Two clocks: ours and the IRS’s
Two clocks apply to every ITIN. Ours: we prepare and certify your application within 1–3 business days of receiving your documents and completing the video verification. The IRS’s: it says to allow 7 weeks, or 9–11 weeks from January 15 to April 30 or when you apply from abroad — and nobody can speed that up. We track your application through the IRS wait, follow up once the IRS window has passed, and tell you as soon as your ITIN is assigned.
The first clock is the part you and your preparer control: collecting the passport, the tax return or exception documents, the CAA verification and the courier to the IRS. The second clock starts only when the IRS receives the package, and nobody outside the IRS controls it.
The IRS’s processing window
| When and where you apply | IRS-stated timing |
|---|---|
| From inside the U.S., May 1 to January 14 | Allow 7 weeks |
| During peak season, January 15 to April 30 | 9–11 weeks |
| From outside the U.S., any time of year | 9–11 weeks |
The window is the same whichever way the application reaches the IRS — through a Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA), by mail or at an IRS office. The route changes how your documents are handled, not how quickly the IRS decides. These are the IRS’s details as of November 6, 2026; the IRS can change them without notice.
Why peak season and applications from abroad take longer
Most W-7s arrive attached to tax returns, so the ITIN unit is busiest between mid-January and the end of April. Applications from abroad also travel further, and IRS letters back to you go by international mail.
ITIN processing is still on paper: in March 2026 the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) reported that applications arrive by post and are reviewed by hand. The IRS ITIN unit lost about 27% of its staff in 2025, and TIGTA has warned that processing may take longer than the usual 7–11 weeks.Plan around the long end of the window, not the short one.
What slows an ITIN application down
- Missing tax return or exception documents. Form W-7 must be attached to a valid federal income tax return unless you qualify for one of the exceptions listed in the W-7 instructions.
- Documents the IRS can’t accept. Copies must be certified by the agency that issued the document. Notarized copies are not accepted.
- The wrong reason box. A box that doesn’t match your documents leads to a request for more information (CP566) or a rejection (CP567). See our Form W-7 line-by-line guide.
- A mailing address that doesn’t work. IRS notices come by post. If they don’t reach you, a request for more information goes unanswered and the application can be rejected.
- Applying more than once. A second W-7 sent while the first is pending can complicate the case rather than speed it up.
Rejections are where the real delays come from. Applications filed through a Certifying Acceptance Agent were rejected 12.3% of the time, against 27.3% when originals were mailed to the IRS and 18.4% through IRS offices (National Taxpayer Advocate, CY2023 to September 2024).
If your ITIN is taking longer than expected
- Find your courier receipt or mailing proof and note the date the IRS received the application.
- Wait until the IRS window has passed — 7 weeks, or 9–11 weeks from abroad or in peak season.
- Call the IRS to ask about the status: 800-829-1040 from the U.S. or +1 267-941-1000 (not toll-free) from abroad. The IRS will generally only discuss it with you or someone you have authorized.
- Check for a CP566 or CP567 in the post. What each one means is in IRS ITIN notices explained.
- If you can’t find out what happened, our ITIN delay help service diagnoses stalled applications and plans the follow-up.
After the ITIN is assigned
The IRS mails a CP565 notice with your ITIN to the address on line 2 of your W-7, then processes the tax return that was attached. Keep the notice safe — see after you get your ITIN for what comes next.