Social Security is a very important requirement for residency in the United States. This document allows people to carry out various procedures and formalities that are vitally important for citizens, so obtaining one is seen as a fundamental aspect of life in America. In fact, all US residents can apply for a Social Security number; even some non-citizens can apply for a number if they work or attend school, or if they have a valid non-work reason.
Therefore, a Social Security number is a 9-digit document that is unique and non-transferable to each person. Original documents or copies certified by the agency that issued them must be presented, as the SSA cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies of the documents, and all documents must be valid. Also, according to the legislation, the Administration cannot accept a receipt as proof that the document has been requested. Therefore, some of the procedures that can be carried out with the presentation of this document are the following:
- File taxes
- Start a job
- Open a bank account
- Apply for a loan
- Obtain a passport
- Claim government benefits
Documentation for an adult in the USA
According to the institutions in charge of managing these matters, an adult person who was born in the United States, in order to obtain an original Social Security card, in addition to meeting the requirements established by the Administration, must present a series of original documents for their request to be accepted for processing.
- Citizenship
We can only accept certain documents as proof of your U.S. citizenship. These include a U.S. birth certificate or a U.S. passport.
- Age
You must present your birth certificate, if it exists. On the other hand, if it does not exist, we can consider other documents:
- Religious record issued before the age of 5 showing your date of birth;
- Medical record from a US hospital; or
- A US passport.
Anyone aged 12 or over who applies for an original Social Security number for the first time must be interviewed by Social Security. We will ask you for evidence that you do not have a Social Security number. Here are some examples of documents you can use to prove that you were never assigned a Social Security number:
- If you lived outside the US for an extended period, you could use a current or previous passport, school and/or employment records, and any other records showing long-term residence outside the US could be used to prove that you do not have a Social Security number.
- If you have lived in the US and are applying for an original Social Security number for the first time, we may ask you for information about the schools you attended or ask you to provide copies of tax return records showing that you were never assigned a Social Security number.
- Identity
We can only accept certain documents as proof of your identity. The documents we accept must be valid and show your name, identifying information (date of birth or age) and preferably a recent photograph.
- a US driver’s license;
- a state identification card that is not a driver’s license; or
- a US passport.
If you do not have any of the documents mentioned above, or cannot obtain a replacement for any of them within 10 days, we will ask to see other documents. All documents presented, including the following, must be valid (not expired) and show your name, which identifies you (date of birth or age) and preferably a recent photograph:
- employee identification;
- school identification;
- Health insurance (you cannot use a Medicare card); or
- US military identification.
