Citizen living overseas

[ElsaPerez]

My fiance is wants to live in his country Costa Rica, we've been looking for property over there. He's only a resident here in the US, but I am a citizen. Does anyone know how I will have to go about making a life there and still obtaining my citizenship here in America.

[ElsaPerez]

My fiance is wants to live in his country Costa Rica, we've been looking for property over there. He's only a resident here in the US, but I am a citizen. Does anyone know how I will have to go about making a life there and still obtaining my citizenship here in America.

[AliBA]

If you're a U.S. citizen, all you have to do is file your taxes with the IRS every year on your worldwide income. What COSTA RICA requires you to do is more to the point. However, if your fiance is an LPR, he is likely to lose his GC if he moves back before getting U.S. citizenship.

[Hudson]

Aliba,
Not necessarily. All her fiance haa to do is mainrain a permemanr establishment in the US and/oe file jointly wirh his spouse. If he loses his GC, he may be subject to the expatriatation tax for resident aliens.

If you were a U.S. long-term resident (LTR) (see Definitions below), you terminated your residency:

* On the date you voluntarily abandoned your lawful permanent resident (LPR) status by filing Department of Homeland Security Form I-407 with a U.S. consular or immigration officer, and the Department of Homeland Security determines that you have, in fact, abandoned your LPR status,
* On the date you became subject to a final administrative order for your removal from the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act and you actually left the United States as a result of that order, or
* If you were a dual resident of the United States and a country with which the United States has an income tax treaty, on the date you commenced to be treated as a resident of that country and you determined that, for purposes of the treaty, you are a resident of the treaty country. See Treas. Reg. Section 301.7701(b)-7 for information on other filing requirements for such individuals.

Former LPR: a former U.S. LTR if you were a lawful permanent resident of the United States for at least 8 of the 15 consecutive tax years ending with the date of your termination of residency.

I don't think he meets rhe qualifications, but you must include this information in your response when applying the expat rules to LPR's.

If she denounces her US citizenship, she will fall under the same general requirements.

[aneri]

Hudson, how should a married couple living abroad (many years) file taxes, if one is USC and the other is ex-LPR (he had been LRP for 5 years and has SSN)? Can ex-LPR still declare himself as resident for tax purposes, and file jointly?Or file separetely so ex-LPR doesn't declare anything to IRS? What if ex-LPR still has some joint accounts with the USC, in the US, and interest income?

Should one that has never been in the US, but is married to USC and they live abroad, also file US taxes? If yes, how? Married filing jointly, using ITN (can that person get ITN at all?)?

Can you give us some general idea about the above situations? Thanks

[macyuhoo]

You should read the Costa Rica Times for advice.

[ElsaPerez]

What I wanted to know if I was to make a life in Costa Rica, how do I maintain my citizenship here is the U.S.? Do I have to come back to the US frequently to maintain it? And what about if I was to work in Costa Rica, can I still maintain my citizenship?

[macyuhoo]

Once you're a US citizen, you keep it. It's unlike green card holders who must meet their residency requirement in the US. If your home country has dual citizenship, then much better. The issue is on the other side, your land of birth; not in the US. You remain to be an American anywhere you go unless it's revoked or you withdraw your allegiance to US government.

[ElsaPerez]

So I can live in Costa Rica for let's say 10 years and I'll never lose my status here in the U.S.? Is there something that I need to fill out to maintain my living in Costa Rica and still maintain my citizenship?