I found the question in the IRS website: http://www.irs.gov/publications/p519/ar02.html I have an H-1B Visa and my husband has an F-1 Visa. We both lived in the United States all of last year and had income. What kind of form should we file? Do we file separate returns or a joint return? Assuming both of you had these visas for all of last year, you are a resident alien. Your husband is a nonresident alien if he has not been in the United States as a student for more than 5 years. You and your husband can file a joint tax return on Form 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ if he makes the choice to be treated as a resident for the entire year. See Nonresident Spouse Treated as a Resident in chapter 1. If your husband does not make this choice, you must file a separate return on Form 1040 or Form 1040A. Your husband must file Form 1040NR or 1040NR-EZ. This answer kind of hints that I can qualify as resident if I have a H1b visa and have spent the whole year in US but does not clearly states what are the criterion for a nonresident alien to quality as resident alien for tax purposes. Anybody has any idea?