[tcoram]

Thank you for your reply. I am married. Do you know of any way I can get the deduction without meeting the SPT?

Any further help is much appreciated

[AtlantaTaxExpert]

I assume you mean the Standard Deduction.

Yes, you can get it if you file jointly with your wife and choose to be treated as a resident alien. The only problem is you have to wait until you meet SPT in 2007, which means you need to wait until sometime in May or June before you can file.