Originally Posted by
trueblu
....I chose 'resident alien' but with a 'temporary address', and as far as AA was concerned all was dandy. If I run into problems, I'll let you all know!
I think that travel69 is (partially) right -- there are two different nomenclatures in use. For tax purposes, after 2 years in the US, one is a 'resident alien' (for the first two years one is a 'non-resident alien'). However, for immigration purposes, I am still a visitor, since the J1 visa is specifically for non-permanent work in the US. I actually do have an address back in the UK, but there is no requirement to do so, which makes the 'temporary address' thing particularly ironic, since for most J1 holders, their US address will be their only address.
tb
Not that it will matter in the end, but this was the wrong choice. You're confusing immigration status with tax status. The IRS can consider you a resident for tax purposes if you spend more than 180 days in the US during the year - but that has nothing to do with your immigration status.
A J1 visa is called an "Exchange Visitor" visa - so you are a visitor, not a resident. Any holder of a B/F/J/H/L/O/K visa is a 'visitor' for immigration purposes, and this includes 'dual purpose' visas which allow the applicant to pursue permanent residency.
Only a Green Card holder is considered a permanent resident.