Feeling perplexed on issues with Packet 3 and DS-230

[AaronTMartin]

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.

1. My wife signs DS-230 Part I as the applicant, correct? I'm pretty sure, but I just want to confirm.
   
2. 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?
   
3. 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.
   
4. Is the $400 + $45 fee in addition to the $355 I already paid when filing the I-130?
   
5. 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

[C4Racer]

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.

1. My wife signs DS-230 Part I as the applicant, correct? I'm pretty sure, but I just want to confirm.
   
2. 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?
   
3. 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.
   
4. Is the $400 + $45 fee in addition to the $355 I already paid when filing the I-130?
   
5. 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

 

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. I would check that you have the police report. As long as you know you will have it by the 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.

Edited May 29, 2010 by C4Racer (see edit history)

[AaronTMartin]

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.

1. My wife signs DS-230 Part I as the applicant, correct? I'm pretty sure, but I just want to confirm.
   
2. 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?
   
3. 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.
   
4. Is the $400 + $45 fee in addition to the $355 I already paid when filing the I-130?
   
5. 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

 

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:

As soon as you have obtained all of the documents that apply to your case, read the statement at the bottom of this form, add your signature and date, and send the form to the consular office processing your case. You will not be scheduled for an appointment until you sign and return this checklist.

 

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

[chilton747]

As Michael stated, the police report comes from her hukou. If she would have had any trouble with the police anywhere else in China then it would have been reported to her hukou. The police report from her hukou includes all of China so this is all she will need.

 

You can wait until you have everything on the check list before you send in the OF169 or you can go ahead check it of and send it in if you will get the report very soon.

 

Good Luck!!!!!!

[Randy W]

 

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:

As soon as you have obtained all of the documents that apply to your case, read the statement at the bottom of this form, add your signature and date, and send the form to the consular office processing your case. You will not be scheduled for an appointment until you sign and return this checklist.

 

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.

[AaronTMartin]

 

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:

As soon as you have obtained all of the documents that apply to your case, read the statement at the bottom of this form, add your signature and date, and send the form to the consular office processing your case. You will not be scheduled for an appointment until you sign and return this checklist.

 

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

[dnoblett]

DS-230 has 2 parts, Part 1 (Page 2) is signed before interview Part 2 (Page 4) needs to be signed at the interview so do not sign there (Do not do anything from #45 on to end of form)

 

It is signed by the applicant, US Citizen is Petitioner, NOT applicant, so the person applying for and receiving the visa is the person who signs)

[shenzhen]

 

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:

As soon as you have obtained all of the documents that apply to your case, read the statement at the bottom of this form, add your signature and date, and send the form to the consular office processing your case. You will not be scheduled for an appointment until you sign and return this checklist.

 

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

Why?

[C4Racer]

 

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:

As soon as you have obtained all of the documents that apply to your case, read the statement at the bottom of this form, add your signature and date, and send the form to the consular office processing your case. You will not be scheduled for an appointment until you sign and return this checklist.

 

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.

[AaronTMartin]

 

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:

As soon as you have obtained all of the documents that apply to your case, read the statement at the bottom of this form, add your signature and date, and send the form to the consular office processing your case. You will not be scheduled for an appointment until you sign and return this checklist.

 

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.

[Broseph32]

Domicile? Get it in order, but dont expect them to really try hard to ding you on it.

 

Its just one of their 'tools' that they CAN use against you, but i've never heard of it happening, and we had no problems with the issue either. Albeit i only back filed one tax return for 2008 with an income of $2000. I had written explanations of why i didn't file the other 2 years.

 

As long as your cosponsor has an annual income of at least $50000 (and it's not questionable as to how long he/she can maintain it), they probably wont even look at anything else financial-wise.

 

My cosponsor was my grandfather, who we also plan to be staying with for a while upon our return.

[shenzhen]

 

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:

As soon as you have obtained all of the documents that apply to your case, read the statement at the bottom of this form, add your signature and date, and send the form to the consular office processing your case. You will not be scheduled for an appointment until you sign and return this checklist.

 

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.

I meant I don't know why you are going to try and get or get a police report from GUZ in addition to one from her Hukou. The police report has to come from her Hukou so getting/trying to get one in GUZ seems like a waste of time. Regarding your only police certificate from your time in China -- get one if you like. I was talking about the police certifcate your wife needs for the interview.

 

I will get the police certificate from her Hukou, easy enough to do, while focusing on either filing back taxes or having a good explaination for not doing so (since actually it is required whether you owned taxes or not) and having a good answer for the domilce issue.

[shenzhen]

Domicile? Get it in order, but dont expect them to really try hard to ding you on it.

 

Its just one of their 'tools' that they CAN use against you, but i've never heard of it happening, and we had no problems with the issue either. Albeit i only back filed one tax return for 2008 with an income of $2000. I had written explanations of why i didn't file the other 2 years.

 

As long as your cosponsor has an annual income of at least $50000 (and it's not questionable as to how long he/she can maintain it), they probably wont even look at anything else financial-wise.

 

My cosponsor was my grandfather, who we also plan to be staying with for a while upon our return.

You cant make a blanket statement that 50K USD is all a cosponser needs for GUZ to not question the financials. It depends on how many people the cosponsor is supporting in his household.

 

If I was the OP I would also take the issue and proof of domicle a little more serious that you suggest.

[dnoblett]

I meant I don't know why you are going to try and get or get a police report from GUZ in addition to one from her Hukou. The police report has to come from her Hukou so getting/trying to get one in GUZ seems like a waste of time. Regarding your only police certificate from your time in China -- get one if you like. I was talking about the police certifcate your wife needs for the interview.

 

I will get the police certificate from her Hukou, easy enough to do, while focusing on either filing back taxes or having a good explaination for not doing so (since actually it is required whether you owned taxes or not) and having a good answer for the domilce issue.

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

[AaronTMartin]

I meant I don't know why you are going to try and get or get a police report from GUZ in addition to one from her Hukou. The police report has to come from her Hukou so getting/trying to get one in GUZ seems like a waste of time. Regarding your only police certificate from your time in China -- get one if you like. I was talking about the police certifcate your wife needs for the interview.

 

I will get the police certificate from her Hukou, easy enough to do, while focusing on either filing back taxes or having a good explaination for not doing so (since actually it is required whether you owned taxes or not) and having a good answer for the domilce issue.

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!