{"id":8905,"date":"2025-04-18T13:08:27","date_gmt":"2025-04-18T20:08:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.palomar.edu\/internationalstudents\/?page_id=8905"},"modified":"2026-01-28T12:05:53","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T20:05:53","slug":"social-security-number","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.palomar.edu\/internationalstudents\/social-security-number\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Security Number"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a Social Security Number? (SSN)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>SSN is a personal identification number assigned to U.S. citizens. <em>International students are not eligible for a social security number until they have a job.<\/em>You may be asked for your SSN in the United States to rent an apartment or get a cell phone or purchase car insurance.\u00a0 If you do not have a job, you will explain that you are an international student and you are not able to get a social security number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When can an international student apply for a social security number?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When offered an on-campus job<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When applying for working permission such as optional practical training or curricular practical training<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Request a verification letter from the International Office.\u00a0 On the request form, click the <em>Applying for Social Security Number (need proof of on campus job offer)<\/em> Reason: write down the department you will be working for, your work supervisor\u2019s name, and supervisor contact phone number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Complete an online application\u00a0\u2013 once you submit, you have 45 days to visit your local SSA Office to complete the application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/ssnumber\/\">Application<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Guide to filling out the online application:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\"><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>18 years of age \u2013 yes or no<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>US Citizen \u2013 No<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do you have a US mailing address\u00a0 &#8211; yes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Who are you applying for \u2013 yourself<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What do you need?\u00a0 &#8211; Get a social security number for the first time<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you submit your application, you will receive a pop up on the screen with a link for an appointment AND they send an e-mail with the link also.\u00a0 Schedule an appointment with the San Marcos Social Security Administration,\u00a0then go to in person to complete the process.\u00a0If you do not live in San Marcos (92078\/92069\/92096), please check for your local office\u00a0 at\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/secure.ssa.gov\/ICON\/main.jsp\">Social Security Office Locator<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Please bring the following items to your appointment:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Your official SEVIS I-20<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Passport and visa<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>I-94 printed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Letter from the International Office explaining your work permission<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\"><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>This information is outlined on their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/ssnumber\/ss5doc.htm\">website<\/a>. (click: Adult, Original, Nonresident)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Local Office &#8211; San Marcos SSA Office Address: 367 Via Vera Cruz, San Marcos, CA 92078<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you do not live in San Marcos (92078\/92069\/92096), please check for your local office at <a href=\"https:\/\/secure.ssa.gov\/ICON\/main.jsp\">Social Security Office Locator<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is a Social Security Number? (SSN) SSN is a personal identification number assigned to U.S. citizens. International students are not eligible for a social security number until they have&hellip; <a class=\"continue\" href=\"https:\/\/www.palomar.edu\/internationalstudents\/social-security-number\/\">Continue Reading<span> Social Security Number<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":430,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-8905","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P5tw2s-2jD","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.palomar.edu\/internationalstudents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.palomar.edu\/internationalstudents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.palomar.edu\/internationalstudents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.palomar.edu\/internationalstudents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/430"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.palomar.edu\/internationalstudents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8905"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.palomar.edu\/internationalstudents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8905\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10622,"href":"https:\/\/www.palomar.edu\/internationalstudents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8905\/revisions\/10622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.palomar.edu\/internationalstudents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}