There is no online tool to check ITIN application status. The only way to get an update is to call the IRS at 800-829-1040 from inside the United States, or 267-941-1000 from abroad, after enough processing time has passed. Call too early and the agent will have nothing to tell you. Call too late after a rejection or request-for-information notice and you may miss the deadline to fix the problem.
How Long to Wait Before Calling
The IRS processes Form W-7 applications at its ITIN Operation center in Austin, Texas. From roughly May through December, processing generally takes about seven weeks from the date the IRS receives your application. During filing season, January through April, the volume pushes that window to around nine to eleven weeks. Applications mailed from outside the United States tend to fall into the longer range no matter when they are sent.
Calling before those windows close is usually pointless, because the system will not show a status yet. Mark your calendar from the date you mailed or submitted the W-7, and wait at least seven weeks in the off-season or eleven weeks during filing season before dialing. If you used a Certifying Acceptance Agent, ask the agent for confirmation of the submission date so you know when your clock started.
What to Have Ready Before You Call
Federal law prohibits IRS employees from sharing return information with unauthorized people, with penalties of up to $5,000 in fines, up to five years in prison, or both.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S. Code 7213 – Unauthorized Disclosure of Information The agent on the phone will verify your identity before saying anything about your file. Have these in front of you:
- A copy of the Form W-7 you submitted, so you can confirm details exactly as you entered them.
- Your full legal name as it appears on the W-7, including middle names and any suffix.
- Your date of birth and the mailing address you listed on the application.
- The tax return you attached to the W-7. The agent may ask about figures from it to confirm your identity.
If someone else is calling for you, the IRS will generally require a valid power of attorney (Form 2848) or authorization (Form 8821) on file before discussing the account with that person.
Placing the Call
From inside the United States, call 800-829-1040. The line is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, with Alaska and Hawaii following Pacific time.2Internal Revenue Service. Let Us Help You From outside the country, use 267-941-1000, which is not toll-free.3Internal Revenue Service. Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
Follow the automated prompts to the individual tax department or the ITIN unit. Hold times run long on Mondays, Tuesdays, and throughout filing season. Calling right at 7 a.m. or mid-week tends to shorten the wait. Once you reach an agent, provide your identifying information and ask for the current status of your W-7. You will be told whether it is still pending, has been approved, or has been rejected or suspended.
In-Person and Agent Options
If you would rather not sit on hold, you can visit an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center. These offices are free but appointment-only; call 844-545-5640 to schedule, and mention that you need an ITIN status check because not every location handles them.
A Certifying Acceptance Agent is another route. These are IRS-authorized individuals or firms (including major accounting firms such as Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PwC, and BDO) who can submit W-7 packages and follow up with the IRS on pending applications.4Internal Revenue Service. ITIN Acceptance Agents The IRS keeps a searchable list of approved agents by state and country. Fees vary.
What Each Possible Status Means
Whether you learn it by phone or by mail, your application will be in one of a few states, and each one calls for a different response.
Still Processing
The IRS has your application but has not finished reviewing it. Wait another couple of weeks and check again. Your attached tax return is on hold during this period, so any refund will not be issued until the ITIN is assigned.
Additional Information Needed: Notice CP566
If something is missing or unclear, the IRS mails a CP566 notice explaining what it needs. You have 45 days from the date on the notice to respond.5Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP566 Notice Miss that deadline and the IRS will reject the application, forcing you to start over with a new W-7.
Approved: Notice CP565
An approval comes on Notice CP565, which contains your assigned nine-digit ITIN.6Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP565 Notice Keep the notice somewhere safe; you will need the number for every federal tax filing going forward. An ITIN is only for tax purposes and does not authorize employment or change your immigration status.
Rejected: Notice CP567
A CP567 notice means the application was denied. The letter states the specific reason, which is commonly ineligibility, invalid or missing identity documents, or failure to respond to an earlier CP566. You can reapply with a new, complete Form W-7 and a copy (not the original) of the tax return you already filed, mailed to the address on the notice. The IRS returns your original identity documents within 60 days of the notice date.7Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP567 Notice
Original Documents Still Out
If you mailed original documents such as a passport, birth certificate, or national ID card, the IRS holds them during processing and returns them separately. Expect roughly 60 to 90 days from the date of submission. If nothing has arrived after that window, call the number on any notice you received, or the main line at 800-829-1040.
Update Your Address If You Move
Your approval notice or any request for more information goes to the address on the original W-7, and the IRS does not forward it. If you move while your application is pending, file Form 8822, send a signed written statement with your full name, old address, new address, and ITIN or W-7 reference to the address where you filed your last return, or call the IRS to update the address verbally.8Internal Revenue Service. Address Changes Address changes take four to six weeks to process, so act quickly if you are already several weeks into the wait.