diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/privacy-tools.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/privacy-tools.php
index 33611c1975..472c3de9ba 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/privacy-tools.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/privacy-tools.php
@@ -111,10 +111,10 @@ function _wp_personal_data_handle_actions() {
 				$action_type               = sanitize_text_field( wp_unslash( $_POST['type_of_action'] ) );
 				$username_or_email_address = sanitize_text_field( wp_unslash( $_POST['username_or_email_for_privacy_request'] ) );
 				$email_address             = '';
-				$send_confirmation_email   = true;
+				$status                    = 'pending';
 
 				if ( ! isset( $_POST['send_confirmation_email'] ) ) {
-					$send_confirmation_email = false;
+					$status = 'confirmed';
 				}
 
 				if ( ! in_array( $action_type, _wp_privacy_action_request_types(), true ) ) {
@@ -146,37 +146,42 @@ function _wp_personal_data_handle_actions() {
 					break;
 				}
 
-				$request_id = wp_create_user_request( $email_address, $action_type, array(), $send_confirmation_email );
+				$request_id = wp_create_user_request( $email_address, $action_type, array(), $status );
+				$message    = '';
 
 				if ( is_wp_error( $request_id ) ) {
-					add_settings_error(
-						'username_or_email_for_privacy_request',
-						'username_or_email_for_privacy_request',
-						$request_id->get_error_message(),
-						'error'
-					);
-					break;
+					$message = $request_id->get_error_message();
 				} elseif ( ! $request_id ) {
+					$message = __( 'Unable to initiate confirmation request.' );
+				}
+
+				if ( $message ) {
 					add_settings_error(
 						'username_or_email_for_privacy_request',
 						'username_or_email_for_privacy_request',
-						__( 'Unable to initiate confirmation request.' ),
+						$message,
 						'error'
 					);
 					break;
 				}
 
-				if ( $send_confirmation_email ) {
+				if ( 'pending' === $status ) {
 					wp_send_user_request( $request_id );
+
+					$message = __( 'Confirmation request initiated successfully.' );
+				} elseif ( 'confirmed' === $status ) {
+					$message = __( 'Request added successfully.' );
 				}
 
-				add_settings_error(
-					'username_or_email_for_privacy_request',
-					'username_or_email_for_privacy_request',
-					__( 'Confirmation request initiated successfully.' ),
-					'success'
-				);
-				break;
+				if ( $message ) {
+					add_settings_error(
+						'username_or_email_for_privacy_request',
+						'username_or_email_for_privacy_request',
+						$message,
+						'success'
+					);
+					break;
+				}
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/wp-includes/user.php b/src/wp-includes/user.php
index f08f685abb..5c6db55afb 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/user.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/user.php
@@ -3936,18 +3936,17 @@ function _wp_privacy_account_request_confirmed_message( $request_id ) {
  * users on the site, or guests without a user account.
  *
  * @since 4.9.6
- * @since 5.7.0 Added the `$send_confirmation_email` parameter.
+ * @since 5.7.0 Added the `$status` parameter.
  *
  * @param string $email_address           User email address. This can be the address of a registered
  *                                        or non-registered user.
  * @param string $action_name             Name of the action that is being confirmed. Required.
  * @param array  $request_data            Misc data you want to send with the verification request and pass
  *                                        to the actions once the request is confirmed.
- * @param bool   $send_confirmation_email Optional. If false, the request status is set to 'Completed' directly.
- *                                        Default true.
+ * @param string $status                  Optional request status (pending or confirmed). Default 'pending'.
  * @return int|WP_Error                   Returns the request ID if successful, or a WP_Error object on failure.
  */
-function wp_create_user_request( $email_address = '', $action_name = '', $request_data = array(), $send_confirmation_email = true ) {
+function wp_create_user_request( $email_address = '', $action_name = '', $request_data = array(), $status = 'pending' ) {
 	$email_address = sanitize_email( $email_address );
 	$action_name   = sanitize_key( $action_name );
 
@@ -3959,6 +3958,10 @@ function wp_create_user_request( $email_address = '', $action_name = '', $reques
 		return new WP_Error( 'invalid_action', __( 'Invalid action name.' ) );
 	}
 
+	if ( ! in_array( $status, array( 'pending', 'confirmed' ), true ) ) {
+		return new WP_Error( 'invalid_status', __( 'Invalid request status.' ) );
+	}
+
 	$user    = get_user_by( 'email', $email_address );
 	$user_id = $user && ! is_wp_error( $user ) ? $user->ID : 0;
 
@@ -3980,19 +3983,13 @@ function wp_create_user_request( $email_address = '', $action_name = '', $reques
 		return new WP_Error( 'duplicate_request', __( 'An incomplete personal data request for this email address already exists.' ) );
 	}
 
-	if ( false !== $send_confirmation_email ) {
-		$status = 'request-pending';
-	} else {
-		$status = 'request-completed';
-	}
-
 	$request_id = wp_insert_post(
 		array(
 			'post_author'   => $user_id,
 			'post_name'     => $action_name,
 			'post_title'    => $email_address,
 			'post_content'  => wp_json_encode( $request_data ),
-			'post_status'   => $status,
+			'post_status'   => 'request-' . $status,
 			'post_type'     => 'user_request',
 			'post_date'     => current_time( 'mysql', false ),
 			'post_date_gmt' => current_time( 'mysql', true ),
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/privacy/wpCreateUserRequest.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/privacy/wpCreateUserRequest.php
index 36d055852a..93fd1dfa74 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/privacy/wpCreateUserRequest.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/privacy/wpCreateUserRequest.php
@@ -310,11 +310,11 @@ class Tests_WpCreateUserRequest extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Test that the request has a Pending status if a confirmation email is sent.
+	 * Test that the request has a Pending status by default.
 	 *
 	 * @ticket 43890
 	 */
-	public function test_pending_status_with_default_wp_create_user_request_params() {
+	public function test_wp_create_user_request_default_pending_status() {
 		$actual = wp_create_user_request( self::$non_registered_user_email, 'export_personal_data' );
 		$post   = get_post( $actual );
 
@@ -322,32 +322,37 @@ class Tests_WpCreateUserRequest extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Test that the request has a Pending status if the $send_confirmation_email param is true.
+	 * Test that the request has a Pending status if the $status param is 'pending'.
 	 *
 	 * @ticket 43890
 	 */
-	public function test_pending_status_with_true_send_confirmation_email() {
-		$request_data            = array();
-		$send_confirmation_email = true;
-
-		$actual = wp_create_user_request( self::$non_registered_user_email, 'export_personal_data', $request_data, $send_confirmation_email );
+	public function test_wp_create_user_request_pending_status() {
+		$actual = wp_create_user_request( self::$non_registered_user_email, 'export_personal_data', array(), 'pending' );
 		$post   = get_post( $actual );
 
 		$this->assertSame( 'request-pending', $post->post_status );
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Test that the request has a Completed status if the $send_confirmation_email param is false.
+	 * Test that the request has a Confirmed status if the $status param is 'confirmed'.
 	 *
 	 * @ticket 43890
 	 */
-	public function test_pending_status_with_false_send_confirmation_email() {
-		$request_data            = array();
-		$send_confirmation_email = false;
-
-		$actual = wp_create_user_request( self::$non_registered_user_email, 'export_personal_data', $request_data, $send_confirmation_email );
+	public function test_wp_create_user_request_confirmed_status() {
+		$actual = wp_create_user_request( self::$non_registered_user_email, 'export_personal_data', array(), 'confirmed' );
 		$post   = get_post( $actual );
 
-		$this->assertSame( 'request-completed', $post->post_status );
+		$this->assertSame( 'request-confirmed', $post->post_status );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test that the request returns a WP_Error if $status isn't 'pending' or 'confirmed'.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 43890
+	 */
+	public function test_wp_create_user_request_wp_error_status() {
+		$actual = wp_create_user_request( self::$non_registered_user_email, 'export_personal_data', array(), 'wrong-status' );
+
+		$this->assertWPError( $actual );
 	}
 }