# Filipina wife dependent status



## Cebu Citizen (Dec 13, 2013)

Does anyone here have first hand knowledge of the correct process for claiming your Filipina wife as an official dependent? Do I need to apply for her to have a US Social Security Number?

I need to list her on my US Income Tax Return as well as have her listed in my Social Security and VA files as being my spouse. What are the requirements to do this?

Is she required to have a U.S. Social Security Number?
Is this all she needs?
Or are there other requirements to accomplish?
Where do I go to complete these tasks?
What are the associated costs for this?
What steps need to be done to complete these tasks?

and any other information you might have...


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## George6020 (Apr 18, 2014)

Apply for the ITIN from the IRS website 1st............this will allow you to claim her on your taxes. This will also lead the way to get her a SSN and everything else.


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## Cebu Citizen (Dec 13, 2013)

George6020 said:


> Apply for the ITIN from the IRS website 1st............this will allow you to claim her on your taxes. This will also lead the way to get her a SSN and everything else.



Thanks...looks pretty straight forward but I am confused...according to the IRS website...I think this is all that is needed and I will not need to apply for my wife's Social Security Number???

Or do I still need to get her a Social Security Number also?


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## EuroBob (Feb 23, 2015)

Cebu Citizen said:


> Does anyone here have first hand knowledge of the correct process for claiming your Filipina wife as an official dependent? Do I need to apply for her to have a US Social Security Number?
> 
> I need to list her on my US Income Tax Return as well as have her listed in my Social Security and VA files as being my spouse. What are the requirements to do this?
> 
> ...


I use an ITIN for my wife, not a SSN, and then I file as Head of Household with her listed as a dependent.


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## EuroBob (Feb 23, 2015)

Cebu Citizen said:


> Thanks...looks pretty straight forward but I am confused...according to the IRS website...I think this is all that is needed and I will not need to apply for my wife's Social Security Number???
> 
> Or do I still need to get her a Social Security Number also?


If you live outside of the U.S. with a foreign national spouse, then my understanding is that you only need an ITIN for the spouse, not a SSN.
(I am not even sure if your foreign national spouse is eligible for a SSN.)


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## Cebu Citizen (Dec 13, 2013)

EuroBob said:


> I use an ITIN for my wife, not a SSN, and then I file as Head of Household with her listed as a dependent.



I am concerned if this is all I will need to list my wife with my Social Security Disability and my VA Disability...I am not sure what they will require for me to claim her as my legal spouse and they are being slow in responding to my email request.


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## Nickleback99 (Aug 6, 2011)

Foreign spouse would need be either a green card holder or US citizen to get an SSN. The SSN is issued about a month of arrival 1st time on the initial 2 yr green card and carries on from there. I'd have no idea though what happens w/ that SSN should she then not obtain the "permanent" 10 yr green card or become a citizen and simply went back home. Really track your paperwork and shipping, etc of any paperwork to IRS, as they lost mine for her ITN FedEx'd to them from her in Manila and it screwed me up on taxes the first year when we were married, but she remained in PI while I went to A-Poop-istan.


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

Nickleback99 said:


> Foreign spouse would need be either a green card holder or US citizen to get an SSN. The SSN is issued about a month of arrival 1st time on the initial 2 yr green card and carries on from there. I'd have no idea though what happens w/ that SSN should she then not obtain the "permanent" 10 yr green card or become a citizen and simply went back home.


Now this raises a question for me too as we moved here before her initial 2 year period was up and before the 10 year card and we intend to stay here. We have been filing a joint return, but may have to change that. Guess this matter warrants some study on my part for the future.

Fred


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## Nickleback99 (Aug 6, 2011)

that will be an interesting consideration Fred. Let us know what you find, as I have to factor all that in too. We are pending her 10 yr green card now, But are talking about staying here till 2017 so she can get citizenship before we move back there and be on same status as our son born here, plus be able to get benefits later should I "kick the bucket" at say 80 or so while she's in her 50's....Lol. Hopefully she won't have to change my diaper later. For sure, nothing is easy in immigration, taxes and foreign born spouses world.


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

Nickleback99 said:


> that will be an interesting consideration Fred. Let us know what you find, as I have to factor all that in too. We are pending her 10 yr green card now, But are talking about staying here till 2017 so she can get citizenship before we move back there and be on same status as our son born here, plus be able to get benefits later should I "kick the bucket" at say 80 or so while she's in her 50's....Lol. Hopefully she won't have to change my diaper later. For sure, nothing is easy in immigration, taxes and foreign born spouses world.


Maybe get a yaya


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## George6020 (Apr 18, 2014)

On the IRS website, it states that the ITIN is for use on Federal taxes only. This is the beginning stage of filing all those papers for Immigration, Green card, SSN, etc.

There will be many documents in the process..........so please keep your records safe and well managed. Just 1 misplaced or lost document can really delay things for you.


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## Nickleback99 (Aug 6, 2011)

lefties43332 said:


> Maybe get a yaya


I don't think she wants a Yaya she doesn't know. trust issue. Only one sister we'd possibly trust and she was our tag along "chaperone" on all those visits before married, for appearances only.


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

Nickleback99 said:


> I don't think she wants a Yaya she doesn't know. trust issue. Only one sister we'd possibly trust and she was our tag along "chaperone" on all those visits before married, for appearances only.


I meant; to change your diaper when its time)):


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## Nickleback99 (Aug 6, 2011)

lefties43332 said:


> I meant; to change your diaper when its time)):


Ha ha ha...I'm slow on the uptake. THAT IS Funny! Good idea too. I Think I might move back here, except to Oregon, if that happens and "exit" on My terms. Told her she's Not gonna set me up in some gawdy box in a living room in Philippines and have people come gawk at me for a week then some slow ass band and walking procession they do there. ;-) ! Just burn me and spread em on Mt Rainier and all is good.


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

Nickleback99 said:


> Ha ha ha...I'm slow on the uptake. THAT IS Funny! Good idea too. I Think I might move back here, except to Oregon, if that happens and "exit" on My terms. Told her she's Not gonna set me up in some gawdy box in a living room in Philippines and have people come gawk at me for a week then some slow ass band and walking procession they do there. ;-) ! Just burn me and spread em on Mt Rainier and all is good.


Lol....yeah


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## cvgtpc1 (Jul 28, 2012)

This has been discussed a lot on this site. I think I read they need 5 yr residency in the US to get anything?

I guess jetlag took a day off as he's quick to say call the Manila SS office LOL


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## Nickleback99 (Aug 6, 2011)

cvgtpc1 said:


> This has been discussed a lot on this site. I think I read they need 5 yr residency in the US to get anything?
> 
> I guess jetlag took a day off as he's quick to say call the Manila SS office LOL


Apparently there are some 3 yrs exemptions which would Seem most of us living In US with spouse would qualify for. I need research more. Sooner she can get it, sooner we can move to "paradise" lol 

http://immigration.findlaw.com/citizenship/naturalization-waivers-exceptions-and-special-cases.html


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

cvgtpc1 said:


> This has been discussed a lot on this site. I think I read they need 5 yr residency in the US to get anything?
> 
> I guess jetlag took a day off as he's quick to say call the Manila SS office LOL


Howdy and thanks for the jump in-Hahaha. I was here but was just past midnight our time. Even us slaves hafta' sleep sometimes :couch2:...


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## Cebu Citizen (Dec 13, 2013)

UPDATE - DIRECTLY FROM THE U.S. SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION...

I had several questions, (discussed above), about how to make sure my Filipina wife was legally listed as my legal spouse and how to legally claim her on my taxes. For the benefit of any other Forum members who might have similar questions, here is the official response I just received directly from the SS Office at the US Embassy in Manila:

The primary purpose of SSN's is to record earnings over a lifetime for any person making wages under U.S. jurisdiction. Any foreigner who is married to a non US Citizen is not entitled to and cannot receive a SSN for that spouse if that spouse is not working in the US and/or drawing US wages and paying US taxes for those wages.

In my case, my wife is not working at this time and therefore cannot get a SSN, (as pointed out earlier...thanks Nickleback), I only need to apply to the IRS and get my wife an ITIN, (Individual Tax Identification Number), for our taxes. I was also told that this same ITIN will be used by both the SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION and VETERAN'S AFFAIRS to record my wife as my legal spouse for any benefits or additional benefits that either she or I will be eligible for under my current disability benefits with both the SSA and the VA.

I hope this information makes it clear what a US Citizen needs as far as legally claiming his Filipina wife as a dependent. If she is *NOT* working for US taxable wages, she only needs an *ITIN*...if she *IS* working for US taxable wages, she needs a *SSN*.


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## Nickleback99 (Aug 6, 2011)

Cebu Citizen said:


> UPDATE - DIRECTLY FROM THE U.S. SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION...
> 
> I had several questions, (discussed above), about how to make sure my Filipina wife was legally listed as my legal spouse and how to legally claim her on my taxes. For the benefit of any other Forum members who might have similar questions, here is the official response I just received directly from the SS Office at the US Embassy in Manila:
> 
> ...


And the other side is if they do move to U.S. with you some period of time on a spousal visa, they will receive an SSN with green card 1-2 months after arrival. I guess that just assumes possibility of working, although mine is not. We will live here Ling enough for her to acquire citizenship then move to PI for at least half the time or more.


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## GaryFromIL (Mar 24, 2015)

My wife came here on a fiance visa 7 years ago. After we got married we applied for adjustment of her status. At that time we went in and got her and her son a SSN card. It had stamped on it "Not Valid For Employment". I was able to claim her and her son as dependents on my taxes with those numbers. After they got their 2 year green card about 3 months later they got new SSN cards without the employment restriction.


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## Cebu Citizen (Dec 13, 2013)

Nickleback99 said:


> And the other side is if they do move to U.S. with you some period of time on a spousal visa, they will receive an SSN with green card 1-2 months after arrival. I guess that just assumes possibility of working, although mine is not. We will live here Ling enough for her to acquire citizenship then move to PI for at least half the time or more.




And I guess I should have stated that the information I posted was "IF" the foreigner and the Filipina are planning on living full time here in the Philippines. As Nickleback pointed out, this game changes when you move to the U.S.


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