2×2″ photos size is common in USA for almost all types of government related documents and applications including:

1. USA Visa Applications
2. USCIS forms like H1B visa, family and employment green cards
3. USA Nursing Licenses – All States
4. Driving License
5. USA Passport applications

2×2 Photo Converter

There are many 2×2 photo converters available online including the one AM22Tech has developed.

1. AM22Tech AI Passport/Visa Photo
   • Crops, sizes and removes image background.
   • Provides single digital photo along with 4×6 perfectly lined photos for paper printing.
   • Manual photo editing if your photo needs adjustments that their AI cannot make.
   • Free edits and redos available.
   • Full refund guarantee if photo is rejected.
2. US Gov Photo crop tool
   • Crops and sizes.
   • No background removal. You will have to use other software to make background white/light gray as required.
   • Single digital photo only.
   • No support available. You are on your own. No guarantees.
3. VisaFoto
   • Crops, resizes and removes background but only gives one digital photo.
   • Difficult to print on paper.
   • No guarantees and no manual edits available.
4. Altsys
   • Crops, resizes and removes background.
   • Gives 2 photos for paper printing.
   • No support if the photo cannot be edited by their software.

How do we edit a Digital Photo to be exact 2×2 size on Paper?

There is no easy way to edit the digital photo to be exacrt 2×2 unless you use a professional softare that makes it the exact size by running mathematical algorithm.

If you try to edit it by yourself, there is a very high chance that the photo will either stretch or compress when you print it on paper.

2×2 Photo Size Requirements

Size	2″ × 2″ (51 × 51 mm)
Head length	1″ – 1 3/8″ (25–35 mm) (chin to crown)
Digital dimensions	600×600 to 1200×1200 px, ~300–600 DPI
Background	Plain white or off-white, no shadows
Expression & posture	Neutral face, eyes open, mouth closed, no tilt
Alterations	No filters, Photoshop beautification, or other edits

Get My Photo Now

I strongly suggest to use a software to make sure your photo is marked with exact 2″ × 2″ (51 × 51 mm) such cut-out lines to avoid any surprises.

Other Countries That Require 2×2-inch (51×51 mm) Photos

1. India

• Accepts 2×2 inch photos for visa, OCI applications.
• Accepts 35x45mm size photo for other services like power of attorney, NRI certificates and other similar services provided by Indian embassy in USA.

2. Various Visa-only Requirements

Several countries’ visa applications (especially when filing from abroad) often specifically ask for a 2×2 inch photograph:

• Countries include Spain, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iraq, Kuwait, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, and Zambia.

3. Other Passport/ID Uses

There are also some less common examples where a 2×2 format is used:

• Bulgaria, Barbados, Saint Lucia, Palau, and Rwanda accept or require 2×2 inch photos for certain ID or passport applications.
• Costa Rica uses a 2 × 2 inch photo for both passport and visa (51 × 51 mm).
• Cameroon may also accept a 2 × 2 inch photo for passport or visa in some contexts.

FAQ

The post 2×2 Photo Converter – Passport Photo Size Converter appeared first on AM22Tech.

35x45mm photos size is common in India, UK, Australia, Europe and New Zealand for almost all types of government related documents and applications including:

1. Visa Applications
2. Driving License
3. Passport applications

630×810 Pixel Photo Converter

There are many 630×810 Pixel photo converters available online including the one AM22Tech has developed.

#1 AI Passport Photo (Low cost)

AM22Tech AI Passport/Visa Photo is the modern web app that can be installed on your smartphone or used on the web directly (without installation).

Photo Editing

• Automatically crops, sizes and removes image background.
• Takes care of FACE ratio automatically. You just need to upload the photo clicked from your smartphone.
• Provides single digital photo (exact 630×810 pixel) along with 4×6 inch perfectly lined photos for paper printing.
• Photos available for download within minutes of making the payment.

Photo Upload Restrictions

• Works with both JEPG/JPG and PNG photo formats.

• Manual photo editing available if your photo needs adjustments that their AI cannot make.
  • Human manual review available for extra fee.

Website/App

• Modern web app – works on both desktop and mobile screens

Support

• Full refund guarantee if photo is rejected.
• WhatsApp and email support in USA eastern business hours.
• USA based company serving Indians around the world.

#2 123PassportPhoto (Medium Cost)

123PassportPhoto may come up in your Google search and it works as long as you can crop the image correctly using their crop lens (a rectangle provided to mark the crop area).

Photo Editing

• Works but manual cropping required. It may not provide the correct face ratio required.
• Manual selection of background color.
• Photo available for download after payment.
• Provides single digital photo and a paper printable digital photo.
• After printing on paper, you can cut the images into correct sizes.

Photo Upload Restrictions

• Only JPEG/JPG photo format allowed.

Website/App

• Cluttered UI but works if you upload the right photo in right format.

Support

• Support available only through online web form.
• No information available about company explicitly.

#3 IDPhotoForYou (FREE)

IDPhoto4You is a free option available with no guarantees or warranties.

Many people have used it and reported success with uploading the image on Passport seva portal. The only caveat is that you are responsible for making sure the face occupies 80-85% of the overall photo.

Photo Editing

• Manual Cropping required. It may not provide the correct face ratio required.
• Manual selection of background color.
• Only JPEG/JPG photo format allowed.
• Photo available for download after payment.
• Provides single digital photo and a paper printable digital photo.

Website/App

• Heavily surrounded by ads.

Support

• No support available.
• Free service. No Guarantees offered.

Passport Seva Portal

Many Indians who are facing photo upload issues on the Passport Seva (mportal) site have voiced their opinion on reddit threads.

Do not worry. There is a way to crop the image if you want to do it manually.

The 35x45mm paper photo is same 630 x 810 pixel digital photo. It can be clicked and printed at home or CVS.

All European countries use the 35x45mm format including the UK and Schengen countries.

Hence, if you visit CVS, Walgreens or Walmart in USA to get the photo clicked, just ask them to process it as per Great Britain or Schengen visa standards.

How do we edit a Digital Photo to be exact 630×810 Pixel size on Paper?

There is no easy way to edit the digital photo to be exact 630×810 Pixel unless you use a professional software that makes it the exact size by running mathematical algorithm.

If you try to edit it by yourself, there is a very high chance that the photo will either stretch or compress when you print it on paper.

I strongly suggest to use a software to make sure your photo is marked with exact 630×810 Pixel (35 × 45 mm) such cut-out lines to avoid any surprises.

Resize in Paint (Windows)

1. Open the image in MS Paint,
2. Click “Resize”.
3. Select “Pixels”.
4. Uncheck “Maintain aspect ratio”.
5. Enter 630 for horizontal and 810 for vertical.

These same instructions are also provided by VFS (the passport service provider for India) here.

Resize in Preview (Mac)

1. Open the photo,
2. Go to Tools > Adjust Size
3. Uncheck “Scale proportionally”
4. Set width to 630 and height to 810.

Resize In Canva

1. Open Photo in Canva.
2. A premium subscription may be required to resize the image.
3. Crop it to 630×810 pixel size.

ResizePixel (Free)

ResizePixel is a free option to crop and resize the image. You can resize your already available 2×2 digital photo to a 630×810 pixel size if you are not able to do it on Canva easily:

FAQ

The post 630×810 Pixel Photo Converter – Indian Passport – ICAO [Passport Seva Portal] appeared first on AM22Tech.

The chances of EB2 India reaching July 2015 are 50%.

There is a spillover of about 50k expected from family based green cards to employment based ones in Oct 2026 but this is not guaranteed. The spillover may happen due to the Trump gov’s ban on immigrant visa issuance on several countries.

If the spillover happens, the dates for both EB2 and EB3 India will move forward by about 3 months each.

Our estimation is that they might move the DOF (Date of filing) chart to 1 Apr 2015 in Oct 2026 bulletin.

• Note that spillover is distributed among all EB 1-5 categories equally. Hence, if 50k is available, then each one of them will get about 10k extra green cards.
• Eb2 and EB3 combined will get about 20k and then India may not only get 50% of this 20k. This is because ROW (rest of world) also consumes the green cards.

Predictions for 2026-2027

Stay positive and hope for the best.

You can also estimate dates based on your priority date.

If you have already filed your i485 but have not submitted the medicals, we strongly recommend interfiling the i693 form and improving your chances of getting a Green card earlier than others in the queue.

This app uses publicly available i140 data from USCIS and then mimics the per-month visa allocation based on various factors.

The employment spillovers happen in this order:

1. EB4 and EB5 extra green cards are given to EB1.
2. EB1’s unused GC numbers are given to EB2 ROW (The rest of the world).
3. EB2’s ROW is shared horizontally with backlogged countries like India and China. The most backlogged country gets the most GCs as per the best understanding.
4. EB3 ROW is supposed to get unused GC from EB2 which is almost impossible since EB2 India and China have huge backlogs.
5. EB3 does not spill over to anyone as per our understanding.

In a nutshell, this is the funnel for spillovers within employment-based categories:

• Unused EB4+EB5 ->
• EB1 ROW ->
• Unused EB1 ->
• EB2 ROW ->
• EB2 Backlogged (most backlogged first) ->
• EB3 ROW ->
• EB3 Backlogged (most backlogged first)

If you want to understand how this whole setup works, head over to the HappySchools blog which has explained spillover sharing details within EB categories in a really simple way.

Estimate My Green Card Date

You can estimate your green card date based on the same AI algorithm that we use for predicting visa bulletins.

1. Visit the My Green Card Estimate App here.
2. Enter your country of birth and employment-based GC category. You can leave the options as default.
3. Click the ‘Estimate My GC Date‘ button and see the visa bulletin that may get you the Green card.

This is what the estimated values look like.

This will help you decide on filing EB2 to EB3 downgrade and collecting documents for filing i485 if you have a good chance of getting current soon.

You should be ready to file I-485 documents if the dates move forward quickly as the window might not stay open for long.

How to Get a Green Card Fast?

Unless the US Immigration law is changed, to remove country-based GC limits with a law like S386, there is no real possibility of any Indian joining the EB2 Green card queue, to get a Green card in his/her lifetime.

#1 US Citizen Child Sponsor

To circumvent this 150-year wait, your Adult US citizen child can sponsor you once he/she turns 21.

This will give you a Green card immediately as there is neither any yearly limit nor any priority date waiting for immediate relatives of US citizens.

#2 EB5 Filing

If you have the money, you should file the green card using the EB5 investor route.

The dates are current for Indians in EB5 rural and high employment (HUA) reserved categories. Filing the EB5 with 800k investment in rural or HUA will make you eligible for EAD, AP immediately and will also help lock your child’s age.

The post EB2 India Green Card Prediction – Visa Bulletin appeared first on AM22Tech.

This is cumbersome even if you are filling it using your phone or computer. We will show you how to easily fill out the form and your details on all the pages of form i-693.

A separate I-693 form needs to be filled out for each member of the family who is applying for the I-485 green card application.

How to fill out the I-693 form?

There are two parties involved in filling out the I-693 form:

• Applicant
• Doctor

The app is designed to help fill all sections including the applicant and the doctor. If you are an applicant, the doctor’s section should be ignored.

We strongly recommend using AM22Tech’s app which helps you validate all your data to make sure you do not make any mistakes.

If you are a doctor and want to fill out this form for your patient before they come for the USCIS medical appointment, you can also fill in all the fields and save time. The doctor’s office can then print two copies of the same form quickly to share one with the applicant and the other for USCIS’s sealed envelope.

The app will save your information to generate the form again anytime later from any device including your iPhone, Android, or Samsung mobile.

#1 Enter Your Details

Enter your full name and birth details in the first step. Make sure that there are no spelling mistakes and that all these details match your current valid unexpired passport.

#2 Alien Number

Step 2 requires you to enter your A number. It is possible that you do not have any A-number at this time and you can leave it blank.

The same is true for the USCIS account number.

You can check this page to find your A-number.

For example:

A family of H1B and H4 dependents may have this scenario:

• H1B primary has an A number issued with his I-140. Find it on his i140 approval page.
• H4 dependent spouse might have her own A number on the H4 EAD card if she was issued one at any time.
• H4-dependent kids may not have an A number issued at all. In that case, you can leave the A number for your H4 child blank.

#3 USCIS Account Number

The USCIS Online Account Number is different from an A-Number (Alien number).

Most people do not have it.

1. If you have previously filed an application, petition, or any request using the USCIS online filing system (previously called USCIS Electronic Immigration System (USCIS ELIS)), your USCIS Online Account Number can be used here.
2. You can find your USCIS Online Account Number by logging in to your account and going to the profile page. Suppose you previously filed certain applications, petitions, or requests on a paper form via a USCIS Lockbox facility. In that case, you may have received a USCIS Online Account Access Notice issuing you a USCIS Online Account Number.
3. If you received such a notice, your USCIS Online Account Number can be found at the top of the notice.

You can leave it blank if you do not have it.

#4 Contact Details

The last step is to fill in your current USA residential address and contact details.

We recommend entering your email and mobile phone number.

Doctor Steps

The i693 medical form is extensive and there are many details that doctor needs to fill in before they can sign and issue the completed form.

The AM22Tech’s i693 app makes the task of filling the doctor’s section a breeze.

A doctor can:

• Copy the whole form contents for a family and then edit only the relevant portions to save time refiling the same lengthy form.
• Doctors can save and reuse their name, and address and just select it from the dropdown menu for each new patient’s form. No need to write the same thing twice.
• Select the dates, and vaccination names easily just with a tap and the app takes care of filling them in correctly on the USCIS form.
• Save and fill data as it becomes available. The app saves all entries automatically and securely.
• All records are available immediately on mobile, desktop, and office tabs as the doctor edits them.
• Get the completed form securely over your registered email.

Fill Form & Email

The last step is to Fill Form. The app validates all the data before it allows you to buy the service. Once validated and paid, the app will automatically pick up the current USCIS i693 form, fill it out, and will be available for download.

You only need to fill in your details on this form and take it to the USCIS-approved physician’s office. The doctor will fill in all other details and sign.

FAQ

The post How to Fill USCIS i693 Medical Form (For Doctors & Applicants) appeared first on AM22Tech.

You can fill out the affidavit by hand or on a computer or use our app to create the whole affidavit in the format accepted by the Indian embassy.

How to find out if Appearance has Changed?

On the affidavit, you have to mention if

• ‘Appearance has changed’ or
• ‘Appearance has not changed’

If you are applying for renewal after 10 years, our suggestion is to always say ‘Appearance has changed‘ to avoid delays or rejection of your application.

There is no need to worry even if you have to agree to a change in appearance. Usually, when you age, your appearance does change, which you may not realize yourself. There is no need to worry and a passport will be issued to you.

For example, if you are applying for a child’s passport, you will say that his/her appearance has changed as it always does for a growing kid.

Similarly, if you have started keeping a beard or now wear a turban, and vice versa, your appearance will be considered as changed.

Change in Appearance Affidavit Online

Create all affidavits and annexures required for Indian passport renewal in one go with our easy-to-use app.

FAQ

The post Change of Appearance Affidavit for Indian Passport Renewal appeared first on AM22Tech.

Annexure E is simply an affidavit by an Indian-origin person to declare that they are a citizen of India by birth/descent/registration/naturalization and they have neither acquired the citizenship of another country nor have surrendered their citizenship of India.

There are several other declarations that you need to make on this Annexure including but not limited to the security threats, criminal proceedings, and that you were not sent back (deported) from any foreign country at the Indian government’s expense.

Annexure E Online

You can create the Indian Embassy’s Annexure E affidavit easily using AM22Tech’s app.

Create all affidavits and annexures required for Indian passport renewal in one go with our easy-to-use app.

The service offers a full refund if the affidavit is denied by the Indian embassy.

Indian Citizenship type

Annexure E asks for your Indian citizenship type or you can say ‘How you received Indian citizenship’. There are 4 options:

1. Birth – you were born in India and hence became an Indian citizen.
2. Descent – means you were born in an Indian family.
3. Naturalization – means you applied for Indian citizenship through the official citizenship process with the Indian government and they approved it.
4. Registration – means that the Indian government gave you citizenship through a specific registration process.

You should write the correct option as to how you received your citizenship.

Multiple country citizenships

You should declare about holding multiple country citizenships. Your passport renewal may not approved if you declare wrong information or try to hide information.

India does not allow dual citizenship for its citizens.

For example, if you have received citizenship of the USA, Canada, or any other country, then you are required to surrender your Indian passport and its citizenship to the Indian embassy.

For Indian-origin people, you can apply for an OCI card to visit India without an Indian visa. Please note that you will need an Affidavit of an additional particular form to apply OCI card.

FAQ

The post Create Annexure E for Indian Embassy Online appeared first on AM22Tech.

SFO embassy (San Francisco) requires Apostille by US state before attestation while New York, Washington DC, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago may or may not require Apostille.

• Attestation of power of attorney is NOT the same as registration of power of attorney.
• Attestation is a pre-requisite to registration if you are outside India – NRI (non-resident Indian).

Documents Required

1. Miscellaneous services form. Each Indian embassy their own Misc Services form format – New York, Washington DC, Houston, San Francisco, Atlanta, Chicago.
2. Original Passport + Copies of all non-blank pages including first and last page.
3. Copy of Address proof in USA – 1 address proof is required – US bank statement, driving license, utility bill, Home lease agreement, etc.
4. Valid Visa copy – Valid H1B, H4, L1, etc. Remember that B1/B2 is not considered valid for creating POA.
5. Original Visa petition – approval notice i797 or USCIS issues receipt number for extension filing.
6. Original i94 + Copies – In the case of electronic i94, just take the print-out with you.
7. Two (2) passport-size photographs to be affixed against your name on POA.

NOTE: It is advised to carry the original version of the documents with you for verification, in case the consulate asks for it.

The process of registering the POA does NOT require ‘attestation‘ if you are still in India and planning to leave soon. i.e. you are about to leave and want to give power of attorney to someone in your family or a friend.

#1 Notarize Power of Attorney

2 witness signatures are required for attestation of Power of attorney. 

A witness can be anyone holding a valid US ID proof with an address and photo.

Witnesses should preferably be other than immediate family members.

• Witnesses CAN go to Indian Consulate with you? There is NO need to get the notarization.
• Witnesses CANNOT go to Indian Consulate with you? Take signatures of 2 witnesses on this POA in the presence of Notary.

A Free notary is available in most towns’ libraries, banks like Bank of America (Free if you have an account with them), and your own office would have one.

Paid notaries are available at USPS offices/shops too.

Online notaries are also available in the USA now:

• DocVerify
• Notarize
• NotaryCam
• Pavaso
• Safedocs
• SIGNiX

You should NOT sign the POA yet. It is to be done in front of the Indian consulate.

If the notary insists on your sign, then you can sign. You will be required to sign once again in Indian Embassy.

#2 Apostille PoA

You may or may not need Apostile based on your current Passport and the Indian Embassy you are applying at.

If you need Apostille, check the US secretary of state office website for the process. Supporting documents do not need Apostille.

#3 Attestation at Indian Embassy

An in-person visit to Embassy

You should either have 2 witnesses travel with you to the embassy or have the notarized POA.

Each embassy office has a time window normally between 9 AM to 11 AM to accept in-person attestation requests.

If both you and your spouse have been named as executant in POA, then both of you need to be present in Embassy physically with your original passports.

Documents required here:

• Your original POA,
• a photocopy of this POA and
• Original passport

You would be asked to sign in front of the officer on the POA to verify your signature.

Deposit the fees and you will most probably be asked to come back after 12 PM (afternoon) to collect the attested PoA.

Show the receipt and collect the attested POA and your passport. You are all set.

By Postal Mail

You need to get all the signatures (2 witnesses + your own) notarized.

Get the fees cashier check or money order.

The return shipping check has to be made separately. The amount differs by each embassy. No need to send the return shipping envelope. They take care of it with the return shipping fees that you send.

Send the documentary proof (only photocopies) with an exception of the original passport to the Indian consulate.

Documents required to be sent by mail:

• Your original POA,
• A photocopy of this POA and
• Original passport

The consulate will attest and return the documents back to you within a week.

Registration in India

Registration of ‘attested POA’ can only be done in India.

Send PoA to India and then follow the steps to register this POA.

FAQ

The post Attestation of Power of Attorney at Indian Consulate – USA appeared first on AM22Tech.

Many applicants face delays because their photos do not meet Canadian IRCC standards.

Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide to help you get your photos right the first time as per Canada photo guidelines for Visa or Permanent residency.

Official Canada Photo Requirements

To avoid delays and rejections, your application photos must strictly follow the official Canada government photo specifications.

• Size: 2 inch width x 2-3/4 inches height (50mm x 70mm)
• Head Position: Head height must be between 1-1/4 inch and 1-7/14 inches (31–36 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the hair.
• Background: A plain white or off-white background is required, with no patterns or shadows.
• Expression: Maintain a neutral facial expression or a natural, subtle smile. Both eyes must be open and visible.
• Eyewear: Glasses are not permitted in the photo, except in rare instances of medical necessity with a signed doctor’s statement.
• Print Quality: Photos must be high-resolution, printed on photo-quality paper (matte or glossy), and free of smudges or creases.
• Digital Size:Between 715×1000 and 2000×2800 pixels in JPEG or PNG format; file size must 4MB or less

Important: Do not use selfies, casual snapshots, or heavily filtered photos. Ensure the lighting is even and there are no dark shadows on your face or the background.

Where to Get photo Clicked In USA?

You can visit Walmart, CVS or Walgreens to get your photos clicked.

At some locations, even Costco and Sams club also offer reasonably proceed passport size photos. They can also edit the photo as per USCIS requirements.

They usually charge upwards of $14.99 for two pictures.

The other option is to click the photo yourself using the mobile phone camera or your digital camera. There are softwares and websites available online which can help you edit your photos to exact specifications.

You should remember that editing is complex as the final edited image should print to exact measurements of 2 inch x 2-3/4 inch on paper. The image’s DPI (dots per inch) also matter as they control the quality of the final printed output.

USCIS requires the image to be high resolution which can be attained if you click the image by your iPhone and then edit it to at least 300 DPI. AM22Tech’s AI photo editor takes care of checking the photo resolution and edits it to minimum 300 Dots per inch thereby making it extremely easy to satisfy government requirements.

If you would like to click them yourself to save money, here is how to take photo at home.

Step 1 of 4

Lighting

How to Take Your Passport or Visa Photo at Home

Save time and money by capturing a professional-quality photo right from home. All you need is a smartphone and a few minutes. Follow these steps for the perfect shot.

1 Right Lighting

Stand against a plain white or off-white wall. Face a window for natural daylight to ensure even lighting and avoid harsh shadows.

2 Set Up Your Camera

Use a tripod or ask a friend. Keep the lens at eye level and about 2 to 4 feet away. Always use the back camera for sharper quality.

3 Strike the Correct Pose

Look directly at the camera with a neutral expression. Keep your head straight, shoulders relaxed, and ensure your full head and shoulders are visible.

4 Capture & Upload

Take the shot and upload it to an AI photo editor. It will adjust background, crop correctly, and produce a high-resolution photo that matches government standards.

Expert Tip

Avoid using a flash. It creates glare on skin and glasses. Natural light is your best friend!

FAQ

The post Canada PR, Passport Photo Online – 50x70mm Guidelines [Avoid Rejection] appeared first on AM22Tech.

A foreign national is taxed in the US as a resident or a non-resident alien based on the number of days you have spent physically in the US.

What is a Substantial Presence Test?

The US tax agency is known as IRS and they have created a residency test called SPT (Substantial Presence Test). It is a simple test that counts the number of days you have resided in the US in the last 3 years.

F1 Students

Many people enter the US for studies using an F1 visa but then change their status to an H1B work visa within the same year.

This creates confusion with respect to whether you should count the days spent in the US on an F1 student visa for the substantial presence or not.

Teacher or Trainee

Similarly, the app takes care of J-1 and Q-1 status rules for the IRS residency tests which exempt them from counting these days for SPT unless they are in the US as a student.

IRS exempts all the alien physicians, au pairs, short-term scholars, and summer camp workers temporarily present in the U.S. in “J” visa status from SPT counting as they are included within the IRS definition of “Teacher or Trainee.”

B1/B2 Visitors

Business or tourist visitors using a B-1/B-2 US visa will also be considered for tax residency. Most B-1 business workers do receive payments in USD and may have to file income tax returns as ‘resident aliens’ if they pass the substantial presence test.

Please consult a tax consultant or a CPA if you are not sure what kind of tax you need to pay or file in the US.

IRS Substantial Presence Calculator

The substantial presence app supports listing your dates of entry and exit from the US. It automatically calculates the number of days you spent in the US.

The app takes care of all the complex IRS rules if you specify the correct dates with the correct visa status.

Substantial Presence Test Rules

The basic criteria for the IRS test take into account the current year which is the year that you are trying to file taxes.

The test has two parts and both should be satisfied to consider yourself a ‘resident-alien’ for filing 1040 taxes in the US.

1. 31 days during the current year, and
2. 183 days during the 3-year period that includes the current year and the 2 years immediately before that, counting:
   • All the days you were present in the current year, and
   • 1/3 of the days you were present in the first year before the current year, and
   • 1/6 of the days you were present in the second year before the current year.

Example:

If you came to the US on 1 Jan as a student on an F1 visa and then converted to H1B visa on Oct 1 (same year) to keep working, you have two separate legal stays in the US:

• 1 Jan to 20 Sep stay on F1 will be considered exempt from counting.
• From Oct 1 to 31 Dec staying on an H1B visa will be counted as a legal presence in the US.

Transit Through US

IRS allows you to exclude the day if you were present in the US for less than 24 hours just because you were on a transit flight.

Many people on business trips using B-1/B-2 visas travel through the USA stopover flights in Atlanta while going to Mexico.

am22tech’s Substantial presence test app allows you to specify your trip as transit and hence it will not be counted.

Living in Canada/Mexico but working in the US

You can exclude the days that you have commuted from Canada or Mexico to the US just for day work.

A lot of people who work in the Detroit area commute daily to the US while living in Canada using their PR. They can exclude the days they worked in the US.

Many highly skilled H1B workers also have Canada PR and try to maintain both at the same time but make sure that you calculate your residency using the Substantial Presence Test calculator to see if you have the correct US residency status.

The other exceptions include

• Unable to leave the US due to medical conditions that developed while you were in the US.
• Staying in the US as a crew member of a foreign vessel.
• A professional athlete competing in Charitable Events in the US. Athletes performing in the US for profit cannot claim this exemption.

The post IRS Substantial Presence Test Calculator (All Visa Types) appeared first on AM22Tech.

Check if you are eligible to apply for H4 EAD.

Documents for H4 EAD Application

#1 H4 EAD Fee

H4 EAD fee is $520.

USCIS accepts payment by Credit Card or ACH bank transfer

1. Pay by credit card – Fill form G-1450
2. Pay by ACH debit transfer – Fill form Form G-1650

Attach the form on top of the application.

ACH should be from a US bank.

If you are using the credit card, then it should have been issued by a US bank. International cards from non-US countries will not work.

Payment by Check/Money order is NOT accepted by USCIS.

#2 Photo (Two; each 2×2 inch size)

Two identical 2×2 inch photographs clicked within the last 30 days are required for the H4 EAD application.

Write your name and i94 number (OR SSN OR Alien registration number) on the back of the photograph with a light gray colored pencil.

Off course, you can click the H4 EAD photo at home, edit it and then print yourself to save money.

The admission record number on H4’s i94 fetched from the CBP site is what should be written on the back of each photo.

Do not send an old photo with the I-765 application as USCIS will send RFE to submit new photos. This will increase your H4 EAD processing time.

#3 Fill I-765 Form

Download and fill USCIS i765 form. You can also use our app to fill out the form. The app validates and checks all form fields to make sure you do not make any mistakes.

You can use this app to fill the form, validate all, and make sure the form is not rejected or an RFE is sent by USCIS:

Open App in new Window

#4 H4 Status Proof

• Copy of H-4 visa holder’s most recent I-797 Approval. If an H4 extension has been approved recently, use the extension approval. OR
• Most recent H4 i-94 copy. If an H4 extension were approved recently, the new i94 would be attached to your H4 extension approval (i797) notice OR
• A Copy of the pending H4 extension if it has not reached any result yet.

#5 Government Issued Photo ID Document

• Copy of Passport’s front (with Photo) and back pages (with address) OR
• Copy of USA H4 Visa stamp page from the Passport OR
• A copy of your last EAD – Both front and back (if any) OR
• A birth certificate with a photo ID. For example, an Indian (or Chinese) birth certificate will work only if it has a photograph. OR
• Any other national identity document with a photo. US State ID or Driving License is NOT acceptable.

#6 H4’s Relationship Proof with H1B

A copy of your marriage certificate in English is required to prove the H4 dependent’s relationship to primary H1B.

#7 H4 EAD Eligibility Proof

Primary H1B spouse’s I-140 i797c approval notice is required to prove H4 EAD eligibility.

If your employer has not shared the I-140 approval copy with you, use the USCIS FOIA request to get I-140 details.

#8 Current H4-EAD Copy (If applying Renewal/Extension)

An existing EAD copy is required only if you already have H4 EAD and you are applying for renewal or extension.

Only a black color ink pen is allowed as USCIS uses computer scanning to read forms.

Do NOT staple the documents. Use a paper clip to bind them together.

#9 Form G1145 (Optional but recommended)

Use form G1145 to let USCIS send you an SMS or an email once they receive your application. Attach this form at the top of the EAD application package.

Concurrent Filing – H1B, H4, H4 EAD

If you are filing H1B, H4, and H4 EAD applications concurrently at the same time in the same package, you can write this in question 29 on form i765:

• “Filed Concurrently” OR
• Leave Blank OR
• Write the current approved H1B receipt number

All three options have been tried and tested and all of them work fine. Our recommendation is to write “Filed concurrently” in Q29 or use our app and it will handle all text automatically.

Don’t worry about the limited space to write it. You can just write with free handwriting.

H4-EAD Renewal Documents

The document list is the same for H4-EAD renewal or extension as for the new H4-EAD application mentioned above.

The start date for the H4 EAD extension may be in the future.

Example,
If your H4 expires in Sep, and you applied for renewal in Mar, of the same year, your extended H4’s start date may be Sep instead of March.

It is on USCIS to give a current start date or future one (that correlates with your current H4’s expiry date).

To fill up the i-765 form, we would consider the most recent H4 approval irrespective of its start date.

Based on it, your i94 number and primary H1B i797 approval receipt number will be decided while filing the i765.

Apply SSN with EAD

If you do not currently have SSN, select ‘No’ on Q 13.a. and then select ‘Yes’ on Q 14 and Q 15.
You will have to fill Q 16.a., 16.b. with your (H4’s) father and mother’s name to get an SSN card.

Your SSN card will be automatically generated after your EAD is approved within 3-4 weeks and mailed by USPS.

FAQ

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