Buying a home in Maryland with an ITIN

What an ITIN is, and what it is not

The IRS issues an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number to people who need a U.S. taxpayer number for federal tax purposes and are not eligible for a Social Security number. The IRS is explicit that an ITIN does not change immigration status, does not authorize work, and does not serve as identification outside the tax system.

For a mortgage, it is the number under which your tax returns were filed, and those returns are how income is verified. Having one does not by itself show that a lender has a program for you, that your documents will be enough, or what terms you would receive.

Nobody needs your number to answer your questions

Interest in an ITIN mortgage says nothing about your citizenship or status, and the contact form on this site asks only for the topic and how to reach you. It does not ask for the ITIN or for your story, and you should not offer either through a website, a chat, a text, or ordinary email.

If a lender’s program later needs information that is legally relevant to the loan, the lender asks for it inside its secure process, explains why, and evaluates it under the rules that apply. Until then, keep the conversation at the level of process.

• Do not type the ITIN or a Social Security number into the public contact form.
• Do not send a photo of a tax document or an ID through public messaging.
• Do not describe an ITIN as a visa, work permit, or proof of status; it is none of those.
• Do not assume a friend’s experience with another lender predicts this lender’s current program.

The questions to ask on the first call

Call a licensed loan officer and stay general. In Maryland, Paola takes these calls at New Priority Lending Corp. Ask whether the lender currently offers a program for ITIN borrowers on the kind of property you want in Maryland, which documents that program usually requires, and how the down payment, the rate, and the fees compare with other loan types.

Answers change with programs and with your facts, so ask for anything current in writing, and treat the call as what it is: a conversation, not an application, a preapproval, a rate quote, or a commitment to lend.

• Is an ITIN program currently available for a home in Maryland, and for which property types?
• Which company would take and underwrite the application?
• What documents does the program usually need for identity, income, assets, and credit history?
• Is the down payment or the rate usually different from other loan types, and by how much?
• What secure system will hold my tax identifier and documents?

What an ITIN file usually includes

Programs differ, but most ask for the same things a Social Security number file needs, verified in different ways: government identification, tax returns filed with the ITIN for the last two years, proof of income such as pay stubs or a year-to-date profit and loss statement if you are self-employed, two months of bank statements, and evidence of paying on time, which may include rent and utility history when there is little traditional credit.

The CFPB’s paperwork checklist is a good starting point for any buyer. Your loan officer names the exact list for the program, and you upload it only into the lender’s secure portal after that request.

Verify the company and the person before you share anything

NMLS Consumer Access lets you look up any mortgage company and loan officer and see their license status. Use it before your first upload, and confirm the secure portal link came from the person you spoke with. A licensed professional will not ask you to send tax documents by text.

Keep a private note of each request, who made it, and what you sent. Verification protects you; it does not by itself mean a program exists or that you will be approved.

Your fair-lending rights

The CFPB explains that a lender may consider immigration or residency information when it is legally relevant to its ability to be repaid, but may not use immigration status as an excuse to discriminate based on national origin, race, or another protected characteristic. HUD explains that the Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination at every stage of a mortgage, including on the basis of national origin.

If you believe you were discouraged, offered different terms, or treated differently because of where you are from, keep dates and written records privately and use the CFPB and HUD resources listed below to understand your complaint options. Do not put those details in this website’s contact form.

• Ask for the written reason whenever a decision or a requirement is communicated to you.
• Compare the terms and the service you actually receive, not assumptions.
• Seek qualified legal help for advice about your individual rights.