Hi ,

I am here in US from 2001 as student and now I have H1B but my wife is on H4 dependent visa.As she is not earning member so what are the documents required to get the ITIN number for her.Also what documents I required to attach with her documents as I am unable to know about the documents.
Here is mail id - [email protected]

Thanks and Regards,
Urvashi

Urvashi:

The best (and only) document you need as identity proof for your wife is her passport.

You will need to submit a Form W-7 with your joint tax return to get her the ITIN.

The IRS says you can send the passport with the W-7 and tax return, and that they will return the passport when they mail her the ITIN letter, but this, In my opinion, is risky, as the hard-to-replae passport could be lost.

Your best bet is to go to the local IRS office with your wife and her passport, make a photocopy of the passport, and have the IRS certify the passport as a TRUE COPY.

You then staple the IRS-certified photocopy to the W-7 (which you wife MUST sign), then paper clip the W-7/photocopy to your joint tax return. Make sure you leave the area for your wife's SSN BLANK, and that you and your wife SIGN THE TAX RETURN!

All of these documents are then mailed to the ITIN Processing Center in Austin, Texas (the mailing address is in the W-7 instructions).

The IRS reviews the documents, issues the ITIN, inserts the ITIN where your wife's SSN would go, processes the return and sends your wife her ITIN in a separate letter mailed to her. The entire process takes anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks, depending on WHEN in the tax season you file (the later you file, the longer it takes).

If you have more questions, or you want professional help, contact me at [email protected].