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How Are Social Security Numbers Assigned to Legal Immigrants?

How Are Social Security Numbers Assigned to Legal Immigrants? thumbnail
Immigrants who have permission to work in the U.S. need Social Security numbers.

The process for obtaining a Social Security number is very similar for both natural-born citizens and legal immigrants. Those who need a Social Security number must fill out the appropriate application, provide documentation of their date of birth and citizenship, and must submit this information to their local Social Security office. Any legal immigrant who is approved to work in the United States can get a Social Security number, and those immigrants who are not approved to work here can, in some circumstances, get a number if they need it for a service to which they are entitled.

  1. Social Security Numbers

    • The Social Security Administration is a federal agency that oversees several federal benefit programs, including Social Security retirement and disability benefits. Workers in the United States are required to have a Social Security number so that their income can be tracked for the purposes of taxation. Some of these taxes are paid into Social Security benefit programs from which the worker can draw when and if she becomes eligible.

    Immigrants Authorized to Work

    • Immigrants authorized to work in the United States are issued one of two types of Social Security cards. Immigrants who are in the United States permanently and who are approved to work wherever they wish are issued a standard Social Security Card. If an immigrant has only received authorization to work in the U.S. on a temporary basis, she will be issued a card that states "Valid for Work Only with DHS Authorization."

      In either case, applicants may be able to apply for their Social Security number when they get their visa. If they don't do this, they will need to complete form SS-5, which is provided by the Social Security Administration, and either bring or mail the application with documentation to their local Social Security office. All forms, as well as instructions for assembling proper documentation, are available on the Social Security Administration's website.

    International Students

    • The Social Security Administration only issues Social Security numbers to international students who also have the right to work in the United States. U.S. schools that use Social Security numbers for student identification need to assign non-Social Security identification numbers to international students who do not have the right to work.

      If a student does have permission to work in the United States, he must complete the SS-5 application and provide proof of his immigration status and, in some cases, letters from his employer and/or sponsor.

    Immigrants Not Authorized to Work

    • If a legal immigrant is not authorized to work in the United States, yet needs a Social Security card for a government service or benefit for which she is entitled, she can get a Social Security card that includes the note "Not Valid for Employment." To get this card, the applicant must bring to her local Social Security office a letter on official letterhead from the government agency that provides the benefit to which she is entitled.

    International Adoptions

    • Parents who adopt a child from another country should apply for the child's Social Security number using the SS-5 form. If the parents are planning to re-adopt the child here in the United States and will be changing the child's name in the process, they may wish to wait until the adoption and name change has gone through. If parents need the number for tax purposes prior to the completed name change and adoption, they can complete Internal Revenue Service form W-7A, which will assign the child an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number (ATIN).

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