Residency through Marriage

Nonresident aliens who do not meet the substantial presence test and do not have green cards may still be treated as residents if they are married to U.S. citizens. This election can be made if:

• At the end of the year, one spouse is a nonresident alien and the other is a U.S. citizen or resident, and
• Both spouses agree to file a joint return and to treat the nonresident alien as a resident alien for the entire tax year