Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sojourner1]

I understand the US consulates and embassies once delivered mail to registered expats around the world, but is a needed service no longer offered. There are several companies such as www.earthclassmail.com catering to expats who need access to their US postal mail while abroad for long periods, but you can't change your mailing address with the US postal service to the mail forwarding services address provided to you upon opening an account. A physical address in a state and a city is still required for tax filing and maintaining citizenship in a city, state, and then the country itself. This is a problem for expats not maintaining a residency by owning a house or using a relatives address. You can easily have your residence address at a relatives place while having the mail forwarding service actually handle your mail, but it is a problem for expats without a place to call home in the US. I am planning to live abroad for many more years as I simply do not want to live at home in Missouri nor plan to return now that my family has dwindled down to a minimum to the point of having no place to go, "home", on holidays or simply a between contract visit.

Now that I have my mail to a minimum at around 5 to 8 pieces a month through on line banking and billing, my forwarding service should cost a minimum, but a physical address is still required for residency in a city and state for tax, driver license, and passport address reasons. During my 1st year in Korea, I was having my mail go to my mothers apartment and she forwarded it 2 times, but upon her passing, I no longer have this option.

My question is: What is the best way for an expat to receive mail and maintaining a residency address for tax and other reasons who does not have a physical address to call home?

A P.O. box could be used, but it is not an acceptable address for banking. If I am wrong about anything and you can give helpful info, please let me know for all of us trying to find a fix to this issue. Too bad a small storange unit lacks a physical mailing address like an apartment offers as it is not practical to rent an apartment you won't live in, but storage is a necessity on top of an address.

[OiGirl]

Maliboxes, Etc. or the UPS Store or whatever is SATAN INCARNATE, but they do give you a "physical address", usually a "suite" in their building, corresponding to your box. Is that enough for the government agencies? I don't know. And they do offer forwarding.

Pay a "personal agent." I don't pay mine, but she is legally my personal agent and I receive mail at her physical address.

[moosehead]

I'm not sure what you are referring to as "residency" but if you live and work overseas - you are a resident of that country - here - it's Korea

trying to maintain residency status in the U.S. when you aren't really there is illegal and if you are trying to do it for tax purposes (why?? you get a huge benefit filing from overseas!) that's fraud

as for banking online, check and see if you can receive your statements online also - I do, they are never mailed.

I do have a billing address back in the u.s. for various purposes however.

you can still vote absentee - you just vote at the last place you voted before relocating overseas. I haven't been home in several years except for a visit and still vote the same place as before.

if you need someone to get your mail back at home, that's another issue altogether one that you'll have to work out on your own.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I use my mom's address for my 'legal' address. She receives all my mail, tosses the junk, and once a month or so she loads up a manila envelope with my stuff and mails it to me. I keep a bank account there and she has a checkbook to pay what few credit card bills I have. (I like to keep a US credit card active in case there is an emergency someday and I have to paddle a canoe to Japan and escape.)

[Ya-ta Boy]

triple post

[Ya-ta Boy]

double post

[captain kirk]

[sojourner1]

It's not illegal to keep a physical mailing address while away. I do not know where some of you get such silly ideas though I have been reading a bunch of childish stuff on this board lately. It's illegal for Canadians to keep a physical address while abroad? When Americans live abroad, it's not expected for us to renounce our mailing address unless renouncing citizenship. You have to keep an address for tax, driver license, and banking reasons if you are keeping your citizenship. (includes all expats in Asia since you really don't ever become a citizen of an Asian country)

Now, instead of nonsensical childish statements of this and that being illegal, please someone say something meaningful and stay on topic.

Again, Americans, how do you receive your mail and keep an address if you have no place to list as being home due to the lack of relatives?

[moosehead]

you're an idiot -

I never said keeping an address was illegal - !! I even said that I have one!!

you said you wanted to maintain residency - THAT's illegal.

get your terms straight before you start criticizing others for responding to your posts - !

furthermore - I still have my driver's license from the U.S. - I've even renewed it while overseas - they put the old address on there and then sent it where I asked them to - it's not a problem.

I think you are groaning over things you don't even know anything about - talk about being childish -

[kabrams]

[jaykimf]

[Lostone7]

http://www.usabox.com/

Been doing it for years..........I have a US address and everything that comes with it.

[Atavistic]

[moosehead]

[Lostone7]

LOL yea they are High lol

But costs me hundred bucks a year.

2 days to get my mail an I decide when they send it.
Have them send it 2-3 times a year depending on what I need.
And I can have my mail sent anywhere anytime such as Thailand when I needed a replacement ATM card on vacation.

And I keep everything it's a real address not a PO box.

So I get everything banking, CC, Taxes, etc.,

And never have to worry about someone else.