs to come from them. What would suffice in this case? A stamped letter from their respective employers stating that they're current employees? Xuemei turned in her old passport when she was issued a new one. The requirements for applicants state bringing previous expired passports to the interview. Will this be a problem for us? This one is perhaps a stupid question: Do I need to be there with Xuemei during the interview? I seem to remember reading that I do. Xuemei's stuff is pretty much all set. She's going down to the medical center at Shamian to get her medical exam done, and she'll get the results the same day. Did I read correctly in another post on CFL that she needs to stay there on-site all day? And now on to the Achilles' heel of our case, and the reason why I'm placing this post here: US taxes. I have not filed US taxes since April 2005 (I've been living in China since August '04; see more on our case here). I feel pretty sure that there is little-to-no chance of back-filing 4 years' of taxes in 4 business days. I'm not even sure of which forms I need to file (though based on shenzhen's post it seems I need to file forms 1040, 1116 and 2555). Adding to the problem, income that I earned here in Guangzhou back in early 2007 probably couldn't be accurately reported because 1) the company no longer exists, and 2) they didn't issue pay stubs. This is really going to hurt our chances, I know. All I can do is take a deep breath, buckle down, do some research and try my best to get it done (or as much as I can) before July 7th. I am very, very nervous at the moment. Here's the big question: should we call the Consulate and postpone our interview? Even with my parents acting as co-sponsors, I feel really apprehensive about going in without my own tax records squared away. My current Chinese visa expires in late August, but I can easily (though not cheaply) go down to Hong Kong to get as many month-long tourist visas as need be. Our current apartment is also not a problem, as we're lucky enough to have a cool landlord. And plane tickets can't really be arranged until Xuemei gets that pink slip. Thus time is not really that pressing for us. Having said that, I'd still like to be heading home with my family as soon as possible. But I also really want to do this thing correctly the FIRST time. And I'm thinking that insufficient financial information on my part will really hurt our chances. Has anyone out there rescheduled an interview? If so, how much time did the Consulate give you? What do you all think? I'm anxious to hear your thoughts. Many thanks in advance for bearing with me on such a long post! Best regards, Aaron

Yep, you may be exempt from paying the IRS tax on foreign income, however unless your income is very low you are not exempt from filing returns. The I-864 requires copies of at least the most recent tax year's return or a very good reason why a return was not filed. As for domicile, I-864 cannot be provided unless you have shown to have maintained US domicile. US citizen spouse needs to sponsor immigrant and I-864 is a requirement of sponsorship. Evidence of US domicile will be needed at the time of interview. Topics about Domicile: http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?...ite=%2Bdomicile Thanks a lot for all the replies, friends. Looks like I'd better get going on back-filing taxes for the past four fiscal years! Does anyone know of where I could find out what constitutes "a very good reason" for not filing taxes? If this thing comes back to haunt me, I suppose it's no one's fault but my own. I'd just assumed that filing taxes here in China was sufficient, in addition to the advice of a relative who knew (or at least seemed to know) about these financial matters and swore that I didn't need to file back home. Thanks again, all! From IRS: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/intern...d=97324,00.html (Much more info at this link about filing past years returns exemption etc..) IRS about filing late returns: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/articl...=108327,00.html Thanks a lot for this, dnoblett. I will check these links in the next few days. I really appreciate your help! All the best, Aaron

Yep, you may be exempt from paying the IRS tax on foreign income, however unless your income is very low you are not exempt from filing returns. The I-864 requires copies of at least the most recent tax year's return or a very good reason why a return was not filed. As for domicile, I-864 cannot be provided unless you have shown to have maintained US domicile. US citizen spouse needs to sponsor immigrant and I-864 is a requirement of sponsorship. Evidence of US domicile will be needed at the time of interview. Topics about Domicile: http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?...ite=%2Bdomicile Thanks a lot for all the replies, friends. Looks like I'd better get going on back-filing taxes for the past four fiscal years! Does anyone know of where I could find out what constitutes "a very good reason" for not filing taxes? If this thing comes back to haunt me, I suppose it's no one's fault but my own. I'd just assumed that filing taxes here in China was sufficient, in addition to the advice of a relative who knew (or at least seemed to know) about these financial matters and swore that I didn't need to file back home. Thanks again, all!

So it seems that my previously mentioned issue of honesty is still at the table. Anyone have any input here? Should I wait until the end of June (once we're back from Hubei and have the police certificate in hand) before sending in DS-230? Thanks for your answers regarding the need for only one certificate. I hope that that's still the case, as we really don't want to have to go to Zhejiang. Any others out there have any advice for my fifth question above? Thanks again! Best regards, Aaron You are actually only promising that you are aware of the requirement and how to satisfy the requirement in time for the interview. There is no need to wait until you have the police report in hand. Of course, taking it literally CAN set you back by a couple of months. Your choice. The domicile issue is separate from the financial support. Don't neglect either, but you can use your parent's house for your domicile. Shouldn't be a problem It may be a good idea to file your returns for all three years - 2009, 2008, and 2007 - if you owe $0, there is no late fee or penalty. Thanks for your replies, chilton747 and Randy... Thanks for the confirmation on the police certificate, chilton747. That's really good news for us. We're still going to get one done here in Guangzhou, just in case. That goes for me, too. Randy, that's what I was thinking, as well. Just wanted to make sure. I'm going to send it off on Monday. I will definitely consider backfiling taxes; I'm well below the foreign-earned income cutoff, so I (hopefully) should have no penalties. Anyone have any additional thoughts on the domicile thing? Any experiences shared would be much appreciated. Thanks again, all! Regards, Aaron It will be interesting to see if you can get one from Guangzhou. The report from others who have tried is, don't waste your time and effort. All reports are sent back to the Hukou so they don't have anything to give you. They will simply tell you to go back to your hukou to get the report. Thanks for your replies, folks. @shenzhen: Why not? I'm about to return to the US after 6 consecutive years in China. Who knows? Maybe some potential American employer might want to see this kind of documentation. Besides, it's not that expensive and is done by the Human Resources department of the school where I teach. I have a colleague from New Zealand who was not able to teach in his own country because he was lacking this document. @C4Racer: My wife finishes work on Monday and will have the time to check it out. If they say no, no problem: we're going back to the place of her hukou in two weeks anyway. If they can do it, we might as well. Anyone have any thoughts on my co-sponsor/domicile issue? Thanks again for the replies.

So it seems that my previously mentioned issue of honesty is still at the table. Anyone have any input here? Should I wait until the end of June (once we're back from Hubei and have the police certificate in hand) before sending in DS-230? Thanks for your answers regarding the need for only one certificate. I hope that that's still the case, as we really don't want to have to go to Zhejiang. Any others out there have any advice for my fifth question above? Thanks again! Best regards, Aaron You are actually only promising that you are aware of the requirement and how to satisfy the requirement in time for the interview. There is no need to wait until you have the police report in hand. Of course, taking it literally CAN set you back by a couple of months. Your choice. The domicile issue is separate from the financial support. Don't neglect either, but you can use your parent's house for your domicile. Shouldn't be a problem It may be a good idea to file your returns for all three years - 2009, 2008, and 2007 - if you owe $0, there is no late fee or penalty. Thanks for your replies, chilton747 and Randy... Thanks for the confirmation on the police certificate, chilton747. That's really good news for us. We're still going to get one done here in Guangzhou, just in case. That goes for me, too. Randy, that's what I was thinking, as well. Just wanted to make sure. I'm going to send it off on Monday. I will definitely consider backfiling taxes; I'm well below the foreign-earned income cutoff, so I (hopefully) should have no penalties. Anyone have any additional thoughts on the domicile thing? Any experiences shared would be much appreciated. Thanks again, all! Regards, Aaron

1. Yes, your wife is the applicant. 2. You will not be able to get a police report from any other source than her hukou. This one police report covers ALL OF CHINA, so don't worry. This is all you need. My wife lived in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and other places. She only got the police report from her hukou in Nanning. 3. You do not return OF-169. This is for you and her. It is a check list of all required documents that are needed at her interview. 4. The $355 is the filing fee for the I-130. The $400 + 45 is the fee for the DS-230 and visa. 5. There are others her who know a little more about taxes and domicile. We have had a few come back from living in China. I am sure they can enlighten you on what is necessary. Hi Michael, Thanks for that speedy reply! Very much appreciated. However, with regards to the checklist, I think things may have changed since you and your wife went through the process. The following comes directly from form OF-169: So it seems that my previously mentioned issue of honesty is still at the table. Anyone have any input here? Should I wait until the end of June (once we're back from Hubei and have the police certificate in hand) before sending in DS-230? Thanks for your answers regarding the need for only one certificate. I hope that that's still the case, as we really don't want to have to go to Zhejiang. Any others out there have any advice for my fifth question above? Thanks again! Best regards, Aaron

Hi All, I am currently working on my wife Xuemei's IR-1 visa application, and we received Packet 3 a week ago. I have a couple of questions that I hope someone can help me with, as it seems the deeper I dig into forums and websites looking for answers, the more confused I feel. My wife signs DS-230 Part I as the applicant, correct? I'm pretty sure, but I just want to confirm. Here's the big one. Xuemei lived in a total four places after turning 16: her hometown of Enshi (¶÷Ê©) for three years, Yichang (Ò˲ý) for six, Ningbo (Äþ²¨) for two, and now Guangzhou for nearly four years. I/we find the wording of the "Police Certificate" section on OF-169 (in both the Chinese and English sections) pretty vague. Do we need a certificate from each of those aforementioned places? I fear that we do (we're on a pretty tight schedule and are hoping for a "relatively" speedy process, if that's possible). Could someone point me to some straight talk on this issue? On form OF-169, should we tick the police certificate record box even though we don't have it ready yet? We're going to Hubei in two weeks, during which time we'll get it done in both Enshi and Yichang. (And if turns out that we need one from Zhejiang, then it looks like we'll have to go to Ningbo, as well). Basically, we want to cut down on any unnecessary wait time where ever possible, but I don't want to lie on any government forms, as that is essentially what we'd be doing if we checked that particular box. Is the $400 + $45 fee in addition to the $355 I already paid when filing the I-130? My final question, and perhaps the most difficult to answer, is this: does having a co-sponsor (my parents, in this case) who fills out the I-864 eliminate the whole problem of domicile, or just lessen the importance? We are planning on staying at my parents' residence for about a month or two before moving on to another city to live and work (my wife has a job offer already). The main reason I ask is because I have not filed US taxes since 2005 (I've been living and working in China since 2004). I'm hoping that that doesn't come back to haunt me; maybe I should consider back-filing? Okay, I realize that that's a long post and list of questions. I hope someone can help shed some light on these issues, because we really want to mail this thing off and get an interview date. Many thanks in advance. All the best, Aaron