| |
Generally, an individual should receive his or her original SSN card in the mail within two weeks after the application and document(s) have been received and verified with the appropriate Bureau of the Department of Homeland Services (DHS). Verification with DHS can add three-four weeks to the total time that it takes to assign you a Social Security number. However, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has no jurisdiction over immigration laws, procedures, or the workload of Bureaus of the DHS.
Due to security measures to prevent identity theft, we will no longer provide SSN’s over the phone when an individual calls to obtain his or her SSN. Furthermore, they are not available for viewing online. To follow up on an application for a SSN, we suggest that you return to the local office where your application was filed. If you have been assigned an SSN, the office can provide you with the number. When you visit one of our offices to inquire about the status of your application, take all the documents you originally presented as evidence.
An alien without authorization to work in the United States can only be assigned an SSN or issued a replacement card when a federal statute or regulation requires that the individual provide an SSN to receive a particular benefit or service or when a state or local law requires the individual to provide an SSN to receive general assistance benefits to which he or she has established entitlement.
An alien applying for a work-authorized original SSN must present evidence to establish his or her age, identity, current lawful alien status, and employment authorization. Proof of age is not required when applying for a replacement card.
When requesting an SSN card, the documents presented as evidence must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. We cannot accept uncertified or notarized photocopies as evidence.
Form SS-5, “Application for a Social Security Card,” is the appropriate form to request an original SSN or replacement card. Complete the Form SS-5 and take it, along with the required documents, to your local Social Security office.
Our offices can also assist applicants by the following methods:
- Issuing a notice acknowledging the SSN application while documents are being verified;
- Sending an SSA-7028, “Notice to Third Party of Social Security Number Assignments,” to an employer or other interested third party once an SSN has been assigned; and
- Notifying a noncitizen of the SSN assigned before the SSN card is received in the mail.
NOTE: Assistance will also be provided to citizens awaiting their SSN cards.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) can assign an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) to an alien for tax purposes when he or she is not eligible to be assigned an SSN. To receive an ITIN, Submit a Form W-7, “Application for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.”
You can download Form W-7 from the IRS website at their Internet address, http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/index.html
You may also call the IRS ITIN office at 1-215-516-4846.
For additional ITIN information, access the IRS website at http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=112728,00.html
Local offices do not print Social Security cards. All Social Security cards are printed and mailed centrally from Baltimore, Maryland.
CAUTION: The copy of the uncertified SSN application contains confidential personal identifying information, and should only be shared with trustworthy third parties on a need-to-know basis. Disclosure of information such as your address, date of birth, place of birth, parents’ names, and a facsimile of your signature can increase your vulnerability to identity theft.
The Social Security Administration uses the U.S. Postal Service for all mail. We cannot track documents (Social Security cards, birth certificates, etc.) once they have been mailed.
|
www.socialsecurity.gov
Print Answer
Email Answer