How to Use Your ITIN to Get a Job

Can You use Your ITIN to Get a Job?

Hey, so today we’re going to be talking about can you use your ITIN to get a job.

Hey, this is Sina Bonabi from EIN Express. I’m an IRS Certifying Acceptance Agent and I’ve been both trained and authorized to help non-US citizens all over the world just like you to successfully get their EINs and their ITINs for them.

We’ve helped over 2,240 non-US citizens to successfully get their EINs and their ITINs and we’d love to be able to help you be able to get yours too.

So today we’re going to be tackling the question can you use your ITIN to get a job. The answer to this question has multiple layers and I’ll break it down into two parts, and then those two parts each have their little tidbits to them.

Let’s start with the first part. The first part is if you’re a U.S. resident alien for tax purposes, what does that even mean?

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U.S. Resident Alien Tax Purposes

To be a U.S. resident alien for tax purposes, you know some people are in this country, they’re physically present in this country. They’ve been physically present here long enough where they can qualify to be considered a U.S. resident alien for tax purposes because they passed something called a substantial presence test.

So now if you’re a U.S. resident alien for tax purposes and let’s say you go to an employer and you ask them hey, I want to apply for this job and the employer decides they want to hire you but they say in order for me to hire you I need you to provide me an ITIN.

With all legalities aside, let’s get technical. Technically speaking, if you’re physically present in the United States and you go to an employer, an employer tells you, hey, if you can give me an ITIN I can hire you, I can put you on the payroll, and go forth from them, then technically speaking yes, you can use your ITIN if you get one to gain employment.

Now I’m speaking from the perspective of the person who’s trying to gain employment, I’m not speaking on the legalities on behalf of the employer.

I’m just saying if that’s what the employer is stating then technically speaking if you get your ITIN you could gain employment, so that’s the real precise specific answer to that question in terms of someone who’s a U.S. resident alien for tax purposes.

Non Resident Alien Tax Purposes

Now on the other side of this is the other part which is if you’re a non-resident alien. If you’re a non-resident alien, you don’t have any work status here, you don’t need permission, etc. It’s different. It’s different because you would not be able to get the ITIN to gain employment because you’re a non-resident.

Now you could still possibly technically gain employment even as a nonresident if the employer was just to hire you at their discretion, at their liability or risk. You provide them an ITIN as a nonresident and they hire you, then yes, again, once again, you can technically gain employment by providing an ITIN if that’s what the employer is requesting. But usually no, it’s different because of the status of work …

Because if you’re on a B-1/B-2 visa that’s not allowed, but this is also separated when … Self- reported income is also different than being hired by an employer and that kind of income, so it’s different.

If you have your own business and it’s your self-reported income from your business or your own thing, that’s different than being hired by an employer and that income.

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Importance of ITIN in Finding a Job

So those are the two parts to the question. Just to recap, if you’re a U.S. resident alien for tax purposes and you’re physically present in the U.S. and you go to an employer and you say hey, I want to get a job and that employer wants to hire you, as long as you can give me an ITIN I can hire you, then yes. Technically speaking from the person’s standpoint who’s trying to get employment, you can use that ITIN to gain employment.

And then on the other side, if you’re a non-resident, again if an employer says that they would still hire you even as a non-resident, as long as you provide them an ITIN then from your standpoint as the non-resident you can still gain employment by giving the ITIN to them.

What To Do Next

We’re not speaking on behalf of the employer and their liability and their legalities or discretion, this is simply on behalf of the person who’s trying to gain employment, but as a non-resident, this is also different from your self-reported income or your business, like if you have an LLC or corporation here.

That’s also very much different too, so I hope this sheds some light on this.

If you guys have any questions, comment on the section below and post your questions. Also, if you’re ready to get your EIN or your ITIN, go ahead and click the link below to start your application.

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