DO YOU NEED A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (SSN) - TALENT ACQUISITION, THE IMMIGRATION SERIES
- Avodaly - Find A Job, Hire Talent. A Talent acquisition Agency
- Sep 25
- 8 min read
Updated: Oct 2
*** Please note - immigration laws, paperwork, and processes may change on a regular basis. Dr. Moran Sciamama-Saghiv is not an immigration official, nor an attorney or an immigration attorney If you require help with your immigration process and/or status, please contact an immigration attorney***
If you are in the human resources, talent acquisition professional fields, or seeking a job in the USA, The Immigration Series should be of great value for you.
Did you know? - About 47 million people living in the United States are immigrants, which is 14% of the United States population. Every year about 25–35 million people apply for a visa to the United States, and about 2–7.5 million people are actually approved to enter the United States.
Does a Non-citizen Need a Social Security Number (SSN)?
Unless you are a non-citizen who wants to work in the United States, you probably do not need a Social Security Number. Generally, only non-citizens authorized to work in the United States by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can get a Social Security Number. Social Security Numbers are used to report a person’s salaries (wages; earnings) to the government and to determine that person’s eligibility for Social Security benefits.
You need a Social Security Number to work, collect Social Security benefits, and receive other government services. Lawfully admitted non-citizens can get many benefits and services without a Social Security Number. You do not need a Social Security Number to get a driver’s license, register for school, get private health insurance, or apply for school lunch programs or subsidized housing.
Some organizations use Social Security Numbers to identify you in their records. Most, however, will identify you by some other means if you request it. Social Security Administration cannot assign a Social Security Number solely for you to get a driver’s license or access a service that requires a credit check. Although many companies, such as banks and credit companies, may ask for your Social Security Number, you generally are not required to provide one if you do not have one.
How Can I Get a Social Security Number and Card?
If you are an immigrant, you can apply for a Social Security Number and card in two ways:
You can apply in your home country before coming to the United States when filing an application for an immigrant visa with the U.S. Department of State. In most cases, if you apply for a Social Security Number and card with your immigrant visa application, you do not have to visit a Social Security office in the United States
If you are lawfully present in the United States, you must contact your local Social Security office.
If you are a non-immigrant, there are two ways that you can apply for a Social Security Number and card, depending on your visa status:
If lawfully present in the United States and applying for work authorization or permanent resident status from DHS, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), you can apply for your Social Security Number or replacement card. This can be done on the same USCIS application Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization), or via Form I-485 (Application for Lawful Permanent Residency/green card or to Adjust Status).
If lawfully present in the United States and your visa status allows you to work, then you must contact your local Social Security office to apply.
What do You Need to Submit to the Social Security office?
You need to prove your identity and work-authorized immigration status. To prove your identity and work-authorized immigration status, show Social Security Administration your current U.S. immigration documents and your valid (unexpired) foreign passport. Acceptable immigration documents include your:
Form I-551 (Lawful Permanent Resident Card, MachineReadable Immigrant Visa)
Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record)
Form I-766 (Employment Authorization Document/EAD)
Admission stamp showing a class of admission permitting work
Exchange visitors - If you are a J-1 or J-2 exchange visitor, we also need to see your DS-2019, Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status or Employment Authorization Document (EAD). If you are a J-1 student, student intern, or international visitor, you must provide a letter from your sponsor. The letter should be on sponsor letterhead with an original signature that authorizes your employment. International students - If you’re an F-1 or M-1 student, we need to see your Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Non-immigrant Student Status or Designated School Official (DSO) letter. For information on other documents that students must provide, read International Students and Social Security Numbers (Publication №05–10181) on www.ssa.gov.
You Need to Prove Your Age:
You must present your foreign birth certificate if you have it or can get it within 10 business days. If not, Social Security Administration can consider other documents, such as your unexpired (valid) passport or a document issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as evidence of your age. You need to complete an application. You will need to complete an Application for a Social Security Card (Form SS-5).
Please note - All documents must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. Social Security Administration cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies of documents. Social Security Administration also cannot accept a receipt showing you applied for the document.
Social Security Administration may use one document for two purposes. For example, Social Security Administration may use your Department of Homeland Security Employment Authorization Document as proof of both your identity and work-authorized immigration status. Your birth certificate or passport may serve as proof of age. However, you must provide at least two separate documents.
When Should You Apply?
If you cannot apply using one of the forms noted above, Social Security Administration recommend you wait 10 days after arriving in the United States to apply for a Social Security Number. This will make it easier for the Social Security Administration to verify your Department of Homeland Security documents online. This will speed up the processing of
your Social Security Number application. Social Security Administration will mail your Social Security Number card as soon as all of your information and documents are received and verified by your issuing offices.
How Much Does Applying for a Social Security Number and Card Cost?
Applying for a Social Security Number and card is free.
What If I Need a Social Security Number for Reasons Other than Work?
You might not be authorized by the Department of Homeland Security to work in the United States. If so, you can get a Social Security Number only if you can prove you need it for a valid reason unrelated to work.
Government benefits or services - If you do not have permission to work, you may apply for an Social Security Number only if one of the following applies:
A federal law requires you to provide your Social Security Number to get a particular benefit or service
A state or local law requires you to provide your Social Security Number to get general assistance benefits for which you already have qualified
Applicants for a non-work Social Security Number are required to provide proof of identity and age documents. Proofs of identity and age documents may include:
Form I-94 (Arrival-Departure Record)
Form I-862 (Notice to Appear)
Form I-385 (Alien Booking Record)
Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) Certification Letter
Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Certification Letter
Proofs of identity only documents may include:
Form I-220A (Order of Release on Recognizance)
Please note - Form I-220A (Order of Release on Recognizance) does not meet Social Security requirements to serve as proof of age.
If you need a Social Security Number to meet state or local requirements, in addition to the identity and age document, you must submit a letter from the government agency. It must be on letterhead stationery (no form letters or photocopies) and:
Specifically identify you as the applicant
Specifically state the non-work reason the Social Security Number is required
Cite the law requiring you to have a Social Security Number
Indicate that you meet all agency requirements, except having the Social Security Number
Contain an agency contact name, signature, and telephone number
Do You Need a Social Security Number for Tax Purposes?
You may not need a Social Security Number for tax purposes if you are not authorized to work in the United States. You can apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Visit the IRS in person, or call the IRS toll-free number, 1–800-TAXFORM (1–800–829–3676), and request Form W-7, Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.
A business or government agency may ask you for a Social Security Number. If you are not authorized to work in the United States, ask if they can identify you in some other way. In most cases, you’ll be able to get the service or license you need without a Social Security Number. If you are assigned a Social Security Number for non-work purposes, you cannot use it to work.
Contacting the Social Security Administration (SSA):
There are several ways to do business with the Social Security Administration including online, by mail, by phone, and in person. If you cannot use the Social Security Administration’s online services, the Social Security Administration can help you by phone when you call the Social Security Administration national toll-free 800 number.
If you do not have access to the internet, the Social Security Administration offers many automated services by telephone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you may not need to speak with a representative.
Call the Social Security Administration’s toll-free at 1–800–772–1213 or at the Social Security Administration’s TTY number, 1–800–325–0778, if you are deaf or hard of hearing. The Social Security Administration provides free interpreter services upon request. For quicker access to a representative, try calling early in the day (between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. local time) or later in the day. The Social Security Administration are less busy later in the week (Wednesday to Friday) and later in the month.
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