We brought home our adopted daughter from the DRC in Mar 16.She was issued an IR4 Visa. We got her Green Card late Dec 16. Do we need to file the W-7A to receive an ATIN?

[c_phillippi]

An IR4 VISA grants permanent residence but not immediate citizenship. She will become a citizen when we re-adopt her, which we are in the process of doing.  Is it the ATIN we need to apply for?

[MiriamF · Accepted solution]

A child with an IR-4 visa is eligible for a Social Security Number (SSN), and that is what you should get. It does not matter that the adoption is not complete. You do not need an adoption tax identification number (ATIN) for her if you can get her SSN before you must file your tax return.

To apply for her SSN, take her original documents (birth certificate, foreign passport, decree of guardianship, green card) plus your identification documents (government-issued photo ID such as a driver's license or passport) to your local Social Security office.

For more information, check this link:

https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110205035