Hi all,

I am working on H1B visa since April 2007, my wife and son joined me in middle of December 2007, reading forums/information on the net, I understood that I can file my tax return jointly but there are some contradict statements about getting ITIN number.

I will really appreciate the guidance on the below concerns:

1. Am I understanding correctly, there is no minimum stay limitation for the families.
2. Should I apply the ITIN for my family along with Tax return or get it before applying the Tax return.

Thanks and Regards,
Imran Noor

1) Correct.

2) You MUST apply with the tax return. You CAN take the return to your local IRS office if they can issue the ITIN (call first), but the W-7 must be submitted WITH the tax return.