A Social Security number (SSN) is a six-digit lifetime number assigned by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to those who are authorized to work in the United States. Social Security numbers are used by employers to report employee wages to the US government. Therefore, participants are required to have one.

Within the first three weeks of a participant’s arrival, they must apply for their Social Security card. Many offices open at 9:00AM and accept walk-in appointments, but we encourage participants to verify this information with their local office. Participants can find their nearest Social Security Administration office through their website by using their locator tool. In order to apply, participants will need to bring the following documents to the Social Security Administration office: original passport, original DS 2019 form, printed copy of I-94 Number, and a completed Social Security application form. This form can be downloaded online or picked up at the SSA office. In this blog, we will take participants through the steps of completing the application form so the appointment will be quick and efficient! 

Participants, please follow the guide below when filling out your Social Security application. Please note that sections two, twelve, and thirteen should only be completed if you are applying for a replacement card. If this is your first time applying, do not answer these questions.

 1. In the first section of the application, please complete your name, as printed on your passport.

2. In the second section, only complete the Social Security number if you have been previously assigned a Social Security number and are applying for a replacement card. 

3. In the third section, write the city and country you were born in. This information is in your passport.

4. In the fourth section, write your date of birth. Please remember that in the United State, the format is MM/DD/YYYY.

5. In the fifth section, check that you are a legal alien allowed to work.

6. In the sixth section, you can mark your ethnicity, but you are not required to.

7. In the seventh section, you can mark your race, but you are not required to.

8. In the eighth section, mark your sex as listed on your passport.

9. In the ninth section, write your mother’s name – her first name, middle name, and her last name at birth (her maiden name).

10. In the tenth section, write your father’s name – his first name, middle name, and last name.

11. In the eleventh section, choose whether or not you’ve applied for a Social Security card. If this is your first time, you will select “no”. If you are applying for a replacement card, you will select “yes”.

12. In twelfth section, you must write your name as it appeared on your previous Social Security card. This section is only for people who are applying for a replacement card.

13. In the thirteenth section, write your date of birth if it’s changed since you applied for your first Social Security card. This section is only for people who are applying for a replacement card.

14. In the fourteenth section, write the date you are applying for the card. Please remember that in the United State, the format is MM/DD/YYYY.

15. In the fifteenth section, please write your USA cell phone number.

16. In the sixteenth section, you will need to write the mailing address of where the Social Security card needs to be mailed to. It takes approximately two weeks to receive the card, so choose the address of where you will be living at that time. Confirm your mailing address with your landlord to ensure it is correct. If the mailing address is not correct, you will not receive the card, and you will need to reapply. 

17. In the seventeenth section, please sign the application.

18. In the eighteenth section, please check “self” since you are completing the application yourself.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your WWCE coordinator!