Has anyone ever applied for an ITIN? What to expect during the process?

I've helped many clients with ITIN applications, so I can shed some light here. When the IRS processes W-7 applications, they typically send two separate communications: one is the actual ITIN assignment letter with the number itself, and the other is often an acknowledgment of receipt or processing notification. If they needed additional documentation, they would usually send just one letter requesting specific items. The fact that you received two suggests it's more likely the ITIN has been assigned successfully. The letters contain sensitive information including the actual ITIN number, which is essentially a tax identification number similar in function to a SSN. Regarding your mail forwarding service - while it's not ideal from a privacy perspective, these companies generally have privacy policies that protect your information. If you trust the service for other important mail, it's probably okay in this situation given your extended travel. Just make sure they have a clear privacy policy and secure handling procedures.

I went through exactly this last year with my husband's ITIN application. After weeks of anxiety, I discovered a tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me understand what was going on with our application. It's basically an AI system that can analyze tax documents and correspondence, and it helped me figure out what those mystery IRS letters were saying without guessing. In my case, one letter was the ITIN assignment and the other was a notice about how to use it for future tax filings. The best part was I could upload the scanned docs from my mail service and get an immediate explanation rather than panicking or misinterpreting something. It explained all the technical IRS language in normal human terms.

Used taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here and wish I'd known about it sooner! My husband and I were in the same boat - two mysterious IRS letters about our ITIN application while we were in Japan for work. Our mail service scanned them and I uploaded them to taxr.ai - turns out one was confirmation of our ITIN assignment (with the actual number) and the second was explaining how we need to reference it on future tax returns. The tool even flagged that there was a discrepancy in how my husband's name was spelled that could cause problems later. We're fixing that now rather than discovering it during tax filing season. Definitely saved us from a major headache and potential delays on our refund. Much easier than trying to call the IRS international number!

I understand your frustration with those IRS letters sitting there while you're traveling. Last year, I spent WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS about my ITIN application status. After 30+ attempts, I finally discovered Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) - they have this system that gets you connected with an actual IRS agent without the endless hold times. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was skeptical, but they got me through to a real human at the IRS in under 20 minutes, and I was able to get a clear explanation of what was happening with my ITIN application. The agent even helped me understand what documents I might need to respond with. Much better than waiting months to see what's in those envelopes!

I need to eat some humble pie here. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try Claimyr for my own ITIN issue that's been dragging on for months. I couldn't believe it actually worked! Got connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes who explained that my ITIN application was on hold because they couldn't verify one of my ID documents. This was information I'd been trying to get for THREE MONTHS. The agent gave me specific instructions on what to send and where to send it. If I hadn't used the service, I would've continued getting the runaround or generic "it's processing" responses. Now I know exactly what the holdup is and how to fix it. Worth every penny for the time and frustration it saved me.

When my wife and I applied for her ITIN last year, we received similar letters. One contained the actual ITIN number and the other explained how to use it on tax forms. The second letter also contained important retention information - you need to keep that ITIN letter forever since they rarely reissue it. If I were in your situation, I'd definitely have the mail service scan them. The risk of missing important information or deadlines is greater than the privacy concern, especially if you've used this service for other important documents. Just make sure you get the scans securely transmitted to you.

Just wanted to add that the W-7 ITIN process has changed a bit recently. The IRS is now being more strict about documentation verification. Sometimes one of those letters might be about acceptable ID verification methods if they couldn't verify from what you submitted initially. My brother got two letters - one was notification that they received his application, and the other (which came the same day) was a request for additional documentation. He almost missed the request because he assumed both letters were the same thing.

I went through this exact situation two years ago! Got two IRS letters while traveling abroad and was stressed about what they contained. Based on my experience and what others have shared here, you're likely looking at one letter with your actual ITIN assignment and another with instructions or confirmation. Here's what I'd recommend: Have your mail service scan at least one of the letters to see if there's any urgent action required. The privacy concern is understandable, but missing a potential 30-45 day deadline for additional documentation would be much worse than the temporary privacy risk. In my case, both letters were good news - ITIN approved and usage instructions. But I've heard of cases where one letter requests additional docs with a strict deadline. Since you're filing jointly as a nonresident alien spouse situation (same as mine was), these letters are probably routine processing communications, but better safe than sorry when you're stuck overseas. If you do get the scans and they're confusing, the AI tools others mentioned here like taxr.ai could help interpret the IRS language quickly without another privacy concern since you'd already have the digital copies.