How did I get a Social Security Number in America?.
It has been a while since I applied for it (you generally keep the same number for your entire life), but I still remember it quite clearly.
The whole process has not changed much over the years.
To obtain an SSN, you must have work authorization in the USA. You cannot get one with a standard tourist or business visa, or through ESTA.
There is also an SSN variant marked “not valid for work”, but it is only issued in specific cases, and the exact rules may vary depending on the situation.
I also received this variant because I was in the USA on an E-2 visa (a work visa for investors who manage their own company).
All in all, it always depends on what status you have in the USA.
How my application process went
I applied for an SSN in Atlanta, Georgia. There were a lot of people at the Social Security office, and the atmosphere was exactly what you would expect—it was a typical government office, and no one wanted to be there. There were about 30–40 other people in the waiting room with me.
After about an hour, it was my turn, and I went to a window where a pleasant Vietnamese woman was sitting.
I handed her all the documents I had brought with me. She looked through them for about five minutes, typed something into the computer, and it was clear that she was not entirely sure what to do.
Then she told me that she had never dealt with this before and was not sure about the procedure, but that she would pass it on to her supervisors, who would finish handling it with me. I just had to go to another window.
So I went back to the waiting room.
A little while later, they called me again. At the next window were two Black men who were clearly familiar with the entire process. They completed the application with me, and after about ten minutes, they handed me a document stating that my application for a Social Security Number had been approved and that the card would be mailed to my address.
And that is exactly what happened—about a week later.
Considering how much work it had taken to obtain a status that made me eligible for an SSN in the first place, this was an absolute piece of cake :).
What I brought with me when applying
For completeness, when I applied, I had:
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my passport with my work visa
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a copy of my I-94 record (you can print it from the immigration authorities’ website)
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utility bills (electricity, internet), because I had to provide proof of address
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a completed SS-5 form
Practical tips if you are applying too
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Bring proof of address—without it, they may simply send you home
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Complete the SS-5 in advance to save time
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Expect to wait, especially in larger cities
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You do not need an agency or “intermediary”
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The card usually arrives within 1–2 weeks
Final thoughts on the entire process
Ultimately, the entire process of obtaining an SSN is surprisingly simple.
If you have already sorted out your status and work authorization, it is more a matter of time and patience than anything complicated.
Paradoxically, the hardest part of the entire process is reaching the point where you are eligible for an SSN in the first place.
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PS: This is what an SSN card looks like.
I removed the sensitive information from the photos, as you can probably understand :)
With an SSN, you can also obtain an ID card or a U.S. driver’s license.
