To check the status of an ITIN application, call the IRS by phone. There is no online tracker for Form W-7 the way there is for a refund. The IRS asks you to wait at least seven weeks from the date it received your application before calling, and up to 9 to 11 weeks if you filed between January 15 and April 30 or mailed from outside the United States.1Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 857, Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) The IRS’s own documentation FAQ currently lists an 11-week processing window after receipt.2Internal Revenue Service. ITIN Documentation Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Calling before seven weeks have passed almost always ends the same way: you’ll be told the application is still in the queue. Wait out the window, then pick up the phone.
When You Can Call
Count seven weeks from the date the IRS received your Form W-7, not the date you mailed it. If you used a tracked shipping method, use the delivery date. During peak filing season or for applications sent from abroad, give it the full 9 to 11 weeks before you expect useful information.1Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 857, Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
Which Number to Call
Phone is the only channel. The IRS lists these lines on its ITIN page:3Internal Revenue Service. Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
- From inside the U.S.: 800-829-1040, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time.
- From outside the U.S.: 267-941-1000. Not toll-free.
- TTY/TDD for deaf or hard-of-hearing callers: 800-829-4059.
If a tax professional filed for you and holds a valid third-party authorization, they can call the Practitioner Priority Service line instead of you.
What to Have Ready Before You Dial
The representative will verify your identity and pull up your file, so have the following in front of you:
- Your full name, exactly as written on Form W-7.
- The mailing address you listed on the application.
- The applicant’s date of birth as entered on the form.
- The approximate date the W-7 was mailed to the IRS.
If a Certifying Acceptance Agent or another third party filed on your behalf, keep their name and any reference number they gave you within reach as well.
What the IRS Will Tell You
The representative can confirm one of a few outcomes: the application is still being processed, more information is needed, it has been approved, or it has been rejected. An approval is followed by a CP565 notice in the mail with your assigned ITIN.4Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP565 Notice A rejection comes as a CP567 notice explaining why.5Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP567 Notice
The phone call gives you a snapshot. The written notice is what counts for your records, so hold on to the CP565 once it arrives.
If Your Original Documents Haven’t Come Back
The IRS returns original identification documents, but allow 60 days from the date you submitted the application. If they haven’t arrived after that, call 800-908-9982 from within the U.S. or 267-941-1000 from abroad.2Internal Revenue Service. ITIN Documentation Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) This is a separate line from the general status number, so use it specifically for missing documents.
If Your Application Is Rejected
A CP567 notice will state the specific reason. The common ones are documents that don’t meet IRS requirements, an incomplete Form W-7, or an IRS determination that you may actually be eligible for a Social Security number.5Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP567 Notice
To reapply, fill out a fresh Form W-7, attach the correct documents, and include a copy of your tax return marked as a copy. You do not file a new tax return. Mail the package to the address on the CP567 notice.5Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP567 Notice
Before resubmitting, check the documents. A valid passport is the only single document that establishes both identity and foreign status. Without a passport, you need at least two documents from the IRS’s approved list, such as a national ID card, birth certificate, foreign driver’s license, or visa, and each has its own requirements for the information it must show.6Internal Revenue Service. Revised Application Standards for ITINs
If You Filed a Renewal Instead of a First-Time Application
Tracking works the same way for a renewal: wait seven weeks, then call. Worth knowing while you wait: an ITIN not used on a federal return at least once in the previous three tax years expires automatically, and ITINs with certain middle digits (70 through 88, plus those assigned before 2013 with middle digits 90 through 99) have already expired regardless of recent use.3Internal Revenue Service. Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
When to Stop Waiting
If you’re past 11 weeks and no notice has arrived, call. A delay that long usually means the IRS needs something from you, and the only way to find out what is to ask. The sooner you know, the sooner the clock can start moving again.