CL1125

Hello, We recently got our interview letter and have booked the medical. We are now trying to to schedule the new VAC Biometrics step in Manila on the USVisaScheduling site (hope we are correct in doing this). We've created a profile and started but once we get to the step where it asks for the NVC Case number we put the case number and it comes back as invalid so we cannot continue. Have seen a couple of other posts on social media that have had this same issue but haven't seen a solution yet. Also just to clarify, is the new USVisaScheduling site in lieu of the old PortalUSTravelDocs site? When we try to login at the old site it just redirects to the login screen. Thanks!

I did try a couple others unfortunately same error. It appears this is an IRS rule instead of an E-File provider rule. Thank you for replying!

Hi everyone. I have a bit of a unique situation for taxes. I live abroad for the entire year. Work for a US Employer. I claim FEIE on my taxes and did so with no issues for the 2022 tax year. This year for the 2023 year I ran into a bit of an issue. If I use Jan-Dec 2023 as my qualifying period for the Physical Presence test, all of my income is excluded. This leaves my final taxable income at only around $1000 (some small interest I made). However, when I went to E-File this year. I got the error message that my return is not eligible for E-Filing because the IRS does not allow for your sum of taxable income to be less than your federal tax withheld amount throughout the year. So it says I must file by mail which is difficult due to my being abroad. There is one way I found to do it. If I change my qualifying period to be partly the year before (in 2022) then going into 2023, not all of the income can be included in the FEIE, thus I would show as having enough income to E-File (didn’t matter in the end because of the standard deduction which brings it to zero either way). I’ve read the rules about the physical presence test/qualifying period and it seems you can chose any period you want as long as some of it falls within the tax year and is a consecutive 12 months. Either way I was abroad for both 2022 AND 2023 so I think I could chose any period I’d wanna use. Has anybody else run into this issue? It seems like people would if they are abroad and filing FEIE. It would basically prevent anyone doing this to E-file which is the easier option when abroad. Do you think I am ok to do my qualifying dates this way to be allowed to E-File? Looking for opinions on E-Filing not just jumping to the file by mail option as that is difficult from here.

Hello I'm newly married last year with I-130 in process. I am looking to file Married Filing Jointly and will send my return with the W-7 to Austin. I have a couple of questions for this super kind community: On my 1040 I have Married Filing Jointly. What should I put for my Wife's SSN in the SSN field? I've read things like leaving it blank, NRA or all 9's (as advised by 1040.com where I prepared my 1040) but I'm not sure which is correct. I also read that for her first name I should put NRA as well? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. I know I'm so late! (5 days from deadline). However my wife and I are both abroad and read about an automatic 2 month extension if youre not in the US. Now, if I send my return and W-7 to Austin next month and it takes them 2 or 3 months to get back the ITIN, that would be past the 2 month extension deadline. Would I be penalized for filing late as the ITIN was released later? Or does the IRS consider my return filed when I send in the return and W-7 to Austin? Last question, does anyone know if it is OK to file separate filing status' for Federal and State. For Federal we will file jointly as my Wife made very little income last year. But I am from Massachusetts and there is a rule on their gov site (https://www.mass.gov/service-details/learn-about-filing-status-on-massachusetts-personal-income-tax) that states that if both spouses are not residents of MA they cannot file a joint return and must file Married Filing Separately. I am prepared to do this as I prepared my return with two different Tax software, but just wondering if anyone ran into the same thing: Sorry for so many questions, I appreciate everyone and everything I've read on here. Thanks!