Do I meet the bona fide resident test for foreign earned income exclusion?

The bona fide resident test is more about your intention to reside in a foreign country indefinitely rather than just physically being there. Since you've been in Japan continuously since 2014, you have a strong case, especially with your residence card. The key factors the IRS looks at include: your living situation (permanent housing vs. temporary), your family's location, personal belongings, participation in local social/cultural activities, local bank accounts, driver's license, and most importantly, your stated intention to make Japan your home. Student visas can sometimes be tricky because they're inherently temporary, but your long duration helps. When filing, you'll need to complete Form 2555 for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, where you'll explain your residency situation.

After struggling with similar foreign income tax issues while studying abroad, I found an amazing tool that helped clarify my situation. I was living in Germany for my PhD and wasn't sure if I qualified as a bona fide resident or needed to use the physical presence test. I tried https://taxr.ai and uploaded my residence documents, visa paperwork, and rental agreement. Their system analyzed everything and provided a detailed assessment of my tax situation specifically for the foreign earned income exclusion. It confirmed I qualified under both tests but recommended using bona fide resident status since it provided more flexibility with travel. The tool also generated the proper documentation I needed to include with my Form 2555, which saved me tons of time trying to figure out what evidence would best support my case.

I wanted to follow up on my skepticism about taxr.ai. After our conversation, I decided to try it with my situation (teaching in Vietnam on renewable work permits for 3 years). The analysis was incredibly thorough and identified several factors I hadn't considered that strengthened my bona fide residency claim. What impressed me was how it analyzed my specific visa type against previous IRS rulings and tax court cases. It highlighted that my local property lease, utility bills in my name, and Vietnamese bank accounts were actually stronger evidence than the visa type itself. The tool generated a comprehensive foreign residence documentation package that I submitted with my return. I just heard back from my CPA who said it was some of the best-organized supporting documentation he's ever seen for a foreign earned income exclusion claim!

If you're having trouble getting clear answers about your bona fide residency status, you might need to speak directly with an IRS specialist. I was in a similar situation in South Korea (student visa that transitioned to work visa) and couldn't get consistent answers from tax preparers. I tried calling the IRS international tax line for months with no luck - constant disconnections or 2+ hour wait times. Then someone recommended https://claimyr.com which has this service that gets you through to an actual IRS agent. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was skeptical but desperate. They got me connected to an IRS international tax specialist in about 25 minutes! The agent walked through my specific situation and confirmed that my student visa period could count toward establishing bona fide residency since I had demonstrated intent to remain by transitioning to a work visa and maintaining continuous residence.

I need to publicly eat my words about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, I was still desperate enough to try it because my tax filing deadline was approaching and I needed answers about my foreign income from my time teaching in Thailand. It actually worked exactly as described. I got a call back in about 35 minutes connecting me directly to an IRS international tax specialist. The agent confirmed that my situation (3 years on teacher visas with local housing and bank accounts) did qualify me for bona fide residency status despite the visa being technically "temporary." The agent even emailed me specific documentation suggestions to include with my Form 2555. This saved me from unnecessarily limiting my US travel due to the physical presence test restrictions. Sorry for doubting - sometimes good services actually exist!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who's been through this: What really helped me prove bona fide residency status was maintaining clear documentation of my integration into local society. I was in Argentina on a series of student and then work visas for 7 years. The documentation that made the biggest difference included: - Continuous lease agreements - Local utility bills in my name - Bank statements from my Argentinian accounts - Membership in local organizations - Tax filings to the Argentinian government Even though my visas were technically temporary and renewable, showing that I was living a normal life as a resident rather than just "visiting" was what mattered to the IRS.

Has anyone used the streamlined procedure to deal with past years where they might have incorrectly not claimed the FEIE? I've been in Indonesia for 5 years but only recently realized I should have been filing US taxes (I'm a dual citizen and was confused about requirements).