Apply for a Social Security number

A Social Security number (SSN) is a nine-digit number used to report your earnings and, in practice, to identify you to banks, employers, landlords and credit agencies. It is not an identity card and it is not proof of immigration status — but very little works smoothly without one.

Cost

Free — always

Where

A Social Security Administration office

Time

Card arrives by post in about 2 weeks

Eligibility

Anyone authorised to work in the U.S., and some others

Who can get one

You are eligible if you are authorised to work in the United States — as a permanent resident, on a work visa, or with an employment authorization document. Certain people who are not authorised to work can also get a number when a federal law requires it for a specific benefit.

If you are not eligible for an SSN but need to file taxes, you need an ITIN instead — see getting an ITIN. You cannot hold both, and applying for an ITIN while eligible for an SSN will be refused.

Applying

Some people can apply as part of their immigrant visa or green card application, in which case the card arrives without any further action. Otherwise:

1. Wait about 10 days after arriving, so DHS records reach the SSA. Applying earlier commonly fails verification.
2. Complete Form SS-5.
3. Go to a Social Security office in person with your original documents — not photocopies.
4. You get a receipt; the card arrives by post.

Book an appointment rather than queueing where the office offers one. Bring the receipt home and keep it: it is proof you applied, which is what an employer needs while the card is in transit.

What to bring

• Passport with visa
• I-94 arrival record — see finding and printing it
• Employment authorization document or green card, if you have one
• Birth certificate, for children

Documents must be originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. The SSA returns them to you at the counter.

Names, and getting them right the first time

The name on your application becomes the name attached to your earnings record, and every later mismatch — with an employer's payroll, with the IRS, with E-Verify — traces back to it. Enter it exactly as it appears on your immigration documents, in the same order, including any second family name.

If your documents disagree with each other, raise it at the counter rather than choosing one. Correcting the record later is a separate application and a separate wait.

Protect the number

Once issued, an SSN is effectively permanent, and it is the single most useful piece of information for someone opening credit in your name. Memorise it and store the card at home. Do not carry it.

Legitimate reasons to give it out: an employer, a bank opening an account, a landlord running a credit check, a government agency, a tax filing. Nobody else needs it — including anyone who telephones you to ask. A shop, a school or a clinic asking for it is usually asking out of habit, and "I would rather not" is an acceptable answer.

If your application is refused

Ask for the refusal in writing. The usual causes are DHS records not yet showing your entry (wait a week and return) or a name mismatch between your passport and immigration documents.

Neither is fatal, and neither is resolved by applying repeatedly. Fix the underlying cause, then reapply once. If the card is lost later, replacements are limited to three a year and ten in a lifetime — see replacing a lost Social Security card.