SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has many responsibilities, among them processing applications for Social Security Numbers (SSN) from our international students and scholars who are eligible to apply. If you are an international student or scholar at Harvard you are not eligible for an SSN unless you intend to engage in employment at Harvard. You will need to present evidence of work authorization to an official at the SSA to apply for an SSN and the evidence you submit will depend upon your visa status (see below).
What to take to apply for a Social Security Number:
If you are an F-1 visa holder with on-campus employment, you must first obtain a job offer letter from your on-campus employer (See the HIO web site for a sample employer letter.). Take the job offer letter to the HIO in order to get the HIO work authorization letter. Take your passport, your Form I-20 and Form I-94, along with the two letters mentioned above to one of the Social Security Administration Offices listed below. F-1 student visa holders are not eligible for Social Security Numbers unless they provide proof of employment at the time of their applications.
If you are an F-1 visa holder on OPT or CPT, take your passport, your latest Form I-20, your Form I-94, and your EAD (for OPT only) to one of the Social Security Administration Offices listed below.
If you are a J-l student under Harvard’s J-l program sponsorship: take your passport, Form DS-2019, your Form I-94, a letter confirming your enrollment from the Registrar’s Office at your school, and a letter from the HIO indicating that you have work authorization to one of the Social Security Administration offices listed below. If your J-1 visa is not sponsored by Harvard, please get the work authorization from your J program sponsor and follow the above instructions.
If you are a J-l scholar, an H-1B scholar or an O-1 scholar, take your passport, your Form DS-2019 or your Form I-797 (for H-1B and O-1 visa holders), and your Form I-94 to one of the Social Security Administration offices listed below.
When to apply: You must have been in the United States for at least ten days. This waiting period assures that your record will have been updated in the Government’s database. In addition, you cannot apply before the effective date of your visa document (I-20 or DS-2019).
Additional Information: At the Social Security Administration office, you must complete the SSN application form. You will receive notification of your Social Security Number in the mail. The process usually takes four to eight weeks. If you have not heard within this time period, please contact the HIO. For more information, check the website: http://www.ssa.gov or call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213. Once you have obtained a U.S. Social Security Number, it is not necessary to apply for a new one if the employment changes. If you lose your SSN Card and need to apply for a replacement card, you must prove that you are employed in the United States at the time of your application.
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