Certified Indian passport copy for ITIN (How to get it ?)

[Baljeet Kumar]

I too got a notice from IRS to send the original passport or the certified copy from the issuing agency.

I asked my wife to get her passport certified by the Passport office in Delhi. She did that. Today i received the courier from India. It has got a big stamp which says "Govt Of India - APOSTILLE" and in the lower half it says " Certified by Section Officer (OI) Ministry Of External Affairs.

I checked the IRS website, it says that if the county is part of "Hague Apostille Convention" then apostille is valid. India is a part of that group. I will send this document tomorrow to the IRS and wait if i get any other notice from them.

I request other members to share their experience.

Thanks!

Dear dnmech,

Could you please tell me what procedure you followed to get a certified copy of passport from Delhi. Specially APOSTILLE ...
Request you to please provide some more details so that others can follow same from India.

Also please let us know if your ITIN application processed successfully.

[tvns2003]

Hi All ,

I went to local IRS 3 weeks back and submitted the W7 Application for ITIN for my wife. At that time they verified/certified her passport and took the application. Today i received notice from IRS asking to send original passport or certified copy. My wife is currently in India and will take some time for her to come back. Not sure why i got the notice again as the local IRS certified the passport and accepted the application. Did anyone face the same issue ? How do i get the certified copy of the passport from India ?
Should we get it from Regional passport office in india or from US Consulate in India ?

Thanks,
Tubati

[dnmech]

Process for Apostille

Actually i went to the india govt passport website. There i saw some of the outsourced third party names who does all the consular service for the indian govt. I called all of them to ask if they can help me to get the xerox copy of passport certified. They said they can do. Then my wife went to M/S Cox & Kings. They asked to bring Rs.50 postal order. My wife gave the postal order and extra Rs.30 for the service. They asked to come after one day. My wife went next day, and the certified copy was ready. Then she couriered that document to me. It is like big sticker on that two stamps are there. One from GOvt. of india/Ministry of external Affairs and other one from Section Officer, CPV division.

Today only i sent that document to IRS. I hope they accept that.

[binoca82]

tvns2003,
Did you visit an office present in this link -
Or some other offices ?
Only the above offices will do the certification and/or verification of original passport.

[Baljeet Kumar]

Thanks for providing these valuable information. I will follow same and hopefully will get document certified soon. Please let us know once your ITIN application processed.

[tvns2003]

Yes , i went to the office in Raleigh , NC. They infact told it takes time as they need to do the certification and we waited there for 4 hrs to complete the process. They took the application and returned back the passport after 4 hrs and now i got the notice saying i need to send the passport.

Thanks,
Tubati

[binoca82]

Tubati ,
One of my friend sent ITIN application with notarized copy. So he got a letter saying that he need to send the original passport. He went to one of the IRS office in that link (Parsippany, NJ) with that letter and the original passport. The IRS officer did certify a copy of the passport, took the letter he got and told that they will respond to the letter with the certified copy to the ITIN processing centre. He did that 2 weeks before, and yet to get a response on that. Just FYI - in case you want to try this with another office OR If you can a wait couple of weeks more, I should be able to provide an update on his application, in this thread.
Even I did the same like you on Feb 15 for my child, yet to get a response. I went to Fairfield, NJ office, it only took around 15 minutes, there was no rush.

[bn69531]

ITIN for Spouse in INDIA

I am also in the same situation, How to certify the passport from India.


So passport offices in India can do certifying passport?? Any idea??

[singhsujeet0101]

I had sent a notarized copy and then got a mail from the IRS asking to send original passport or send a verified copy from Embassy. Additionally there are other combinations of documents that may work (instead of Passport). One such example is : You can send your Indian voter Id card + US Driving license. There were couple of more combinations (like Indian birth certificate, US state ID etc).

I am in Ohio, there is no "Taxpayer Assistance Center Location" here

I chose to send the original passport to them. It has been 10 days since then and I am in waiting mode.

Has someone else sent the original passport and got it back yet?

[dnmech]

Certification of passport in India

Please see my comments below. I have mentioned detailed information how to get your passport certified by the Passport office.

- - - Updated - - -



Did you try to call the IRS office. There will be a ref number mentioned in the letter sent by IRS, you can call them and ask them about ur case. This is just an advise.

[gurunathp]

Hi, If your ITIN process completed successfully, please post an update to this thread. My wife in India is in the process of certifying from passport office in Hyderabad. If everything goes fine, I will be submitting the application some time end of the March. Just to want to know a head if there are any hick-ups again.

Thank you.

[binoca82]

My child's itin application was approved and letter received on Monday - 3/11.
2/15 - went to Fairfield, NJ IRS office to certify the passport and submit the returns.
3/11 - itin approval letter received, notice date is 3/8.
Refund status is not yet updated as of today.

[devaraj]

Hi, If your ITIN process completed successfully, please post an update to this thread. My wife in India is in the process of certifying from passport office in Hyderabad. If everything goes fine, I will be submitting the application some time end of the March. Just to want to know a head if there are any hick-ups again.

Thank you.

I can see the CPV has outsourced the attestation service to offices in Delhi.


Is there similar service available in Bangalore or Regional Passport Office will certify the copy of passport?

TIA
Devaraj

[gurunathp]

It appears outsourced only in Delhi. But in AP, there is an MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) office in Secretariat. They charge Rs. 50 worth Postal Order for each application attested. They asked for 5 sets of photo copies - appears their process. They took two days to return the certified copies.

I suggest to speak with or drop an e-mail with your regional passport office before physically going, especially if your dependents are not in city.

All the best.

[lakshmiram]

Help on getting certifed passport copies and ITIN

Hi All,
I would like to share my experience on the ITIN application. This thread might be helpful for those who dont have an IRS Key Taxpayer Assistance Center nearby or neither can go to the embassy in person.

I'm currently in H4 and to file joint return i need to apply for ITIN.
Since IRS no more accepts notarized copies of passport we have to either send the original passport or certified copy.

The Chicago embassy certifies passport copy without even sending them any originals. You need to send,
1. A filled copy of the miscelleneous application form (available in the embassy website)
2. Two notarized copies of the running pages of the passport along with the VISA and I94 page
3. Notarized copy of H4 extension copy with I94 in case VISA expired
4. Notarized copy of Address proof such as License or utility bills
5. Money order/cashier check for $13 per 1 passport certification
6. A return prepaid envelope or $20 for sending back the certified passport copy.
More details and application form available in their website

It just took me a week to get the certified copy of the passport. 3 days for my mail to reach them, 1 day for certification and 3 days for the return mail to reach me!!!

For the ITIN,
1. W7 form filled
2. Certified passport copy including VISA and I94 page
3. Notarized copy of H4 extension copy with I94 in case VISA expired
4. W2 Return

We went to the IRS directly and they verified the documents and accepted the return (on Mar 3rd). In a week I got a notice (dated mar 8) from IRS that my ITIN application received and they are returning the original documents. They returned the certified passport copy.

The next week I got my my ITIN (Dated Mar 15) in mail. It just took 2 weeks for IRS to send me my ITIN and without sending my original passport.
Also this is the case with Chicago embassy. So pls check with other embassies if they accept notarized passport copies for certification.

Hope this thread may be helpful