ITIN Loans: Which Lenders Accept an ITIN

Written by

itin.so Editorial Team

IRS-Authorized Certifying Acceptance Agents · Updated September 2026

ITIN holders can get personal loans, auto loans and mortgages, but not through government-backed programmes. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, VA and USDA all require an SSN. ITIN lending comes from portfolio lenders, credit unions, community banks and non-QM lenders.

Key fact

The government-backed exclusion is the whole story. Because no federal programme will buy or insure a loan made to an ITIN holder, every ITIN loan is held on a lender's own balance sheet. That is why ITIN borrowers see higher rates, larger down payments and lender-by-lender rules instead of one national standard.

Lender policies verified September 2026.

ITIN loans by type, side by side

"Can I get a loan with an ITIN" has four different answers, because the lenders, the requirements and the cost change completely with the product. Start with the row that matches what you are borrowing for.

Loan type	Lenders accepting ITIN	Requirements	Down payment
Personal	Wells Fargo (existing customers, account 12+ months), community development credit unions	ITIN, 2 years of tax returns, proof of income	Not applicable
Auto	Credit unions, buy-here-pay-here dealers, some online lenders	ITIN, proof of income, proof of US residence	10% to 30%
Mortgage	Portfolio lenders, non-QM lenders, community banks	ITIN, 2 years of tax returns, 620+ credit score	15% to 25%
Credit card	Capital One Platinum Secured, Bank of America secured, Citi Secured Mastercard, OpenSky Secured Visa	ITIN, security deposit	Not applicable

Why government-backed loans are closed to ITIN holders

Five programmes underwrite most US lending, and all five require a Social Security Number from the borrower:

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two government-sponsored enterprises that buy conventional mortgages on the secondary market.
FHA loans, insured by the Federal Housing Administration.
VA loans, guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
USDA rural development loans.

A lender that cannot sell your loan to one of those buyers has to keep it. Lenders who do that are called portfolio lenders, and the risk they absorb is priced into your rate and your down payment. Nothing in federal law bars an ITIN holder from borrowing. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits credit discrimination on the basis of national origin. The constraint is commercial, not legal.

What this means for you

Do not spend time applying for FHA or conventional financing, and treat any broker who offers you an FHA loan on an ITIN as a warning sign. Go straight to portfolio lenders, community banks, community development credit unions and non-QM lenders.

Personal loans with an ITIN

Wells Fargo's personal loan application lists a Social Security Number or an ITIN as an accepted taxpayer identifier. The catch is the relationship requirement: applications are limited to existing Wells Fargo customers whose qualifying consumer account has been open for at least 12 months. If you do not bank there already, this is a route you can open in a year, not today.

The more reliable source of ITIN personal lending is the community development sector: credit unions and banks certified as Community Development Financial Institutions by the US Treasury. Their mandate is to serve borrowers the mainstream market underserves, and ITIN lending programmes are common among them. You can search federally insured credit unions through the National Credit Union Administration. Membership usually requires living, working or worshipping in a defined area, so eligibility is geographic.

Expect to show your ITIN assignment letter (IRS notice CP565), two years of filed tax returns, and proof of income. See the full ITIN document list.

Auto loans with an ITIN

Auto lending is the most accessible ITIN credit after secured cards, because the car itself is the collateral. Three routes exist, and they differ enormously in cost:

Credit unions with ITIN programmes. Cheapest rates, and they almost always report to the credit bureaus. Requires membership eligibility.
Buy-here-pay-here dealers. Easiest approval, highest cost, and many do not report your payments, so the loan builds no credit history.
Online and subprime lenders. Middle ground. Policies on ITIN acceptance vary by lender and by state.

Typical terms are 10 to 30 percent down with rates spanning roughly 5 to 18 percent depending on credit history and route. The ITIN car loan guide covers requirements and negotiation in detail.

Mortgages with an ITIN

ITIN mortgages are available in all 50 states through portfolio lenders, community banks and non-QM lenders. Standard requirements are 15 to 25 percent down, two years of filed tax returns, a credit score around 620 or better, and a debt-to-income ratio under roughly 43 percent. Rates in 2026 have run several points above conventional pricing, in the region of 7.5 to 10 percent, because the lender keeps the loan.

Read the ITIN mortgage guide for lender types, the approval sequence and what underwriters actually check, or the plain-English version of the same question.

Credit cards with an ITIN

A secured card is where most ITIN borrowers start, because approval does not depend on a credit file. You place a deposit, the deposit becomes your limit, and the issuer reports your payments. Four issuers accept an ITIN in place of an SSN as of September 2026:

Capital One Platinum Secured
Bank of America secured card (from $200)
Citi Secured Mastercard
OpenSky Secured Visa

Two names that circulate on older ITIN card lists no longer belong on them. Chime requires a Social Security Number, and Deserve closed its card products in 2025. Treat any list still recommending them as out of date.

More detail on limits, graduation to unsecured and bureau reporting is in the ITIN credit card guide.

What every ITIN lender asks for

The list is consistent across products. Have these ready before you approach a lender:

Your ITIN assignment letter, IRS notice CP565. If you have lost it, see how to find your ITIN number.
Two years of filed US tax returns. This is the requirement that most often blocks applicants, and the one that takes longest to fix.
Proof of income, whether pay stubs, bank statements or a Schedule C.
Proof of US residence, usually a lease or a utility bill dated within 60 to 90 days.
An unexpired passport or other government photo identification.

An unexpired ITIN is a precondition for all of it. ITINs not used on a federal return for three consecutive years expire. Check whether yours has expired before you apply for credit.

How ITIN borrowers improve their odds

File your returns. Two years of filed returns is the gate on the better-priced products. Nothing else you do matters as much.
Open a secured card and let it report. Six to twelve months of on-time payments creates the credit file a mortgage underwriter needs to see.
Bank where you intend to borrow.Several ITIN lending programmes, Wells Fargo's among them, are limited to existing customers. Opening the account starts a clock.
Ask whether the lender reports to the bureaus. An approval that builds no credit history leaves you in the same position next time.
Save a larger deposit than you think you need. Down payment is the lever ITIN borrowers control, and it moves the rate.

ITIN loan questions, answered

Are ITIN loans still available?

Yes. ITIN lending is active in 2026 across personal loans, auto loans, mortgages and secured credit cards. What changed is who offers it. ITIN loans do not come from the government-backed programmes: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, VA and USDA all require a Social Security Number. ITIN lending comes from portfolio lenders that hold loans on their own books, community development credit unions, community banks and non-QM lenders. Because those lenders set their own rules, availability varies by state and by institution rather than by a single national policy.

What banks give loans with an ITIN number?

Wells Fargo lists an SSN or ITIN on its personal loan application, but restricts applications to existing customers with a qualifying consumer account open at least 12 months. Beyond that, most ITIN lending sits with community development credit unions, community banks and non-QM mortgage lenders rather than the national retail banks. Large banks more often accept an ITIN for deposit accounts and secured credit cards than for unsecured loans. Confirm current policy with the lender before applying, because these rules change without notice.

Can I get a mortgage with an ITIN?

Yes, through portfolio lenders, community banks and non-QM lenders, in all 50 states. Expect 15 to 25 percent down, two years of filed tax returns, a credit score around 620 or better, and rates above conventional pricing. You cannot use an FHA, VA, USDA, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loan, because all five require an SSN. That exclusion is the single most important fact about ITIN mortgages and the reason ITIN rates sit higher.

Do ITIN loans build credit?

They can, if the lender reports to the credit bureaus. Your ITIN functions as the identifier on your credit file in the same way an SSN would. Credit unions and banks generally report. Buy-here-pay-here auto dealers often do not, which is why the easiest approval is frequently the one that does you the least long term good. Ask the lender directly whether it reports to Experian, Equifax and TransUnion before you sign.

What credit score do ITIN lenders require?

It varies by product. ITIN mortgages typically want 620 or better. Auto lenders will often work with scores in the high 500s, at higher rates. Secured credit cards require no score at all, because your deposit is the collateral. If you have no US credit file yet, a secured card is the standard first step, and most ITIN borrowers need 6 to 12 months of reported payments before a mortgage lender will engage.

Do I need two years of tax returns to get an ITIN loan?

For mortgages, almost always yes, and for most personal loans too. Lenders use filed returns to verify income because ITIN borrowers frequently have self-employment or cash income that a pay stub will not evidence. Auto lenders and secured card issuers are more flexible. If you have not been filing, that is the first thing to fix, because two years of returns is the entry requirement for the better-priced products.

Can I get a business loan with an ITIN?

Yes, though most business lending runs off the company's EIN rather than your personal ITIN. You will usually need a US registered entity, an EIN, a business bank account, and often a year or more of trading history. Community development financial institutions are the most accessible source. SBA loans are generally not available, because SBA programmes require the owner to be a US citizen, permanent resident or otherwise eligible non-citizen.

Need the ITIN first?

Every lender on this page starts with a valid, unexpired ITIN. We file Form W-7 as an IRS-authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent, so your passport never leaves your hands.

Apply for your ITIN