[AnP]

I am recently married with my wife being from Mexico. We will be applying for a spousal visa via an I-130 and related documents.

A more pressing problem for me right now is that in roughly two months my company will be doing the annual enrollment for year 2013 for medical, dental and insurance benefits. I would like to enroll her for the benefits but the policies require either an ITIN or a SSN. Since a SSN would not be available to her for at least a year, I am thinking of trying to get her an ITIN. I have the W-7 filled out for her but the question I have is - is there a way to get an ITIN without having to wait until next year when my federal taxes are filed?

Thanks beforehand for any enlightenment on my question

[aaron2020]

Your wife can file for an ITIN at any time. She can apply today from her country.

[GlobeHopperMama]

I believe a tax agency can apply for the ITIN without needing to file an actual return. I don't know what they do that an average person can't, but in all the years we've filed with ITIN and known other people doing the same, that's the only way I've heard of to do it without filing a return...

[BradnMaryJane22]

You can file a W-7 form to request the temporary ITIN. And this would be a valid exception to the tax filing normal procedure.

I filed in May, and was denied because my wife's passport copy was not "RED RIBBON" copy. It was my employer and bank that were looking for the SSN.

I was able to attest to my HR dept. that it was "in process" and they granted me until March 2013 to provide. She will be here shortly and will have a permanent SSN. My bank I just put on hold until she arrives.
I had to call the IRS many times in order to find out that the W-7 was rejected, they do not communicate at all. I still think I made the right call to just wait out getting the permanent SSN.