My spouse and/or children are present with me in the U.S. Do they need to file Form 8843?

Each individual who is a Nonresident Alien and present in the U.S. under an F, J, M, or Q immigration status (both the “-1” and the “-2”) is required to file a Form 8843 – regardless of the age of the individual or whether any income was received by the individual. For example, if your spouse is present in the U.S. under an F-2 immigration status, he or she must file Form 8843. Likewise, if your son, who is 3 years old, is present in the U.S. under an F-2 immigration status, he must file Form 8843 (or more likely, you must complete the form and sign it on his behalf). IF you have a child who was born in the U.S., Form 8843 should not be filed for that U.S.-born child.