How long to receive form 6166 after submitting form 8802? Processing times still slow?

The current processing time for Form 6166 (requested through Form 8802) is running about 4-5 months from what I've been seeing with clients. The IRS is still dealing with significant backlogs across multiple departments, and the residency certification program is unfortunately not a high priority compared to return processing. You're at the 3-month mark, which is within the expected timeframe these days. While the pre-pandemic processing time was closer to 6-8 weeks, the current delays are unfortunately normal. The good news is that you should be getting your certification within the next 4-6 weeks based on current trends. If you need to check on the status, you can call the U.S. Residency Certification Program at 267-941-1000 (though prepare for a long wait), or you can submit an inquiry through their International Taxpayer Service Call Center at 267-941-1000 (press 2 for international calls).

I went through this nightmare last year and found that taxr.ai at https://taxr.ai helped me a ton with tracking my form status. I was in a similar situation - waiting forever for my 6166 form and getting no updates from the IRS. The site helped me understand exactly what was happening with my application by analyzing my submission details and providing status updates that I couldn't get anywhere else. What's cool is they have this specific tracking feature for international tax forms that shows where you are in the queue based on when you submitted. Saved me from constantly wondering if my form was lost in the void.

I was skeptical about taxr.ai at first, but after waiting 4 months for my 6166 form and getting increasingly frustrated, I decided to give it a try. Honestly surprised how helpful it was. Not only did it confirm my form was still in processing (not lost), but it spotted a potential issue with my payment details that might cause delays. I followed their recommendation to send a follow-up fax to the IRS with clarified payment info, and sure enough, my certificate arrived just 3 weeks later. Saved me a ton of stress and probably weeks more waiting. Would've been nice to know about this from the beginning!

After trying for WEEKS to call the IRS about my Form 6166 delay (6+ months waiting!), I finally used https://claimyr.com and got through to an actual human at the IRS in less than an hour. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was ready to give up after being disconnected every time I called the residency certification line, but Claimyr got me through on my first try. The IRS agent told me my form had been assigned to a processing specialist but was stuck waiting for supervisor approval. They put a note on my file to expedite it, and I finally received my 6166 two weeks later. If you're in a hurry, definitely worth trying this instead of waiting for the typical timeframe.

Well I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I was so frustrated with my 5-month Form 6166 wait that I tried it anyway. Got a callback within 45 minutes and was connected to an actual IRS agent who could see my file! Turns out my form had been processed but was sent to an old address from two years ago. The agent updated my address and reissued the certification. I received it last week, which was a huge relief because I needed it for a business deal in Singapore that was on hold. Definitely changed my mind about this service. Sometimes being proven wrong is a good thing!

Has anyone tried submitting Form 8802 online instead of faxing? I've heard there's a way to do this through the IRS website, but I can't find the option anywhere. Wondering if electronic submission gets processed faster.

Just wanted to share that I finally received my Form 6166 yesterday - took exactly 4 months and 9 days from when I faxed Form 8802. No communication whatsoever from the IRS during the wait. It just showed up in my mailbox without warning. For anyone waiting - hang in there! The system is slow but it does eventually work.

I'm in the same boat - submitted my Form 8802 in mid-February and still waiting for my Form 6166. It's been almost 5 months now and I'm starting to panic because I need it for a business partnership agreement in the UK that's supposed to close next month. Reading through these comments gives me some hope that it's still coming, but the lack of any communication from the IRS is really frustrating. You'd think they could at least send an acknowledgment that they received the form and payment. Has anyone had success getting an estimated timeline by calling that 267-941-1000 number? I'm debating whether it's worth the hours on hold or if I should just keep waiting it out.

I called that 267-941-1000 number last month when I was at the 4-month mark with my Form 8802 submission. After waiting about 90 minutes on hold, I actually got through to someone who was able to look up my case. They couldn't give me an exact timeline, but they confirmed my form was in processing and that 4-5 months is the current normal wait time. The agent told me that as long as I included the correct payment and all required information, it would eventually process - they're just severely backlogged. She also mentioned that calling doesn't speed up the process, but it can give you peace of mind to know your form wasn't lost. For your UK business partnership, you might want to explain the delay to your partners and see if they can accept a copy of your Form 8802 submission along with documentation of the current IRS processing delays as temporary proof while you wait for the official certification. Some foreign entities are understanding about these delays given the well-documented IRS backlogs. The call was worth it for me just to confirm everything was on track, even though the wait time was brutal.

I'm currently going through this same frustrating process. Submitted my Form 8802 in early February and still waiting after 5+ months. The complete lack of communication from the IRS is what makes this so stressful - you have no idea if your form is lost, being processed, or stuck somewhere in the system. Based on what I'm reading here, it sounds like 4-5 months is unfortunately the new normal. I've been debating whether to try that Claimyr service or just call directly myself. The idea of waiting 90 minutes on hold isn't appealing, but at least getting confirmation that my form is in the system would give me some peace of mind. For anyone else in this situation, I'd recommend keeping detailed records of when you submitted everything (date, fax confirmation, payment method) in case you need to follow up. I also learned the hard way to double-check that your current address is correct in their system - apparently address issues are a common cause of delays even after processing is complete. The waiting game is brutal, but it's somewhat reassuring to know others are experiencing the same delays. Hopefully we'll all get our certifications soon!

I'm dealing with this exact same frustrating situation! Submitted my Form 8802 in early March (so about 4 months ago) and the complete radio silence from the IRS is maddening. I need my Form 6166 for a tax treaty claim with Germany, and the uncertainty is really stressing me out. Reading through everyone's experiences here is actually pretty reassuring though - sounds like 4-5 months is unfortunately the new reality, not just bad luck on my part. The fact that people are getting their certifications eventually, even without any communication during the process, gives me hope. I think I'm going to try calling that 267-941-1000 number this week. Even if it takes 2+ hours on hold, just getting confirmation that my form is actually in their system and being processed would be huge for my peace of mind. The idea that it could be lost somewhere in their system has been keeping me up at night! For anyone else waiting - this thread has been incredibly helpful. At least we know we're not alone in this bureaucratic nightmare. Hopefully we'll all have our certifications in hand soon!

I'm going through this same nightmare right now! Submitted my Form 8802 back in February and it's been over 5 months with absolutely zero communication from the IRS. I need my Form 6166 for a tax treaty with France and the delay is causing major issues with my business there. What's really frustrating is that their website still shows that generic COVID delay message that's been up forever. You'd think they could at least update it with more realistic timeframes or provide some kind of tracking system. After reading through all these experiences, I'm definitely going to try calling that 267-941-1000 number this week. Even if it takes hours on hold, just knowing my form isn't lost in some black hole would be worth it. The complete silence is honestly worse than a long wait time - at least if you know it's being processed you can plan accordingly. Thanks to everyone for sharing their timelines. It's oddly comforting to know this 4-5 month wait is becoming the unfortunate new normal rather than just bad luck on my part. Hopefully we'll all get our certifications soon!

I'm currently dealing with this exact same situation! Submitted my Form 8802 in late February and it's been about 4.5 months now with complete silence from the IRS. I need my Form 6166 for some international business dealings in Canada and the uncertainty is really getting to me. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful though - it's reassuring to know that the 4-5 month wait time seems to be the unfortunate new standard rather than something going wrong with my specific case. The fact that people are eventually receiving their certifications, even without any communication during the process, gives me hope that mine is working its way through the system. I think I'm going to bite the bullet and call that 267-941-1000 number this week. Even though a 2+ hour hold time sounds awful, just getting confirmation that my form is actually in their system and being processed would be worth it for my peace of mind. The complete lack of acknowledgment has been the most stressful part of this whole process. Thanks to everyone for sharing their timelines and experiences - it really helps to know we're all going through the same bureaucratic maze together. Hopefully those of us who submitted in February and March will start seeing our certifications arrive soon!

I'm going through this exact same frustrating process right now! Submitted my Form 8802 in mid-March and it's been about 4 months with absolutely no word from the IRS. I need my Form 6166 for a tax treaty application with the UK and the complete silence is driving me crazy. After reading through all these experiences, it's actually somewhat comforting to know that 4-5 months seems to be the unfortunate new reality rather than something going wrong with my specific submission. The consistency across everyone's timelines gives me hope that my form is just working through their massive backlog. I think I'm going to follow everyone's advice and call that 267-941-1000 number next week. Even if it means sitting on hold for 2+ hours, just getting confirmation that my form exists in their system would be huge for my peace of mind. The complete lack of any acknowledgment has been the most stressful part of this whole ordeal. That outdated COVID delay message on their website is particularly frustrating - you'd think they could at least update it with realistic current processing times. A simple "expect 4-6 months" would help so much with planning and managing expectations. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and timelines. It really helps to know we're all navigating this bureaucratic nightmare together. Hopefully those of us who submitted in March will start seeing our certifications arrive in the next few weeks!

I'm currently going through this exact same situation - submitted my Form 8802 in early April and already feeling anxious about the wait after reading everyone's experiences here. It's actually somewhat reassuring to see that the 4-5 month timeline is consistent across so many different cases, though I was really hoping the processing times might have improved by now. The complete lack of any acknowledgment from the IRS really is frustrating. You'd think they could at least send a simple confirmation email or letter saying "we received your form and payment, expect processing within X months." The uncertainty is honestly worse than knowing you have a long wait ahead. I'm bookmarking that 267-941-1000 number for when I hit the 3-month mark. Based on everyone's feedback, it sounds like the 2+ hour hold time is worth it just to confirm your form isn't lost in the system. The peace of mind seems valuable given how stressful this whole process is. Thanks to everyone for sharing their timelines and experiences - it really helps to know what to expect and that we're all dealing with the same bureaucratic delays. Hopefully the March and April submissions will start moving through the system soon!

I'm in the same frustrating boat as everyone here! Submitted my Form 8802 in late February and it's been over 4.5 months with absolutely no communication from the IRS. I need my Form 6166 for a business venture in Japan and the complete silence is making me second-guess whether my fax even went through properly. Reading through all these experiences has been both reassuring and concerning - reassuring to know the 4-5 month wait is unfortunately normal now, but concerning that the IRS system is this backed up. It's crazy that we're all just flying blind with no status updates or even basic acknowledgment. I finally bit the bullet and called 267-941-1000 yesterday. Waited about 2.5 hours on hold (brought my laptop and got some work done), but I actually got through to a real person! They confirmed my form is in processing and said February submissions are currently being worked on, so I should hopefully see my certification within the next 2-4 weeks. The agent also mentioned something interesting - she said they're seeing a lot of international business activity picking up post-pandemic, which is contributing to the increased volume of Form 8802 requests. That explains part of why the backlog is so significant. For anyone still waiting, I'd definitely recommend making the call once you hit the 4-month mark. Yes, the hold time is brutal, but getting that confirmation your form isn't lost somewhere makes all the difference psychologically. Plus, if there are any issues (like address problems), better to find out now rather than after waiting the full processing time. Hang in there everyone - sounds like those of us from the February/March timeframe should start seeing some movement soon!

I'm currently dealing with this exact same frustrating situation! Submitted my Form 8802 back in mid-February and it's now been about 5 months with complete radio silence from the IRS. I need my Form 6166 for some tax treaty work with Switzerland, and the uncertainty has been incredibly stressful. After reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm feeling much more confident that this is just the unfortunate new reality rather than something specific going wrong with my submission. The consistency of the 4-5 month timeline across all these different cases is actually somewhat reassuring, even though it's way longer than anyone wants to wait. I think I'm going to follow the advice here and call 267-941-1000 next week. The 2+ hour hold time sounds awful, but based on what others have shared, just getting confirmation that my form is actually in their system and being processed seems worth the wait. The complete lack of any acknowledgment has definitely been the most anxiety-inducing part of this whole process. It's also helpful to hear that February submissions are currently being worked on - gives me hope that mine should hopefully come through in the next few weeks. Thanks to everyone for sharing their timelines and experiences. This thread has been incredibly valuable for managing expectations and knowing we're not alone in this bureaucratic maze!

I'm going through this exact same frustrating experience right now! Submitted my Form 8802 in early March and it's been about 4 months with absolutely zero communication from the IRS. I need my Form 6166 for some international tax planning with my accountant and the complete silence is really getting to me. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful though - it's somewhat reassuring to know that the 4-5 month wait time is unfortunately the new normal rather than something going wrong with my specific case. The consistency across all these timelines gives me confidence that my form is probably just working through their massive backlog. I think I'm going to follow the advice here and call that 267-941-1000 number next week. Even though sitting on hold for 2+ hours sounds terrible, just getting confirmation that my form is actually in their system would be huge for my peace of mind. The complete lack of any acknowledgment has been the most stressful part of this whole ordeal. It's frustrating that their website still shows that generic COVID delay message that tells us nothing useful about actual current processing times. You'd think they could at least update it to say "expect 4-6 months" so people can plan accordingly. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and timelines - it really helps to know we're all navigating this bureaucratic nightmare together. Hopefully those of us who submitted in March will start seeing our certifications arrive soon!

I'm currently in the same exact situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I submitted my Form 8802 in early April and I'm about 3 months in now. After reading everyone's experiences, I'm mentally preparing for the 4-5 month timeline instead of hoping for the old 6-8 week processing time. What strikes me most is how consistent everyone's experiences are - the complete radio silence from the IRS, the anxiety about whether forms got lost, and then eventually receiving the certification with zero warning. It's both frustrating and oddly comforting to know this is just how the system works now. I'm definitely going to call that 267-941-1000 number when I hit the 4-month mark. Based on everyone's feedback, the brutal hold time seems worth it just to confirm my form is actually in their system. The not knowing is honestly the worst part of this whole process. Thanks to everyone for sharing their timelines and experiences - it really helps to know what to expect and that we're all going through the same bureaucratic delays. For anyone else waiting, hang in there! The consistency of these stories gives me confidence that our forms are working through the system, just very slowly.

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Just submitted my Form 8802 in late March and I'm about 4 months in. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - I had no idea that 4-5 months was the new normal processing time. The complete silence from the IRS really is the most frustrating part. You'd think they could send at least a basic acknowledgment email or update their website with realistic current timeframes instead of that useless COVID delay message that's been there forever. I'm definitely going to call 267-941-1000 next week when I hit the 4-month mark. Based on everyone's feedback here, sitting through the 2+ hour hold seems worth it just to confirm my form isn't lost in their system. The anxiety of not knowing is honestly worse than knowing you have a long wait ahead. This thread has been so helpful for managing expectations and knowing I'm not alone in this bureaucratic nightmare. Thanks to everyone for sharing their timelines - it gives me hope that March/April submissions should start coming through soon based on the patterns people are describing. Hang in there everyone!