Social Security
Before you apply at your local Social Security Administration, F-1 students need to have the following:
- Evidence of an on-campus job or the offer of an on-campus job
- Employment Authorization Document
- Authorization for CPT (Curricular Practical Training)
For non-EAD based F-1 student employment (CPT) and on-campus employment, Social Security Administration will not process an application for a SSN if it is more than 30 days in advance of the scheduled employment start date.
In the case of EAD based F-1 employment, the employment start date on the EAD must already have been reached before Social Security Adminstration will process the application for SSN.
Applying for a Social Security Number
It takes up to 10 calendar days after your entry in the U.S. before your record shows up in SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements). The data that confirms your status must be accessed online by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
You must be registered for classes before OIS (Office of International Services) can enter registration/validation into the system. Only after your registration/validation has been entered into the system, will you be able to apply for a Social Security Number.
If your information is not found in SAVE, the SSA will wait another 10 days before attempting to verify your record. If your information is still not available, the SSA must request special verification of your status from the Homeland Security Immigration Status Verification unit, which may take additional time.
I. To apply for a Social Security Number, you must ask the on-campus employer who is offering a job to complete the Evidence of Employement Form and print it on their Letter Head.
II. Schedule an appointment with Office of International Services. The student has to submit the completed Evidence of Employement Form to the DSO.
III. The OIS coordinator will complete the DSO Form and identify student by name, on-campus employer, and nature of on-campus employement.
IV. To apply for a Social Security Number, the student has to submit the following documents at the Social Security Office:
- DSO Form, identifying student by name, on-campus employer, and nature of on-campus employment.
- SEVIS I-20 Form
- Passport
- I-94
- Show 2 proofs of Current U.S. address
- Evidence of Employment Form
- Job description
- Employment contact information.
Take said documents to your nearest SSA office. All the documents must be originals.
If you apply for a Social Security Number you will receive a "receipt" consisting of a form letter confirming that you have applied for said number.
For more information, go to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10181.html.
To get information about Social Security in your native language, please visit http://ssa.gov/multilanguage/index.htm
Note: Ask for the letter of acknowledgement from the Social Security Administration once you file a SSN application. Present said letter to employer.
Students are discouraged from applying for Social Security Numbers for reasons other than work. Due to business practices established prior to identity theft, SSA is no longer assigning social security numbers for non-work reasons.
