Hi All,

I wondered if anyone has had experience of applying for a ITIN? I'm a H4 visa holder and so are not eligible for a SSN. I've completed the W7 form required to apply for the ITIN but it requests that either the original or notarized copy of my passport/visa be sent with the form. I'm lothed to send my original but it states that any certified copies can only be notarized by a US consulate officer. Seeing as I'm in Chicago this is pretty difficult.

It seems that I can apply in person at an IRS Taxation assistance office - I wondered if anyone has done this? I'm assuming that they can check your ID there and then and give it back to you rather than send it with your application (they state it can take 60 days to get back any original documents :scared: )

Thanks in advance for any info offered!

Yes, we went down to the office. Handed in the forms, they checked our passports - can't remember if they took copies or not.

Only took a few minutes and we had the ITIN's back in about four weeks I think.

I didn't want to put my passport in the post

Thanks - so once they checked your passports they gave them straight back?

Yes, I think they just had to verify they had actually seen them.

At the time it was the only ID we had so there was no way we wanted to part company with them.

Thanks - that's great news

I was worried that I'd have to send in my passport - it's my only form of identity as well.

When we applied for mine and the kids, hubby did it all and took our passports in. We didn't even have to go in, but things might have changed since 9/11.

When we applied, about 6 months ago, we were only required to send in passport/visa copies notarized by a Public Notary.

I guess things may have changed since then, but are you absolutely sure that the US consulate notarizing clause isn't for people resident in a foreign country. That's certainly what I remember it saying - if you didn't have access to a US Public Notary then you needed a Consulate notarized copy.

Good luck! (at least there's plenty of time before you need to file a tax return!)

"When we applied, about 6 months ago, we were only required to send in passport/visa copies notarized by a Public Notary."

Thanks for this - how do I go about getting copies notarized?

Oh, almost anyone over here seems to be a Notary Public

Our Accounts Person at our apartment complex was one. My bank manager is one. Our realtor AND mortgage broker were too.

Just look in the Yellow Pages for Notary Public, or ask your bank. Most charge around $5 per document, in our experience, to notarize a document.

If you, or your spouse, has a job then try asking your employer (probably the finance or HR departments are good places to start) as they may have somebody on the payroll who can notarize documents - and hopefully help you without charging you.

In my office the receptionist is a notary, and she's just the receptionist on my floor, not even for the whole building.

We went down to the Charlotte NC IRS office today to get an ITIN for my wife so she could take a driving test.

They informed us that since December the rules had changed and they would only allocate an ITIN at the year end tax submission time - Around December, I believe.

When I told them we needed it for the DMV, they told us that the DMV shouldn't have been using the ITIN as ID, and the DMV have been told to stop using it.

I then rang the DMV, to be told that the only ID they will accept for a driving test is a SSN or ITIN. Nothing else will do.

So according to their own bureaucracies, you can only use your UK driving licence for 30 days. After that you need an ITIN to get a US licence to stay within the rules. But you can't have a licence after 30 days because you can't have an ITIN until December, .

So presumably you are supposed to walk until then....

Anyone else encountered this, or is it just one IRS office being obtuse??

I've just spoken to the IRS on the phone (after 20 of being on hold ) and they told me that the ITIN procedure was changed in December so that you can't apply at any time - you are meant to submit the W7 form with your tax submission. The red tape over here sometimes just drives me crazy!!

The DMV in my state will only accept an SSN (not even a ITIN). However I have been told that I can use my UK licence for the entire duration of my stay over here. Not 100% sure if this is right but what other choice do you have if you don't have a SSN?

We went to the office and had no problem with my wifes ID, but they wanted a letter from the doctor and school to prove that my daughter's were in the country. One of my daughters was with us and that wasn't proof enough that she was in the country !!! and the woman had her passport in front of her. The blood was boiling I can tell you.

Having called the IRS prior to the visit and after, I was told on both occasions all we needed for them was the passport and visa. I told the woman at the office this and she was having none of it. I'm sure they make some of these rules up depending on their mood.

I decided to complain to the IRS about her...still haven't heard back from them.

I'm sure the IRS and the RMV must specify their employee have an attitude if the want to work there. These are the most annoying people I have come acroos on both sides of the atlantic

Here in DFW if you don't have a SSN you have to swear an affidavit when you go for your driving licence stating that you are not entitled to a SSN.

In reality it was just me signing a form, maybe they are more used to expats here.

We applied for our ITIN's before December so looks like we just got in before they changed the rule then.

Also in Texas you can drive on your UK licence for 1 year, I would imagine the law may be similar in some other states. I think there was a thread about that recently.

The agencies that deal with these things here remind me of the DSS in the UK in that you have to go in knowing what you are entitled to and inform them what they need to do

Being a bloody minded brit I wouldn't take no for an answer, and this morning I ended of going through the NCDMV hierarchy until I spoke with the Chief Examiner. The first person I spoke to was so freaked out by the no ITIN/ no licence scenario that they just hung up on me. When I rang again I just refused to take no for a answer until I spoke to the top bloke.

He sounded genuinely taken aback that there was this gaping hole in the law. His considered opinion was that because of the obvious omission in legislation my wife would be ok to drive on her UK DL until she received an ITIN, because until she gets one she wouldn't be considered to be a resident.

Well, that's what I'll probably end up arguing in court