Generally, you cannot file as married filing jointly if either spouse was a nonresident alien at any time during the tax year. However, if at the end of your tax year, one spouse is a U.S. citizen or a resident alien and the other is a nonresident alien, you can choose to treat the nonresident as a U.S. resident. You can file jointly with your wife to get maximum tax benefit. Here, each spouse must report his or her entire worldwide income on the joint income tax return. If you need to file a return, your spouse must have either a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). If your spouse is not eligible to get an SSN, he or she can file Form W-7 with the IRS to apply for an ITIN. You must also provide original or certified copies of documents to verify your spouse’s age, identity, and citizenship.
Answers are correct to the best of my ability but do not constitute legal or tax advice.
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