You can get a mortgage with an ITIN number instead of a Social Security Number. Since March 2026, Fannie Mae’s selling guide has accepted ITIN borrowers for conforming loans, and portfolio lenders continue to offer their own ITIN products for buyers who don’t fit the conforming box.1Fannie Mae. General Borrower Eligibility Requirements Expect to put down 15% to 25%, carry an interest rate one to three percentage points above conventional pricing, and produce more documentation than a typical SSN borrower.
Before anything else, confirm your ITIN is current. The IRS automatically deactivates any ITIN that hasn’t appeared on a federal tax return for three consecutive years, and an expired number will stop your application cold.2Internal Revenue Service. How to Renew an ITIN Renewing means submitting Form W-7 to the IRS, which can take several weeks. Check the status now if you plan to apply in the coming months.
Which Loan Programs Accept an ITIN
Fannie Mae Conforming Loans
Fannie Mae’s current selling guide allows borrowers to qualify using either an SSN or an ITIN, provided they also meet the standard legal residency and documentation requirements.1Fannie Mae. General Borrower Eligibility Requirements This opened the conforming market to ITIN holders for the first time. A Fannie Mae loan generally means a lower interest rate and more competitive terms than a portfolio product, so it’s worth asking any prospective lender whether you fit the conforming guidelines before defaulting to a portfolio loan.
Portfolio Loans
Portfolio loans remain the workhorse for ITIN borrowers who don’t meet conforming requirements. A portfolio loan is one the lender keeps on its own books rather than selling to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Because the lender carries all the risk, it writes its own underwriting rules and can work with nontraditional borrowers. Credit unions, community banks, and specialized mortgage firms originate most of these loans. The cost is real: rates typically run one to three percentage points above conventional, and origination fees can be steeper.
Government-Backed Loans Are Off the Table
The Federal Housing Administration eliminated eligibility for non-permanent residents in March 2025, reserving FHA-insured mortgages for lawful permanent residents with valid Social Security Numbers. If you’re using an ITIN because you don’t have an SSN, FHA financing isn’t available. VA and USDA loans also require a Social Security Number.
Down Payment, Reserves, and Rates
Plan on bringing more cash than a conventional SSN borrower would. Most ITIN lenders require 15% to 25% down, compared with the 3% to 5% minimums common on conventional and government-backed loans. A larger down payment lowers your rate and can eliminate private mortgage insurance that some lenders otherwise impose when equity falls below 20%.
Cash reserves are another line item. At a minimum, expect to keep three months of total housing payments in a verified account after closing. If your loan-to-value ratio exceeds 80%, lenders often want more. The reserves prove you can absorb a job disruption without missing payments.
Debt-to-income limits are more generous than borrowers often expect. Most ITIN programs cap DTI between 45% and 50%, meaning your total monthly debt payments, including the new mortgage, can reach roughly half your gross monthly income. A lower ratio still helps you negotiate better terms.
Proving Credit Without a FICO Score
Many ITIN holders don’t have a FICO score because they haven’t held the accounts that feed the traditional scoring system. Lenders solve this by building a nontraditional credit profile from your payment history on everyday obligations. Fannie Mae’s guidelines require at least 12 consecutive months of documented on-time payments across multiple accounts, and most portfolio lenders follow a similar framework.3Fannie Mae. Documentation and Assessment of a Nontraditional Credit History
The strongest nontraditional files include a 12-month rent history plus two or three other recurring obligations such as utilities, phone service, or auto insurance. Cancelled checks, bank statements showing the payments, money orders with receipts, or direct verification from the landlord will all work as documentation. A single late payment inside the 12-month window can sink an otherwise solid file. If you plan to apply within the next year, treat every recurring bill as if it were a credit card payment.
If you have some credit history, tools like Experian Boost and eCredable can add utility and phone payments to your credit files. They won’t replace the nontraditional credit evaluation, but they can supplement your profile if the lender pulls a hybrid report.
Documents You’ll Need
ITIN mortgage files are documentation-heavy, and a missing item can delay underwriting by weeks. Assemble everything before you apply:
- Your IRS authorization letter (CP 565) or ITIN card.
- The last two years of federal tax returns (Form 1040), showing consistent income and tax compliance.
- Pay stubs covering the last 30 days plus the previous two years of W-2s for employed borrowers.
- Two to three months of consecutive bank statements for every account, clearly showing where your down payment and closing funds came from.
- Twelve months of payment records for rent, utilities, and other recurring bills, if you’re building a nontraditional credit profile.
- A two-year employment history, verified through tax filings and sometimes directly with your employer.
Lenders scrutinize large deposits that don’t match your regular payroll. If you received a gift, sold property, or moved money between accounts, have the paper trail ready. Unexplained deposits trigger additional review and stall the file.
The application itself is the standard Uniform Residential Loan Application, Form 1003. It has a field labeled “Social Security Number (or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number)” where your nine-digit ITIN goes.4Fannie Mae. Uniform Residential Loan Application Everything else on the form works the same as it would for an SSN borrower.
If any of your financial records are in another language, the lender will require a full English translation with a signed certification from the translator attesting to accuracy and language competence. The translator doesn’t need accreditation. Any bilingual person can certify the translation as long as the certification includes their name, signature, contact information, and date.
If You’re Self-Employed
Self-employment is common among ITIN borrowers, and lenders have specific tracks for verifying income that doesn’t come through a W-2. You’ll generally need two years of self-employment with the business in continuous operation, supported by a CPA letter, business license, or similar evidence.
Two verification methods dominate:
- Bank statement loans. You provide 12 or 24 months of consecutive personal or business bank statements. The lender totals qualifying deposits, subtracts irregular items like tax refunds or internal transfers, and calculates a monthly average. On business accounts, a 50% expense factor applies unless a CPA letter documents a different ratio.
- 1099 income. If you work as an independent contractor or earn commission income, one or two years of 1099s can establish your earnings. The lender confirms year-to-date income is within 10% of prior-year levels and applies either a 10% expense ratio or a CPA-prepared profit and loss statement to determine net qualifying income.
Both tracks require your most recent bank statement to be dated within 90 days of closing. The lender will also verify your ownership stake in the business, typically at least 25%, through operating agreements or a tax preparer’s letter.
Underwriting and Closing
After you submit the application, underwriting typically takes 30 to 45 days. Complex files or missing documents push it longer. Responsiveness matters: when the underwriter asks for more information, delays on your end compound.
If approved, the lender issues a commitment letter locking in your terms, rate, and any conditions you must satisfy before closing. At closing you’ll sign a promissory note and a mortgage or deed of trust, which gives the lender a security interest in the property.5Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Deed of Trust / Mortgage Explainer
Closing costs on ITIN mortgages run slightly higher than on conventional loans because of the extra underwriting. Origination fees typically range from 0.5% to 2% of the loan amount, and you’ll also pay for an appraisal, title search, title insurance, and recording fees. Budget 2% to 5% of the purchase price for total closing costs on top of your down payment.
Refinancing Later
ITIN borrowers aren’t locked into their original terms. Both rate-and-term and cash-out refinances are available through the same lenders that originate ITIN purchase loans. Refinancing makes particular sense if you started with a high-rate portfolio loan, since building equity above 20%, strengthening your credit profile, or fitting Fannie Mae’s expanded guidelines can move you into meaningfully better pricing. The documentation requirements are the same at refinance: tax returns, income verification, and bank statements all need to be current when you apply.