Find An Answer to Your Question

The answer to the question depends on whether you had earnings under:

• Your own Social Security number, which read “Not Valid for Employment;” or
• Someone else’s Social Security number.

If Social Security taxes were withheld from pay you earned under your own Social Security number (even though it was marked “Not Valid for Employment”), your earnings already should be posted to your record. You can verify that all your earnings are posted to your record by reviewing your Social Security Statement (Form SSA-7004). The Statement, which is mailed annually to workers age 25 and older, provides a concise, easy-to-read personal record of the earnings on which you have paid Social Security taxes during your working years and a summary of the estimated benefits you and your family may receive as a result of those earnings. The three ways you can get a Statement include:

• Requesting it online at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/statement/;
• Downloading a request form at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/online/ssa-7004.html and mailing it in; or
• Calling our toll-free number 1-800-772-1213 (TTY; 1-800-325-0778) and asking to have a paper request form mailed to you.

If taxes were withheld from pay you earned under someone else’s Social Security number, you must first get a valid Social Security number. You then must prove to Social Security that those earnings belonged to you. To do so, you should bring the W-2 forms you received from your employer to your local Social Security office. Those forms provide the best verification of your earnings because they document the name and Social Security number you used. If you do not have your W-2 forms, bring in pay slips that show your name and the number you used. If you do not have these proofs, Social Security may be able to locate the earnings and post them to your record if you can tell us the name of your employer(s) and the dates you worked. Also, be prepared to provide proof of your identity such as a valid passport, driver’s license or state-issued nondriver identification card as well as DHS documents that prove you are legally in the United States.

In general, only noncitizens who have permission to work from the Department of Homeland Security can apply for a Social Security number. If you do not have permission to work, you may apply for a Social Security number only if the law requires you to provide a Social Security number to get general assistance benefits that you already have qualified for.

If your work eligibility has changed or if you have become a U.S. citizen, you must apply for a replacement card. Your replacement card will no longer read “Not Valid for Employment,” but you will retain the same Social Security number.

To get a replacement card:

• Complete an Application For A Social Security Card (Form SS-5); and
• Show us documents proving your:
  • Immigration status;
  • Work eligibility; and
  • Identity.
• Take your completed application and documents to your local Social Security office.

All documents must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency.  We cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies of documents.

We will mail your number and card as soon as we have all of your information and have verified your documents. For details about the type of evidence you must provide, see Social Security Numbers For Noncitizens (Publication No. 05-10096) or Documents You Need for a Social Security Card.