How to prove physical presence in the US?

[Bangkok or bust]

I'm applying for US citizenship for my son born here August of 2018.

 

I moved here in 2015. I don't believe I have any old pay stubs(direct transfers from employer back home), I didn't attend University, I filed joint tax returns with my ex-wife in America, so I don't have any copies of w2's.

 

What are my other options?

 

Thank you.

[GinBoy2]

I think that is the least of your worries.

 

The State Dept website has a ton of information on this matter.

 

Start with these

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/travel-legal-considerations/us-citizenship/Acquisition-US-Citizenship-Child-Born-Abroad.html

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/travel-legal-considerations/us-citizenship/US-Citizenship-DNA-Testing.html

[GinBoy2]

As for physical presence

 

You can get tax transcripts from the IRS, and if you are registered to vote, a current voter registration will do just fine.

 

On the tax transcript thing, if you have filed taxes while you have been in Thailand with a Thai address, don't try the online thing, it won't work. Just request them by mail.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

Best of all if you still have a valid driver's license you are set

 

 

Edited April 29, 2019 by GinBoy2

[Bangkok or bust]

2 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

As for physical presence

 

You can get tax transcripts from the IRS, and if you are registered to vote, a current voter registration will do just fine.

 

On the tax transcript thing, if you have filed taxes while you have been in Thailand with a Thai address, don't try the online thing, it won't work. Just request them by mail.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

Best of all if you still have a valid driver's license you are set

 

 

So they will send this information through the mail without proof I am who I say I am?

 

My Driver's license expired also...

[GinBoy2]

3 minutes ago, Bangkok or bust said:

So they will send this information through the mail without proof I am who I say I am?

 

My Driver's license expired also...

SSN, last filing address, DOB etc is what they require, it's all the usual suspects to prove identity

[Bangkok or bust]

18 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

SSN, last filing address, DOB etc is what they require, it's all the usual suspects to prove identity

Thank you for your help.

[metisdead]

Troll posts and replies have been removed. 

[GinBoy2]

7 hours ago, Bangkok or bust said:

Thank you for your help.

One thing you should also do is register with SS for their online service.

 

I have no idea how old you are, but register with Social Security, not only will it establish you in the system for identity purposes, but you can also keep track of your entitlements, especially since you will want your son who will be a US citizen who then maybe eligible for survivor benefits if something was to happen to you before he's 18

 

https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI98PqoPf14QIVD77ACh3-HgkbEAAYASABEgJ2QPD_BwE

Edited April 29, 2019 by GinBoy2

[khwaibah]

5 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

One thing you should also do is register with SS for their online service.

Can only do if you registered in the states. If you register for SS say from Manila  you can not use the online.

Edited April 30, 2019 by khwaibah

[greg67]

Apply for access to Social Security Account then print your statement.... The statement will show all the years you contributed to SS.... I used this to prove my physical presence for daughter's birth certificate in 2008...

[GinBoy2]

17 minutes ago, khwaibah said:

Can only do if you registered in the states. If you register for SS say from Manila  you can not use the online.

Not talking about applying online to claim SS, but you can get an online account so you can see your statement as @greg67 rightly says

[khwaibah]

3 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

Not talking about applying online to claim SS, but you can get an online account so you can see your statement as @greg67 rightly says

 

Same can not do  from Thailand must do from the US.

[GinBoy2]

6 minutes ago, khwaibah said:

 

Same can not do  from Thailand must do from the US.

That's not true, I signed up when I was in Thailand. 

 

I used it to see what my contributions had been and what my projected SS benefits would be.

 

You need to receive a security code, to either a US cell phone, or an email. So unless you carry a US cell phone in Thailand you just use the email option

Edited April 30, 2019 by GinBoy2

[khwaibah]

Most of us that signed up from Thailand did not have a US cell phone. When I did it my interviewee's was to my Thai cell phone number. At that time Manila SS was great since then they're shyt. After  a month and 5 phone calls last 4 with Baltimore things are straighten out.

Edited April 30, 2019 by khwaibah

[GinBoy2]

6 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

One thing you should also do is register with SS for their online service.

 

I have no idea how old you are, but register with Social Security, not only will it establish you in the system for identity purposes, but you can also keep track of your entitlements, especially since you will want your son who will be a US citizen who then maybe eligible for survivor benefits if something was to happen to you before he's 18

 

https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI98PqoPf14QIVD77ACh3-HgkbEAAYASABEgJ2QPD_BwE

For your son, and your numbers will be different depending on your contributions, but he will be eligible and you will be able to access his survivor benefits and it will look something like this

 

But this is why it's important that you get his citizenship done so he doesn't lose out, should anything happen to you

Edited April 30, 2019 by GinBoy2

[Rimmer]

A troll post has been removed

[RickTik]

Take a picture at Wrigley Field. ☺

[Tony125]

8 hours ago, khwaibah said:

Most of us that signed up from Thailand did not have a US cell phone. When I did it my interviewee's was to my Thai cell phone number. At that time Manila SS was great since then they're shyt. After  a month and 5 phone calls last 4 with Baltimore things are straighten out.

https://www.magicjack.com/products.html

Order from above link. Gives you a device plugged into PC that will give you free unlimmited calls from/to USA/canada with USA number . Costs about $50 a year. I have had one for 8 years

[Bangkok or bust]

I actually found my SS statement from 2016, the year after I moved here(at my parents house now). They are mailing it to me now.

 

I hope that along with all my other identification will be enough.

 

Thank you everybody for your information.

[timendres]

13 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

That's not true, I signed up when I was in Thailand. 

 

I used it to see what my contributions had been and what my projected SS benefits would be.

 

You need to receive a security code, to either a US cell phone, or an email. So unless you carry a US cell phone in Thailand you just use the email option

I also signed up from Thailand, but a VPN was required, as the system would not accept an IP address outside the US.

[timendres]

5 hours ago, Tony125 said:

https://www.magicjack.com/products.html

Order from above link. Gives you a device plugged into PC that will give you free unlimmited calls from/to USA/canada with USA number . Costs about $50 a year. I have had one for 8 years

I also do this with Skype. No device required. Incoming calls to my US phone number ring Skype on my computer and my phone. Calls to US phone numbers from Skype are unlimited. A tad more expensive (I think about $60/yr), but I really like it.

[DrDave]

5 hours ago, Tony125 said:

https://www.magicjack.com/products.html

Order from above link. Gives you a device plugged into PC that will give you free unlimmited calls from/to USA/canada with USA number . Costs about $50 a year. I have had one for 8 years

I had one for several years too. Was never able to receive any text messages via magicjack even though they supposedly added text capabilities. I think there was some requirement that in order to receive a text from a particular sender (number), you had to first successfully send a text to that same number. Not helpful for receiving security codes from banks, etc for which the sending number isn't known.

[GinBoy2]

1 minute ago, DrDave said:

I had one for several years too. Was never able to receive any text messages via magicjack even though they supposedly added text capabilities. I think there was some requirement that in order to receive a text from a particular sender (number), you had to first successfully send a text to that same number. Not helpful for receiving security codes from banks, etc for which the sending number isn't known.

It's hit n miss with text messaging and the virtual services. 

 

Banks and the government for example are getting very good at detecting virtual phones, so even if they work for general text messaging, they won't work for secure messaging and secure codes

[144427_1469952527]

I'm applying for US citizenship for my son born here August of 2018.
 
I moved here in 2015. I don't believe I have any old pay stubs(direct transfers from employer back home), I didn't attend University, I filed joint tax returns with my ex-wife in America, so I don't have any copies of w2's.
 
What are my other options?
 
Thank you.

I went through the same thing with my son. W2 weren't accepted as they don't prove you were physically present in the USA ( that's the excuse given by the consular official, not my opinion).

I used my grade school report cards and university transcript. BTW, the official asked me if I was ever in prison, as he said that could also be used.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

[Tony125]

5 hours ago, DrDave said:

I had one for several years too. Was never able to receive any text messages via magicjack even though they supposedly added text capabilities. I think there was some requirement that in order to receive a text from a particular sender (number), you had to first successfully send a text to that same number. Not helpful for receiving security codes from banks, etc for which the sending number isn't known.

If you download the MJ app to your smartphone you can send and receive texts as well as calls.

[Langsuan Man]

4 hours ago, Tony125 said:

If you download the MJ app to your smartphone you can send and receive texts as well as calls.

The app is buggy and has been so for years

 

If you need a phone number for text purposes from the US then get yourself a free Google Voice number, which will give you the ability to receive SMS and Text messages from a US number.  Use it all the time to get OTOP's from US banks. They show up in my Gmail inbox  

 

Since I also have a MJ have never used the Google Voice for voice calls but with headphones and microphone it is possible  

[GinBoy2]

43 minutes ago, Langsuan Man said:

The app is buggy and has been so for years

 

If you need a phone number for text purposes from the US then get yourself a free Google Voice number, which will give you the ability to receive SMS and Text messages from a US number.  Use it all the time to get OTOP's from US banks. They show up in my Gmail inbox  

 

Since I also have a MJ have never used the Google Voice for voice calls but with headphones and microphone it is possible  

I could never get Google Voice text messages to work with BoA, it was always detected as a virtual number. 

 

It's very hit n miss nowadays.

 

My Google Voice US number never worked with BoA or SS for text messages.

 

I ultimately ended up using a Cricket prepaid phone with wifi calling with their minimal talk/text plan which was bulletproof.

 

These days when authorities are on the constant lookout for money laundering, terrorists moving money, your physical location is becoming a lot harder to hide