SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (SSN)

Guidance on this page will only apply to:

• F-1 Students working on-campus.
• F-1 Students authorized for Curricular Practical Training (CPT).
• F-1 Students authorized for Optional Practical Training (OPT).*
• J-1 Students authorized for on-campus employment.
• J-1 Students authorized for Academic Training (AT).

*F-1 students applying for Optional Practical Training (OPT) can request a SSN in their OPT application.

Guidance on this page will not apply to:

• Students pursuing unpaid internships and volunteer opportunities.
• Students receiving scholarships/fellowships.
• Students requesting an SSN for other reasons that are not related to employment authorization
• F-2 and J-2 Dependents.
• Students who already have an SSN.

TIMELINE OF STEPS TO TAKE:

You must be eligible for paid employment:

• You must first have work authorization from your program sponsor (UC San Diego) or the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to apply for an SSN.
• Obtaining an SSN is not the same as obtaining work authorization.
• If you have already applied for the SSN, you may work while the SSN application is being processed, as long as you have the appropriate work authorization from UC San Diego or USCIS.
• There is no provision in the law that requires employers to have their employees SSNs before hiring them. There is also no provision that prohibits an employee from beginning work if he or she has not yet obtained an SSN.

You need to be registered in SEVIS:

• You should wait at least 10 days after entering the U.S. and at least 5 days after your SEVIS record has been SEVIS registered or validated before applying for your SSN.
• If your Check-In for I-20/DS-2019 Activation request has not been completed yet, please contact us.

F-1 Employment Authorization:

J-1 Employment Authorization:

Once you have confirmed you have proper work authorization and suitable job offer letter to apply for an SSN, you will need to request an SSA Application support letter on iPortal. This letter will be one of the documents you will need for your SSN application.

Submit Your Request:

• F-1 students log in to iportal.ucsd.edu.
  • • Go to "Services" tab.
    • Select "Letter Request".
    • Choose the "I am requesting a letter to submit to the Social Security Administration" letter request type.
    • Fill out your request.
    • Upload a PDF copy of:
      • Your Job Offer Letter. See sample job offer letters below. Your request will not be approved if your letter is missing any of the needed information.
      • OR
      • Your OPT EAD card
  • "Submit" your request.

• J-1 students should review how to apply for one of the following work authorizations first.
  • An SSA letter will be prepared as part of your:
    • On-Campus Employment Authorization
    • OR
    • Academic Training Employment Authorization

Your Job Offer Letter:

Your job offer letter should be written within 30 days prior to your SSA visit. SSN applications for F-1 on-campus work or CPT will not be processed if the employment start date is more than 30 days in the future. Please view our sample job offer letters to ensure that you have everything needed. Your request will not be approved if your letter is missing any of the needed information.

• Sample job offer letter for on-campus employment
• Sample job offer letter for off-campus employment (CPT)

To be accepted by the SSA Office, your job offer letter needs to contain all of the following:

• Letterhead (A printed heading on stationary that may include company’s logo, name, and address)
• Employee information:
  • Your legal name as written on your passport and I-20/DS-2019
  • Formal job title (Not an abbreviation)
  • Number of work hours per week
  • Employment start date (No more than 30 days in the future)
• Employer information:
  • Employer’s official name and address
  • Employer’s Employment Identification Number (EIN)
  • Supervisor's name, title, and phone number
  • Supervisor’s original ‘wet’ signature in ink with date
    • (The SSA will NOT accept a digital or electronic signature on your job offer letter)
• If off-campus employment (CPT or AT):
  • Salary or confirmation of compensation
  • Description of employment and job duties
• If on-campus employment:
  • Department of employment
  • UCSD or Department letterhead
  • EIN’s for UCSD campus: 95–6006144**

Receive Your SSN Support Letter:

• Your document will be issued within 5 business days.
• A notification email will be sent to you when your document is ready.

Gather all required documents:

Visit the SSA’s “Learn what documents you need to get a Social Security Card” page and click on ‘Noncitizen’ on the blue menu bar on the left. Gather all required original documents, and print documents if needed:

• OSSNAP Reference Number OR Form SS-5
  • OSSNAP Reference Number: Use the SSA’s Online Application (oSSNAP) to complete the SS-5 and print or screenshot the reference number provided at the end of the application (preferred by the SSA)
  • OR
  • Form SS-5: Print and complete the paper SS-5 Application for a Social Security Card
• Your valid passport
• Your most recent I-94 Arrival/Departure Record
• Your Job Offer Letter (See Step 2)
  • Sample job offer letter for on-campus employment
  • Sample job offer letter for off-campus employment (CPT)
• Form I-20 (F-1 students) or DS-2019 (J-1 students) 
• SSA Application Support Letter from ISEO (See Step 2)

Visit the SSA Office:

Use the SSA Office Locator and input your current zip code to locate your nearest SSA Office. ISEO recommends that students visit the SSA Office in Clairemont on Aero Drive.

The SSA has launched a portal for making appointments on their website. In order to access the portal, you must first complete the Online Application (oSSNAP) using a desktop or mobile phone. Be sure to print or screenshot the oSSNAP reference number provided at the end of the application and bring the number to your SSA appointment.

Please note:

• The online SSN application must be completed first in order to enable the appointment calendar.
• A paper SS-5 application is not needed for applicants that complete the online application.
• Appointments are usually available within 10 days. If an applicant wishes to apply for their SSN sooner, they must visit an office without an appointment.

 For more information see the Social Security Administration (SSA) International Students and Social Security Numbers Information Sheet.

Upon application for an SSN card, a receipt will be issued to you, and it will take the SSA about three weeks to mail your SSN card to you. You may work while the SSN application is being processed, as long as you have the appropriate work authorization.

Individuals in F-1 or J-1 visa status are allowed to begin work as soon as their work authorization is valid, even if they do not yet have an SSN. A valid SSN is not required at the time of hire in order to be put on payroll and to enroll in benefits. 

For UC San Diego on-campus hires:

If hiring departments are filling out the Payroll Personnel System (PPS) system they should enter 999-99-999 in the SSN field for the time being. Once the student applies for and receives the SSN, the student must update the HR representative/personnel liaison with their SSN in the payroll system.

Delays in Receiving Your SSN:

USCIS's I-9 fact sheet for F-1 students contains the following guidance to students about I-9 validation:

• "What if I have not yet received a Social Security number (SSN)?
  • An SSN is not required for Form I-9. It is required if your employer uses E-Verify, but E-Verify allows you to work while you wait for an SSN." 

References for employers regarding starting employment before an SSN is received:

• The SSA’s Employer Responsibilities When Hiring Foreign Workers states: “There is no provision in the Social Security Act (the Act) that employers must have their employees' SSNs before hiring them. Neither is there any provision in the Act that prohibits an employee from beginning work if he or she has not yet obtained an SSN."
  
  
• IRS guidance "Delays in Issuing SSNs to Aliens by the Social Security Administration" states: "There is no federal law administered by any federal agency which prohibits the hiring of a person based solely on the fact that the person does not have a Social Security Number (SSN). Similarly, there is no federal law which prohibits the making of a payment to a person based solely on the fact that the person does not have an SSN."

Instructions for paperwork filing requirements for employees who have applied for but not yet received an SSN:

The IRS's "Employer's Tax Guide" states: "If you file Form W-2 on paper and your employee applied for an SSN but does not have one when you must file Form W-2, enter "Applied For" on the form. If you are filing electronically, enter all zeros (000-00-000) in the social security number field. When the employee receives the SSN, file Copy A of Form W-2c, Corrected Wage and Tax Statement, with the SSA to show the employee's SSN. Furnish copies B, C, and 2 of Form W-2c to the employee. Up to five Forms W-2c for each Form W-3c may now be filed per session over the Internet, with no limit on the number of sessions. For more information, visit the SSA's Employer W-2 Filing Instructions & Information webpage at www.socialsecurity.gov/employer. Advise your employee to correct the SSN on his or her original Form W-2. Page 9, Publication 15, Circular E: Employer's Tax Guide".