Social Security Cards are issued by the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
The purpose of your Social Security Number (SSN) is for the government to track your earnings for income tax purposes.
You will be able to apply for the SSN when you are first offered a job. This can be either an on-campus job or an off-campus internship – see Internships - Curricular Practical Training. Note: SSNs cannot be requested for unpaid internships or volunteer work or because you simply want one; only paid employment can get you a SSN.
Procedure
- When offered a job, you must get a written offer letter from your employer. It must include their wet signature, not a photocopy of a signed letter or one with a digital signature. The letter must contain specific information required by SSA. See Pomona College On-Campus Job Offer Letter [docx].
- If you are a Pomona College student, email a copy of that letter to the ISA, Kathy Guillén Quispe, who will provide you another letter verifying your F-1 status. You will also get instructions on completing the Social Security application form and what additional documents you must have.
- If you are not a Pomona College student but have a student job in one of the Pomona Departments, you should reach out to your school's international student office to as your international student advisor (ISA) for a letter of verification.
- You will need to schedule an appointment at the Social Security Administration (SSA) office to request your SSN. You can schedule an appointment on the SSA website here. You first need to complete the online form and then you will be prompted to scheudle an appointment,
- Please note, you will not be able to walk-in or request an SSN without an appointment scheduled so make sure to schedule this in advance. You do not need a job offer to schedule an appointment, but you will need all your documents when you go to your appointment.
- The documents to take to the SSN appointment include your job offer letter, letter from Kathy, your valid passport, your I-94, and your I-20 with a wet signature from Kathy.
- The closest SSA office is in Pomona, 2130 N Garey Ave, Pomona, CA 91767, about 3 miles from campus. Their phone number is 1-888-808-5486. However, with the appointment system in place sometimes this office may not have the soonest appointments. Instead you may need to search other SSA offices nearby. When you schedule your appointment you will be able to put in different zip codes so find other offices nearby. Nearby offices include but are not limited to:
- Glendora - 91740
- West Covina - 91790
- Ontario - 91761
- Brea - 92821
- El Monte - 91731
- At the end of your in-person application, they will provide you with a letter.
- The letter we hope you receive is a receipt confirming your application is complete. It takes about 10 days to 2 weeks from the in-person meeting to get your card in the mail.
- The other version of the letter states they need more time to review your SSN request. If you get this letter, then let Kathy know. Unfortunately, you will not be able to work with this letter so will need to wait until the review is cleared.
For on campus employment: when you receive your receipt confirming you applied for your SSN, take it to the Human Resources Office at Pomona College (Pendleton Building) so they can continue your employment process. When you receive your SSN card in the mail, take it to the Human Resources office to be placed on payroll.
If your first employment is an internship, you will need to first get your internship authorized by the ISA – I-20 with employment shown on page 2. See Internships – Curricular Practical Training. Then follow the steps above.
Miscellaneous Matters
- Once you are issued a U.S. Social Security number, it is your number for life.
- Put your card in a safe place. If you lose your card, you will have to be currently working in order to replace it.
- Keep your number private. Share it only with employers.
- Credit bureaus utilize your SSN to track your credit history. Theft of your SSN can make you vulnerable to identity theft.
- It is generally not considered a good idea to put your SSN in your phone.
- It is not illegal to laminate your card, but SSA prefers you do not because lamination obscures certain anti-identity theft, security features.