How Long Does It Take to Get a U.S. ITIN as a Canadian? Timelines Explained

The Short Answer: 7 to 14 Weeks, Under Normal Circumstances

The IRS typically states that ITIN applications are processed within seven to eleven weeks once received. In practice, Canadians should plan for closer to nine to fourteen weeks from the day the application is mailed to the day the ITIN letter arrives — and that assumes nothing goes wrong along the way.

What Actually Happens, Step by Step

Understanding the full timeline — not just the IRS processing window — helps set realistic expectations for applicants in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, and everywhere in between.

• Preparing your application
  Typically 1–3 weeks
  Gathering the correct Form W-7, identity documents, and — depending on your exception category — supporting evidence such as a letter from your U.S. payer or a signed contract.
• Certification of documents (if using a Certifying Acceptance Agent)
  Often same day to a few days
  A CAA in Canada reviews and certifies your original documents so you never have to mail your passport to the IRS.
• Mailing time to the IRS
  1–2 weeks from Canada
  Cross-border mail adds time compared to a domestic U.S. applicant, particularly during winter months when postal volumes are high.
• IRS review and processing
  7–11 weeks (standard), longer in peak season
  This is the stage most people picture as “the wait.” It stretches significantly between January and April, when U.S. tax season drives ITIN volume up across the board.
• Notification and ITIN assignment letter
  Mailed to your Canadian address
  You’ll receive a CP565 notice confirming your ITIN, or a CP566 requesting more information if something was missing or unclear.

What Slows Canadian Applications Down

Most delays are avoidable — but they catch applicants across Ontario and the rest of Canada off guard every year.

• Applying during peak season. January through April sees the highest ITIN volume in the U.S., which extends processing well beyond the standard window.
• An incorrect or missing exception code. The reason you’re applying — such as compensation income from a U.S. source — determines which documents you need. Getting this wrong triggers a rejection, not just a request for more information.
• Mailing original documents that get lost or delayed. Sending an original Canadian passport to the IRS by mail, without using a Certifying Acceptance Agent, adds risk and time on both ends of the trip.
• Incomplete supporting documentation. A missing letter from a U.S. payer, an unsigned form, or a mismatch between your application and your supporting paperwork can send the whole package back to square one.
• No response to an IRS follow-up notice. If the IRS requests clarification and doesn’t hear back promptly, the application can sit indefinitely.

How a Certifying Acceptance Agent Can Shorten the Real-World Timeline

While a Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA) cannot make the IRS process an application faster than its stated window, working with one meaningfully reduces the risk of the delays above. A CAA reviews your Form W-7 and documentation before submission, certifies your identity documents so your original Canadian passport never has to travel to the IRS, and helps ensure the correct exception and supporting evidence are used from the outset.

For Canadians in Toronto and across Ontario, this often means the difference between a single nine-to-fourteen-week wait and a multi-round back-and-forth with the IRS that can stretch past six months. Brij ID works with clients across the Greater Toronto Area, throughout Ontario — including Ottawa, Hamilton, London, and Mississauga — and with applicants across Canada, from British Columbia to Alberta, Quebec, and the Maritime provinces.

Tips to Keep Your Timeline on Track

A few practical steps make a meaningful difference for Canadian applicants:

• Apply before peak tax season whenever your circumstances allow it, rather than in the January to April rush.
• Confirm the correct exception category before you submit, based on the type of U.S. income involved.
• Use a Certifying Acceptance Agent so your identity documents are certified in Canada rather than mailed to the U.S.
• Respond immediately to any IRS notice requesting additional information, rather than letting it sit.

Whether you’re a freelancer in Toronto working with a U.S. client, a professional in Ontario earning board compensation, or a contractor anywhere in Canada invoicing American companies, understanding the real timeline — and avoiding the mistakes that stretch it — is the best way to keep your income, and your plans, on schedule.