Social Security Number for a Noncitizen

The general rule

SSA states the general rule at the start of its noncitizen publication: generally, only noncitizens authorized to work in the United States by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can get a Social Security number (SSN). Employers use an SSN to report wages to the government and to determine eligibility for Social Security benefits. A person needs an SSN to work, collect Social Security benefits, and receive certain government services.

Lawfully admitted noncitizens can get certain benefits and services without an SSN. SSA states that a person does not need an SSN to get a driver's license, register for school, get private health insurance, or apply for school lunch programs or subsidized housing. Although many companies, such as banks and credit companies, may ask for an SSN, a person generally is not required to provide one if the person does not have one. Most organizations will identify a person by some other means if asked.

The rest of this guide states the three routes separately. Documents and timing are stated only from the page for that route. Do not carry a document list from one route into another route.

Route 1: with an immigrant visa application

SSA's immigrant-visa page states: "We have a way for noncitizens to apply for Social Security number (SSN) cards as part of the immigration process. When you apply for your immigrant visa with the U.S. Department of State, you can also apply for an SSN card at the same time."

SSA's noncitizen publication states the route in fuller form:

• Apply for the SSN with the immigrant visa application filed with the U.S. Department of State, in the home country before coming to the United States.
• In most cases, if you apply for an SSN with the immigrant visa application, you do not have to visit a Social Security office in the United States.
• The SSN card will be mailed to the address provided on the immigrant visa application.

No day count for delivery on this route is stated in the publication text opened for this guide, and none is stated here. The 14-day contact rule stated below belongs to the Enumeration Beyond Entry route, and the 14-day rule stated for the I-485 route belongs to that form. Neither is carried into this route.

This route is the immigrant-visa route only. It is not the adjustment-of-status route. A person already lawfully present in the United States who is applying for permanent resident status uses Route 2, Form I-485, not this route.

Route 2: Enumeration Beyond Entry on a USCIS form

Enumeration Beyond Entry (EBE) is the process by which the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) collects information on behalf of SSA during a USCIS application. SSA states: "To save you a trip to the Social Security Office you can now apply for an original SSN or replacement card during the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) application process by completing the Social Security Administration (SSA) section of the form that contains SSA questions."

USCIS collects the information on behalf of SSA, and SSA warns that it may be unable to fully process the request for the SSN card if it does not receive the necessary information. SSA uses the name, date of birth, parent's names, country of birth, and sex to process the SSN card. While some information is not required for processing the immigration document, it is required for the SSN card.

The three forms are separate forks of the same process, and each fork's result is stated separately:

The Form N-400 fork is replacement-only. SSA's policy pages state that the N-400 will only process replacement cards. Do not describe the N-400 fork as a way to obtain an original number. The I-765 and I-485 forks cover original and replacement cards as stated above.

If the card requested on Form I-765, Form I-485, or Form N-400 does not arrive, SSA states to contact the local field office 14 days after receiving the EAD, Green Card, or Certificate of Naturalization, and to have the immigration document available, as it may help SSA answer the questions.

A timing conflict between SSA pages is disclosed here rather than averaged. The SSA EBE page states the 14-day rule above. A different SSA page, the document page for a noncitizen child, states for the EBE route that the card should be received "no later than 7 to 10 business days after you receive your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) or I-551 (Green card) from USCIS." Both wordings are SSA wordings, on different pages, for the same route. This guide does not choose one as the current rule. Use the 14-day contact instruction on the EBE page as the instruction for when to contact a field office, and expect the discrepancy to be the subject of the field office's answer.

A further caution is recorded in the Source section: secondary reports in 2025 stated that SSA had paused automatic SSN production from Form I-765 EBE requests. SSA's live EBE page, opened for this guide, still describes the I-765 fork as available. This guide follows the SSA page and does not adopt the secondary reports as fact, but the I-765 fork should be re-checked against the current edition of Form I-765 and the SSA EBE page before it is relied on as current.

Route 3: in person at a Social Security office

If a person is unable to use Form I-765 or Form I-485, or did not request an SSN on Form I-765, Form I-485, or Form N-400, the person applies at a Social Security office after receiving the EAD (Form I-766), the lawful permanent resident card (Form I-551), or the Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550) from USCIS.

The in-person route has its own steps, stated in SSA's noncitizen publication:

1. Wait 10 days after arriving in the United States before applying, if applying in person. SSA recommends this wait because it makes it easier to verify DHS documents online and speeds processing. It is a recommendation on that page, stated as a recommendation here, not as a filing deadline.
2. Start the application online at SSA's "Request a Social Security number for the first time" page, then visit the local Social Security office or Card Center with the required documents within 45 days of starting the process. An appointment may be self-scheduled where available; otherwise call to make an appointment before visiting.
3. If the online start cannot be used, complete Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card, and call to make an appointment to visit the local office or Card Center with the required documents.
4. Bring original documents or copies certified by the issuing agency. SSA states it cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies, and cannot accept a receipt showing the document was applied for.

SSA states the in-person timing as follows: the card should be received within two weeks after SSA has everything needed to process the application, including verification of the immigration document with USCIS. If SSA is unable to immediately verify the immigration document with USCIS, it may take two additional weeks.

Documents for the in-person route

The in-person document list comes from SSA's noncitizen publication and from the SSA document page. It is not the immigrant-visa route's list and not the EBE route's list. To prove identity and work-authorized immigration status, show current U.S. immigration documents and an unexpired foreign passport. Acceptable immigration documents include:

• Form I-551 (Lawful Permanent Resident Card, Machine-Readable Immigrant Visa).
• Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record).
• Form I-766 (Employment Authorization Document / EAD).
• An admission stamp showing a class of admission permitting work.

For students and exchange visitors, additional documents apply on this route:

• F-1 or M-1 students: Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status, or a Designated School Official letter. SSA's separate student publication covers the further employment evidence for F-1 students, and it is not summarized here.
• J-1 or J-2 exchange visitors: Form DS-2019, Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status, or an EAD. If the applicant is a J-1 student, student intern, or international visitor, a letter from the sponsor is required, on sponsor letterhead with an original signature authorizing employment.

To prove age, present the foreign birth certificate if it can be had or gotten within 10 business days. If not, SSA states it can consider other documents, such as the unexpired passport or a document issued by DHS, as evidence of age.

SSA may use one document for two purposes. For example, the DHS EAD may serve as proof of both identity and work-authorized immigration status, and the birth certificate or passport may serve as proof of age. At least two separate documents must be provided.

All documents must be originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. That rule applies on every route in this guide, and it is stated in each route's own SSA source.

If there is no work authorization: the nonwork route

A noncitizen without permission to work can get an SSN only for a valid nonwork reason. SSA states two criteria, and both are stated here as SSA states them:

• A federal statute or regulation requires an SSN to receive a federally funded benefit. This applies whether the person resides inside or outside the United States.
• A state or local law requires an SSN to receive public assistance benefits, where the person legally resides in the United States.

An applicant for a nonwork SSN must provide proof of identity, citizenship status, and age, and must bring a letter from the government agency offering the benefit. The letter must be on letterhead stationery (no form letters or photocopies) and must specifically identify the applicant, specifically state the nonwork reason an SSN is required, cite the law requiring an SSN, indicate that the applicant meets all agency requirements except having the SSN, and contain an agency contact name, signature, and telephone number.

If a number is assigned for nonwork purposes, it cannot be used to work. A business or government agency may ask for an SSN, but if the person is not authorized to work, SSA advises asking whether the business or agency can identify the person in some other way, because in most cases the service or license can be obtained without an SSN.

For tax purposes only, a person not authorized to work may not need an SSN. SSA directs those applicants to the Internal Revenue Service for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, using Form W-7. No ITIN filing detail is stated in this guide.

Cost

Applying for an SSN and card is free. SSA states this directly in its noncitizen publication: "Applying for an SSN and card is free." No fee is stated anywhere in this guide.

For a Social Security number for an adopted child, see Social Security Number for an Adopted Child. For the other federal identity documents, see the Federal Identity Documents by Situation directory.

Source

Sources: Social Security Administration, Social Security Numbers for Noncitizens (Publication No. 05-10096, February 2026), ssa.gov; Social Security Administration, Apply For Your Social Security Number While Applying For Your Work Permit and/or Lawful Permanent Residency (Enumeration Beyond Entry), ssa.gov; Social Security Administration, Social Security Numbers and Immigrant Visa, ssa.gov; Social Security Administration, Learn what documents you will need to get a Social Security Card, ssa.gov (EBE timing wording and noncitizen-child document lists); Social Security Administration POMS RM 10205.700, Enumeration-Beyond-Entry (N-400 processes replacement cards only). Facts verified 2026-11-03. Conflicts and omissions disclosed: (1) SSA's EBE page states card delivery no later than 14 days after the immigration document, while the SSA document page states 7 to 10 business days for the same EBE route; both wordings are stated and neither was averaged. (2) Secondary reports in 2025 stated that SSA paused automatic SSN production from Form I-765 EBE requests; SSA's live EBE page still describes the I-765 fork, and this guide follows the SSA page while flagging the fork for re-check against the current Form I-765 edition. (3) No delivery day count for Route 1 (immigrant visa) is stated, because none was verified on the immigrant-visa pages opened for this guide. (4) No F-1 employment-evidence detail beyond the I-20/DSO letter requirement is stated, because that detail sits in a separate SSA student publication not opened for this guide. No fee is stated because SSA states applying is free.

This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute about your specific situation, talk to the Social Security Administration.