An Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) is a nine-digit number issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) solely for the federal tax reporting purposes of people without/who are ineligible for a Social Security number (SSN). 

ITINs may be issued regardless of immigration status as ITINs do not authorize work in the US, do not provide benefits equal to social security, do not qualify a dependent automatically for an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), nor do they grant legal immigration status.

The IRS provides a helpful screener to determine your eligibility for an ITIN. Want to know more before screening? Research ITIN FAQs, eligibility, the application process, how to use them and other topics by visiting the myfreetaxes.org resource center and the IRS website directly for Form W-7.