It is never too early to plan ahead for your next US tax return. Tax preparer Jane Bruno offers her list of things to keep in mind.

Remember also that an alien spouse or child can be claimed as a dependent only if s/he has a ITIP (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number or Social Security Number). Either identification can take some months to obtain. Check with the consular section of your closest embassy for an update as to current time lag. Forms available via:irs.gov

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A new form N-600K replaces the previous N-600. (The N-600 previously used is now specific to requesting a certificate of citizenship for somebody who is already a citizen.) Note also that regular passport-type photos are now required to accompany the form. See more information on Section 322 in the Topics section of this ACA website.

ACA requests people who have recently used Section 322 for facilitated naturalization to share their experiences. We have been informed of yet another instance where immigration officials were ill-educated concerning its implementation.

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Pandemicflu.gov gives access to a wealth of information and advice from the US Department of Health and Human Services on the subject of the anticipated avian flu pandemic.

The National Center for PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) has developed materials for military members and their families to help them adjust to changes during the return home from a war zone, and to help in adaptation back to home life.

• Returning from the War Zone: A Guide for Military Personnel
• Returning from the War Zone: A Guide for Families

The National Library Service has a program serving blind and physically handicapped US citizens living both within and outside the US who cannot use standard print library materials. NLS selects and produces full-length books and magazines on recorded discs and cassettes and in braille. Special cassette and record players are needed to listen to these, because they are recorded at speeds slower than those of commercial equipment. Reading materials and special machines are sent to readers and returned to NLS by postage-free mail. The book collections consist of recreational and informational reading for adults and children at all grade levels. Web site loc.gov

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The Department of Homeland Security recently announced the scheduled expansion of the US-VISIT program's biometric entry procedures to additional land border ports of entry along the U.S.-Canada border. The ports along the border starting US-VISIT entry procedures are in Vermont, Idaho, Washington, North Dakota, Maine and New York. The ports in these areas that began processing visitors are part of a multi-phased deployment of US-VISIT entry procedures to additional land border ports.

US-VISIT applies to all visitors who apply for entry with a nonimmigrant visa or traveling under the Visa Waiver program. For details see: dhs.gov and go to "Immigration and Borders" section.

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Siskind's Immigration Bulletin (visalaw.com) reports that in one of his first major policy pronouncements as Director of Operations for USCIS, Michael Aytes has issued a memorandum that makes significant changes in the way I-864 Affidavits of Support are handled in green card applications, effective immediately.

The most important changes are as follows:

• Only the most recent year's tax return is now required instead of the last three years. Aytes notes that the Immigration and Nationality Act requires three years, but gives USCIS discretion to vary from that requirement.
• From now on, the I-864 must always be submitted at the time of filing the application.
• If the income on the I-864 is enough to meet the 125%/100% income requirement, an examiner is directed to not issue a request for evidence.
• If the income on the I-864 is not enough, the examiner is directed to inquire into the current year's income, not ask for more information about income in the year of the tax return.

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Ordering books, videos --whatever-- through amazon.com or amazon.uk? Access amazon via ACA and we get paid for your business - at no cost to you.

Enter this ACA website (www.aca.ch); go to the Book Review section and click on any link to amazon.com (USA) or amazon.com.uk/. Any purchases you make when you have entered through the ACA portal, whether of items reviewed on the website or not, will yield a small percentage of the purchase price for ACA.

This extra click-to-give gesture helps us continue to help you.

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ACA's book of tales by Americans living abroad, So Far and Yet So Near, is available now. In the coming days, details of how to order this fascinating collection of experiences and reflections will be sent out to the News Update mailing list. Start preparing the list of people to whom you want to offer this affirmative book about the mind-stretching adventure of living beyond the borders.

To order the book from ACA, click here.

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Time will fly in any time zone when playing - or working - with convertit.com Check out time anywhere in the world, convert measures, temperatures, currencies, calculate loans, sales tax, the number of days between dates... And one thing leads to another; convert and calculate things you never thought of before!

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This News Update is, like ACA itself, of, by, and for Americans abroad. ACA is staffed through the efforts of volunteers, with its primary income source being membership fees and donations from private American citizens around the world.

WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE HANDS-ON TO ACA WORK:

1. NEWS UPDATE EDITORS. ACA is seeking to supplement its News Update staff. Work involves actually writing the News Update 2 - 3 times a year, under supervision of a Senior Editor, and monitoring raw material considered for the newsletter on a regular basis. Calls for e-mail access and an ability to write/edit succinctly and against a deadline. ACA takes pride in the global spread of its editors.
2. BOOK REVIEWS/REVIEWERS. ACA is interested in discovering books of particular interest to Americans abroad. It also seeks individuals willing to review such books. Reviewers get to keep the book, and to see their contribution in print. Click here for a list of books or contact the ACA office.

WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE TO ACA'S FINANCIAL SUCCESS:

1. ORDER YOUR PUBLICATIONS THROUGH THE ACA WEBSITE and we get paid for your business - at no cost to you. Go to the Book Review section and click on any link to amazon-com (USA) or amazon-UK. Any purchases you make when you have entered through the ACA portal, whether of items reviewed on the website or not, will generate a small revenue for ACA; Please make this extra click-to-give gesture to help us continue to help you.
2. JOIN US FOR OUR ANNUAL AUCTION. The FUNdraiser evening produces the single largest annual contribution to ACA's working budget. And the highest bids are for items ingenious and/or exotic. It's a good bet that someone in the attending crowd of internationals will be intrigued by even the most distant and/or unusual of objects or services.
3. IS YOUR MEMBERSHIP CURRENT? Renew by secure online payment or contact the ACA office . Membership is only $40 a year ($30 for seniors). Of course, an outright contribution via check or charge card is the most obvious way to support the work of ACA and its worldwide volunteers working to help YOU. Secure payment via thru PayPal^®, or send a check to: ACA, 5 rue Liotard, CH-1202 Geneva, Switzerland.

Disclaimer: While ACA makes every effort to be accurate in the information it transmits, such information is not to be considered a substitute for specific and qualified professional advice.

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