Our Commitment
Every factual claim on ITINWorks is verified against a primary source — a government site, official legislation, or an issuer's own published policy — before it is published. When ITIN acceptance is reported but not confirmed by the institution itself, we use an amber "Confirm" badge rather than stating it as fact. This is a finance and immigration site; accuracy is not optional.
ITINWorks covers ITIN applications, banking, credit, taxes, investing, insurance, driver's licenses, college financial aid, and immigration — all topics where a wrong answer can cost real money or legal standing. This page explains the editorial process behind every guide: how we verify claims, what sources we accept, how we handle uncertainty, and how we update content when rules change.
How We Fact-Check Every Claim
Our rule is simple: search first, write second. Before any factual claim is published — a bank's ITIN acceptance policy, an IRS threshold, a state DMV rule — it is verified against a primary source. We do not rely on competitor pages, community forums, or secondary sources when a primary source is available.
Standard search protocol for each claim type:
- IRS rules, ITIN procedures, tax thresholds:
[claim] site:irs.gov - Financial product terms and acceptance policies:
[product] site:[issuer].com - State laws, DMV rules:
[state] [rule] site:[state].gov - Immigration policy, DACA:
[topic] site:uscis.govorsite:dhs.gov - Current-year accuracy check:
[topic] [year]to surface recent policy changes
Competitor pages are never used as a source — they are frequently stale (example: Petal stopped accepting new applications in 2024 and was replaced by Tilt; many third-party sites still list Petal as an option as of 2026). The IRS ITIN application page and USCIS DACA page are examples of primary sources we reference directly.
Verification Tiers
Not all sources carry equal weight. ITINWorks uses a three-tier hierarchy:
| Tier | Sources | How we use it |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 — Primary | Government sites (.gov), official legislation, issuers' own published policies | Always preferred. Required for any claim about law, tax rules, or product acceptance. Linked directly in body text where readers can verify. |
| Tier 2 — Secondary | Major news outlets (WSJ, NYT, Reuters/AP), established financial publications (NerdWallet, Bankrate) | Acceptable when a primary source is temporarily inaccessible. Never sole sourcing for a hard factual claim; always corroborated. |
| Tier 3 — Community | Reddit threads, forum posts, social media reports | Never published as confirmed fact. Used only as a signal to investigate a claim further against a Tier 1 source. Triggers hedged language: "some users report" or "call to confirm." |
The "Confirm" Badge
When a bank, credit union, or issuer's ITIN acceptance is reported by users or secondary sources — but has not been confirmed by the institution's own published materials — we display an amber "Confirm" badge rather than a green checkmark:
⚠ Confirm — call to verify before applying
The badge signals: "this is what users report, but we have not verified it from the institution's own site or customer service confirmation." Policies change without notice; the badge is our way of protecting readers from acting on stale third-party data. We display a green confirmed status only when the institution's own site or official documentation supports it.
How We Stay Current
Immigration and financial rules change. An acceptance policy, a tax threshold, or a state law that was accurate in January may be wrong by April. ITINWorks handles this through a layered update system:
Every page carries a dateModified timestamp, updated automatically whenever content changes. Search engines use this signal to assess freshness.
A pre-publish gate runs a set of banned-phrase checks against known outdated claims. Any page matching a stale pattern is blocked from publishing until the content is corrected.
Bank and credit union acceptance tables, state DMV rules, and IRS thresholds are re-verified against primary sources on a rolling quarterly basis.
Major legislative changes (e.g. the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, July 2025) trigger an immediate sitewide review of all affected claims, EN and ES.
When a policy changes and a page needs correction, the updated content is published immediately — not held for a scheduled update cycle. The dateModified reflects the actual date of the content change, not a SEO-motivated refresh.
What These Guides Are — and Are Not
ITINWorks is an educational resource, not a licensed advisory service. Every guide on this site is general information based on publicly available sources. It is not legal advice, tax advice, or individualized financial advice.
- Tax guidance: IRS rules change annually. Claim limits, credit eligibility, and filing requirements in our guides reflect the most current published IRS rules, but your personal situation may differ. Consult a licensed CPA or tax professional for advice specific to your return.
- Immigration guidance: USCIS and DHS policy is subject to change, including regulatory changes that can take effect quickly. Consult a licensed immigration attorney before making any decisions based on immigration policy.
- Financial products: Bank policies, interest rates, and eligibility requirements change. Always verify directly with the institution before applying. ITINWorks is not responsible for decisions made based on information that has changed after our last verification.
- Legal requirements by state: Driver's license rules, insurance requirements, and professional licensing rules vary by state and change. Verify with your state's official agency.