Hello
I came to the US and got married to a US citizen in 2019. Soon after that I filed my Adjustment of Status I-485 Form. My wife is my sponsor on Affidavit of Support (Form I-864). Because of the Coronavirus Pandemic my US citizen wife received 2 Economic Impact Payments in 2020/2021 which were based on her last Tax Return when she was still single. Because I didn’t work in the US in 2019 and wasn't here long enough, I wasn’t required to file a Tax Return for that year and thus I haven’t received any Economic Impact Payments myself.
However both my wife and I were working in 2020, and now we want to file a joint Tax Return for 2020. We’ve read that we could technically apply for ‘Recovery Rebate Credit’ which basically means that even though I would file my very first Tax Return for year 2020, in the end I would still receive those 2 Economic Impact Payments, just at a later date.
Now, my question is whether it’s something that I should do? Or does USCIS consider those ‘Economic Impact Payments’ as ‘Means-Tested Public Benefits’ and I’m not allowed to claim them?
I can add that I became a Conditional Permanent Resident very recently in 2021 (few weeks ago), however my Adjustment of Status case was pending for the whole of 2020 and during that time I was working based on my Employment Authorization Card.
Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance
I came to the US and got married to a US citizen in 2019. Soon after that I filed my Adjustment of Status I-485 Form. My wife is my sponsor on Affidavit of Support (Form I-864). Because of the Coronavirus Pandemic my US citizen wife received 2 Economic Impact Payments in 2020/2021 which were based on her last Tax Return when she was still single. Because I didn’t work in the US in 2019 and wasn't here long enough, I wasn’t required to file a Tax Return for that year and thus I haven’t received any Economic Impact Payments myself.
However both my wife and I were working in 2020, and now we want to file a joint Tax Return for 2020. We’ve read that we could technically apply for ‘Recovery Rebate Credit’ which basically means that even though I would file my very first Tax Return for year 2020, in the end I would still receive those 2 Economic Impact Payments, just at a later date.
Now, my question is whether it’s something that I should do? Or does USCIS consider those ‘Economic Impact Payments’ as ‘Means-Tested Public Benefits’ and I’m not allowed to claim them?
I can add that I became a Conditional Permanent Resident very recently in 2021 (few weeks ago), however my Adjustment of Status case was pending for the whole of 2020 and during that time I was working based on my Employment Authorization Card.
Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance
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