How to Get the Social Security Number

Essay by Akhil Alsadwi

I have heard from many international students that we as an international students do not have the right to get a Social Security Number (SSN). However, after I asked the advisor at the International Student Services (ISS) at Texas A&M University, I learned that we can obtain the SSN whether we are as a J-1student or F-1 student. The advisor at ISS defined the SSN to me as an alpha-numerical code assigned by governments of several countries to citizens and temporary workers. In the United States, the SSN is a nine-digit number issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary (working) residents under section 205(c) (2) of the Social Security Act. Getting a SSN for international students has many benefits. Therefore, it is important to know the basic steps to get this important document.

The first step that you have to take is to get a verification from the ISS (Request for a Social Security Number). You can request this verification by two ways. First, send an email to the ISS employer office. Remember to explain the purpose of getting your SSN in your email, that is, why you want to get this document. For example, you can state your wish to work (you cannot get a job without a SSN) or to get some benefits that the government offers for its residents. If your purpose is to work, remember the following: If you are a J-1 student, you are not allowed to work in the U.S.; as a result, getting a SSN in this case is useful for other issues such as obtaining a credit card. Yet, if you are a J-2, F-1, or M-1 student you have the right to work in the U.S. The best format of this email, as the advisor told me, is starting with greeting such as “Dear Sir/ Madam,” and then requesting the following: “I am an international student (J-1 student), and I would like to obtain a Social Security Number (SSN). I do not have a job, and I do not intend to get one in the future.” While if you are an F1- or M-1 student, change the purpose of getting a SSN. After that, you will receive an email which will tell you to go to the front desk in the ISS to pick up your verification. This process takes five to ten business days. The second way to get this verification is by visiting the front desk of the ISS directly.

The second step to get the SSN is applying for a SSN. If you get the request for a Social Security Number from the ISS, now apply for a SSN. First, you have to fill out the form S-55, which is the application for (A) SSN, and you can find it on following website http://www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber/ss5.htm. Then print it and keep it in your records since you have to present it during the interview which is the following step. The interview in the Social Security office is the second step. This office located in Bryan: 2120 W. BRIARGATE DR. BRYAN, TX, 77802. When you go to the local Social Security Office for an interview, bring all your original documents; in our case, you need to take your passport, I-94, verification from ISS, I-20 or DS-2019, and of course the application form S-55. All these documents are necessary to prove your immigration status. When you apply for a SSN, remember to know what the documents that you need are. Also, documents that you present must be original. That is, photocopies are not acceptable.

The final step, which is the easiest one, is waiting for your SSN. During the interview, the employee will tell you that if there is no issue related to your request, your SSN card will be sent within two weeks, and if there is any problem, the office will let you know.

To sum up, although you do not need a SSN to get benefits and services from the government such as getting a driver’s license, registering for school, or obtaining private health insurance, it is still the first question that some organizations and companies ask you about to identify you. As an international student, we have to know that we will graduate from our universities some day, and we might want to enter the U.S again for different purposes. Therefore, if we inform the employee in the embassy that we have a SSN record, it will help us with own future request to reenter the U.S. Again remember that the first step to get the SSN is by getting the verification from the ISS, then fill out the form S-55 online, and take all your original documents to the local Social Security Office.