How to get a Social Security number as a newcomer

SSN for immigrants: who can apply?

A Social Security number is a personal identifier SSA uses to record earnings. Noncitizens generally qualify when the Department of Homeland Security authorizes them to work. There are also narrow, valid nonwork reasons. Check the SSA noncitizen guide before assuming that arrival alone makes you eligible.

A bank, landlord, or school asking for a number does not itself establish SSN eligibility. If you do not have one, ask what alternative identification the organization accepts. SSA explains that many services can identify you another way. Read SSA’s explanation.

Start by identifying your situation: an immigrant-visa arrival, a work-authorized applicant applying directly to SSA, a student with qualifying employment, or an exceptional nonwork case. This helps you find the correct checklist without borrowing document advice intended for a different immigration category.

For a bank account without SSN, ask the institution which alternative identity documents it accepts. Treat that question separately from SSA eligibility; needing a banking service does not by itself create an SSN application route.

Choose your application route before starting again

Check whether you already requested a number during an immigration process. SSA offers an immigrant-visa route through the Department of State and a separate direct application route. These have different steps and follow-up points. Begin with SSA immigrant-visa information or the first-number application page.

• Requested a card with an immigrant visa: check the mailing and follow-up instructions for that route.
• No prior request and eligible now: use SSA’s first-number process and arrange the document visit.
• Already assigned a number: check replacement or record-update instructions instead of requesting an original number.
• Used an older USCIS SSN-request option: ask SSA to check that request before making a duplicate application.

Keep your application confirmation and appointment details together. When following up, tell SSA which route you used and when. A clear description is more useful than saying only that you are “waiting for a card,” because the expected starting point differs by route.

Requested an SSN with your immigrant visa?

SSA calls the immigrant-visa process Enumeration at Entry. When you request a card through the immigrant-visa application, the Department of State and DHS share the information needed with SSA. In most cases, no separate SSA application or office visit is needed. See the official immigrant-visa route.

SSA’s arrival handout says the card is mailed to the US address used for the permanent resident card. It says to expect the Social Security card within three weeks after arrival and contact SSA if it has not arrived after that, or if your mailing address changes.

If you did not select the SSN request, contact SSA about applying directly. The handout identifies a passport with a machine-readable immigrant visa or a permanent resident card, plus age evidence, for the office route. Confirm your appointment checklist with SSA’s immigrant-arrival instructions.

Do not confuse this route with Enumeration Beyond Entry. The latter concerns certain USCIS applications from within the United States. The similar names can make advice about one process look applicable to another, especially when reading an older checklist.

Can you request a Social Security card on Form I-765?

As of November 12, 2026, official sources conflict. SSA’s Enumeration Beyond Entry page describes requesting an SSN through Form I-765. However, the current USCIS I-765 PDF asks for an existing SSN, if known, and does not include an option to request a new Social Security card.

The USCIS I-765 page lists the accepted edition and current filing alerts. The PDF reviewed for this guide is edition 08/21/25. Do not follow an old screenshot telling you to select a checkbox that is absent from the current form.

If you used an earlier form that did include a request, SSA’s EBE page gives a follow-up point of 14 days after receiving the immigration document. Contact SSA about that existing request rather than assuming a new application is needed. Read SSA’s follow-up guidance.

Documents for a first Social Security number

SSA needs proof of age, identity, and eligible immigration status. Use original documents or copies certified by the issuing agency. Ordinary photocopies, notarized copies, and receipts showing you applied for a document are not accepted substitutes. Check the SSA evidence rules.

For many noncitizens, the starting documents are an unexpired foreign passport and current US immigration evidence. Examples include a permanent resident card, employment authorization document, or an arrival record showing an eligible category. Which evidence applies depends on your status. SSA lists the immigration-document examples.

The paper application is Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card. Read its evidence instructions before the visit. Filling in the form does not replace the documents SSA needs to verify your identity or eligibility.

Bring your foreign birth certificate if you have it or can obtain it within ten business days. SSA can consider alternatives, such as an unexpired passport, if you cannot. Its noncitizen guide says at least two separate documents are required, even when one proves more than one fact. SSA document guidance.

Make a checklist without copying sensitive numbers into shared notes. Check that names and dates are consistent, and ask SSA about any difference before the appointment. For example, ask which legal-name-change evidence is needed if your passport and immigration document show different names.

Students, exchange visitors, and nonwork requests

School enrollment alone does not qualify you for an SSN. SSA’s international-student guide explains the work-related evidence for F-1, M-1, and J-1 applicants. Ask your designated school official or program sponsor which documents fit your authorized employment.

For eligible F-1 on-campus work, SSA describes a school-official letter and evidence of employment, such as an employer letter or recent pay slip. Other routes use different evidence, including an endorsed I-20 or an employment authorization document. Follow the student checklist for your category.

Without work permission, a valid nonwork SSN request is limited to specified government-benefit requirements. SSA requires a benefit-agency letter identifying the applicant and the law requiring the number, among other details. Ask the benefit agency and SSA to confirm the route. SSA explains nonwork eligibility.

If your need is federal tax identification and you are not eligible for an SSN, review the ITIN guide and check with the IRS. An ITIN is a different application; do not treat it as an interim SSN while a Social Security application is pending.

Social Security card online: what can you start?

For a first number, SSA’s current website lets people in the US start online and then visit an office with documents. The online step is not a promise that a newcomer can finish entirely remotely. Use the official first-number page to see your available steps.

SSA’s noncitizen publication says to complete the document visit within 45 days of starting online. You may be able to schedule the appointment online; if not, contact SSA before visiting. Its published number is 1-800-772-1213. Read the appointment instructions.

For a direct application after arrival, SSA recommends waiting ten days so DHS records are easier to verify. This is preparation advice, not a promise of an appointment on day ten or a reason to ignore an existing visa-route request. Check SSA’s arrival guidance.

For a Social Security card online request, use SSA’s task selector to distinguish an original number from a replacement. Avoid entering identity details into an unofficial application service. You can read this guide without providing any personal identifiers to SettleUSA.

What does it cost, and how long does the card take?

Applying for a Social Security number and card is free. Replacement cards are also free. There is no SSA application fee to pay through this website or a private intermediary. SSA first-number guidance and replacement guidance confirm the service is free.

SSA’s first-number page currently says the card arrives by mail in five to ten business days after approval. That clock begins after approval, not after arrival in the country, an online start, or booking an appointment. See the published delivery estimate.

Verification can add time before approval. If you are following the immigrant-visa route, use its three-week-after-arrival follow-up point instead. Keep those estimates separate and use the instructions for your route when deciding when to contact SSA.

If the card is late, check the address used and contact SSA with the application route, relevant dates, and any confirmation. Do not send a second application simply because a general estimate has passed; first ask SSA whether a request is pending and what it needs next.

Replacement limits, card wording, and record updates

If you already have an SSN, use SSA’s replacement-card process. In many cases you do not need a physical replacement if you know the number. An office cannot print a replacement card for you to take away that day.

Replacement cards are generally limited to three per calendar year and ten over a lifetime. Cards reflecting legal-name changes or changes to a work-authorization legend do not count toward those limits; additional exceptions may apply. Form SS-5 explains the replacement limits.

SSA issues different card types. Some say “VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION”; others say “NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT.” Read those conditions and ask SSA about updating the record when your status changes. SSA’s number-and-card booklet explains the differences.

Keep the card in a safe place and avoid giving out the number unnecessarily. Check the name on the card and tell SSA about relevant name or status changes through its official process. Never post a card image online or send one to SettleUSA. Read SSA’s protection and update guidance.