ITIN Hassles

[OnMyWay]

2 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Your step-daughter is a Filipino citizen and you are claiming her as a dependent?  I did not think this was possible but please let me know if it is, as I have a 12 year old step-daughter by my wife's previous marriage.  I'm not sure what legally makes her my step-daughter other than the fact that I married her mom.

Sorry, I don't mean to hijack your thread.  I just ran my step-daughter through this IRS interactive dependent checker and she does not qualify as my dependent:

https://apps.irs.gov/app/IPAR/investigate/IPAR_1/en-US/Attribute~Dependents~global~global/qs%24s1%40TLC_Dependents_Development_Screens_DEPLanding_xint%24global%24global?user=guest

[Ram1957]

8 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

I was not quite sure what the Red Ribbon service was so I looked it up.  Ram, why did you feel the need to Red Ribbon her passport?  Just for extra insurance that the IRS will accept it?

 

I didn't want to lose her passport so we got the "Red Ribbon" its the same as sending her passport.

Edited June 29, 2016 by Ram1957
Format

[OnMyWay]

37 minutes ago, Ram1957 said:

I didn't want to lose her passport so we got the "Red Ribbon" its the same as sending her passport.

I see.  You send a "Red Ribbon" document instead of sending the whole passport.  Or did you send a copy of the passport too?  That was my worry when I first read the ITIN IRS procedure.  I didn't want passports floating around in regular mail. especially Philippine mail.

 

[Ram1957]

31 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

I see.  You send a "Red Ribbon" document instead of sending the whole passport.  Or did you send a copy of the passport too?  That was my worry when I first read the ITIN IRS procedure.  I didn't want passports floating around in regular mail. especially Philippine mail.

 

The "Red Ribbon" is basically a copy of her passport certified by the DFA.

[OnMyWay]

On 6/29/2016 at 8:50 PM, Sander Martin said:

Only in Manila DFA Offices tho. We were in Iloilo and had to use DHL as they provide the service for a small fee.

Sander, if I pop into a DHL office they should know about this?  I assume it is one of their standard service offerings here in the Philippines.  There is no mention of it on the DFA website.

Where can I get the application form?  I can't find it on the DFA website.

[Sander Martin]

On 22 July 2016 at 3:35 PM, OnMyWay said:

Sander, if I pop into a DHL office they should know about this?  I assume it is one of their standard service offerings here in the Philippines.  There is no mention of it on the DFA website.

Where can I get the application form?  I can't find it on the DFA website.

Atleast those two times we visited Iloilo DHL, there were 2-5 people doing their DFA red ribbon thru them. DFA Iloilo office directed into DHL to have the red ribbons done...

 We didnt need to fill up anything. Just turned up with the papers you want to red ribbon and money to pay the fee.

 

[OnMyWay]

1 hour ago, Sander Martin said:

Atleast those two times we visited Iloilo DHL, there were 2-5 people doing their DFA red ribbon thru them. DFA Iloilo office directed into DHL to have the red ribbons done...

 We didnt need to fill up anything. Just turned up with the papers you want to red ribbon and money to pay the fee.

 

Thanks Sander!

I was a bit worried today when I stopped by my nearest DHL office.  I have dropped off packages there before.  I started describing red ribbon and he was looking baffled!  All of sudden he lit up and said "oh, you mean that domestic service!"  I didn't realize that although this office accepts packages, they are the international heavy freight office.  He directed me to the other DHL office in Olongapo, so I will stop by next week.  That is great that they do everything!

[OnMyWay]

A small update on Red Ribbon for those who may need it.  The DFA in San Fernando, Pampanga, (Robinson's Mall) can do most Red Ribbon now.

We stopped by DHL in Olongapo and they said it would be at least 3-4 weeks before we got it back.  She recommended going to DFA in San Fernando to get it done faster, so we went there a few weeks ago.  The strange thing was, the screener told my wife that in order to get the passport Red Ribbon, we had to get two things from the local court in Olongapo???  It seems odd that a Federal government office that issue passports would ask for something from the local court.  I think the screener might have been wrong but we decided not to pursue this route anyway.

[Jack Peterson]

On 9/1/2016 at 9:04 PM, OnMyWay said:

 It seems odd that a Federal government office that issue passports would ask for something from the local court.  I think the screener might have been wrong but we decided not to pursue this route anyway.

 Hmmmmm! that is the whole point of the Red Ribbon from DFA as the Philippines passport issuing Authority, they will know what they are looking for even in a Foreign Passport, Far Higher Authority than a local Court in my View, seems some retraining is needed at DFA.  

[OnMyWay]

11 minutes ago, Jack Peterson said:

 Hmmmmm! that is the whole point of the Red Ribbon from DFA as the Philippines passport issuing Authority, they will know what they are looking for even in a Foreign Passport, Far Higher Authority than a local Court in my View, seems some retraining is needed at DFA.  

The screener said my wife could go in and double-check at the counter (directly, without a line, as she was holding our baby) but both kids were getting cranky, so we decided to go home.  Everything has worked out anyway, with my wife's ITIN.