A Clearer Path for Your ITIN Application.

A Certifying Acceptance Agent, or CAA, is a person or organization authorized under a written agreement with the IRS to assist eligible applicants with Form W-7 and to authenticate permitted identity and foreign-status documents. A CAA is not an IRS employee or agent, and authorization does not mean IRS endorsement.

No. A CAA can review the application, certify permitted documentation, and submit the application package, but only the IRS can approve, deny, or assign an ITIN.

Often, a CAA can authenticate a qualifying passport so the original does not have to be mailed to the IRS. The CAA must review the original passport or an issuing-agency-certified copy, and certain dependent or document situations may still require original or issuing-agency-certified documentation.

Yes. SetRight can help eligible applicants begin from outside the United States, coordinate the required interview and document review, and explain the U.S. tax-return connection or applicable exception. The exact process depends on the applicant’s facts and location.

The required documents depend on the applicant category and must establish identity and foreign status. A valid passport can often serve as a stand-alone document; otherwise, the IRS may require a combination of approved documents. Dependents and certain exceptions can have additional requirements.

IRS processing times vary. Current Form W-7 instructions generally say to allow about seven weeks, or nine to eleven weeks during peak filing season or for applications submitted from overseas. These are IRS estimates, not guarantees, and delays or requests for more information can extend the process.