Who Is Eligible for a Social Security Number?

Almost everyone who lives or works in the United States is eligible for a Social Security number. U.S. citizens and non-citizen nationals qualify automatically, lawful permanent residents qualify as part of their immigration status, and other non-citizens qualify if they have work authorization or a specific government-approved non-work reason. If none of those fit, the IRS issues an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number for tax-filing purposes instead.

U.S. Citizens and Non-Citizen Nationals

Federal law directs the Social Security Administration to assign numbers to citizens and non-citizen nationals, including children below school age at their parents’ request and all children at the time of their first school enrollment.¹ That covers anyone born in the 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and Swains Island. Naturalized citizens qualify once they complete the citizenship process.

Nothing in federal law forces you to get a number the moment a child is born, but the tax code makes it hard to skip. To claim the child tax credit, you have to include each qualifying child’s taxpayer identification number on your return.² Miss that, and you lose the credit for that child.

Newborns

The easiest path for a newborn is Enumeration at Birth. When you fill out the birth registration paperwork at the hospital, staff ask whether you also want to apply for a Social Security number. The hospital shares the information with the SSA, which mails the card to your home.³ The SSA recommends applying at birth because waiting means the agency has to verify a birth certificate after the fact.⁴

Children Born Abroad to a U.S. Citizen Parent

If your child was born in another country and at least one parent was a U.S. citizen at the time, you can apply for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad through a U.S. embassy or consulate. That document establishes the child’s citizenship and works as proof of citizenship for the Social Security application.⁵ It has to be filed before the child turns 18.⁶

Adults Applying for the First Time

If you’re 12 or older and have never had a Social Security number, you have to appear at a Social Security office for an in-person interview. This applies to U.S.-born adults, foreign-born citizens, and non-citizens alike.⁷ Most Americans get their number as infants, so an adult first-time application is unusual enough that the SSA verifies identity more carefully.

Lawful Permanent Residents and Non-Citizens With Work Authorization

Federal law requires the SSA to assign numbers to non-citizens at the time of their lawful admission for permanent residence or under any legal authority permitting them to work in the United States.¹ If you hold a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551, commonly called a Green Card), you’re eligible.⁸ The same is true for non-citizens on temporary work visas such as H-1B or L-1, whose eligibility lasts as long as their work authorization remains valid.

To get a number for work purposes, you need to submit a current Department of Homeland Security document showing your lawful admission and work authorization. Without it, no number is issued for work purposes. F-1 students who don’t have a separate employment authorization document also need documentation from their designated school official confirming work authorization.⁹

If you’re applying for an immigrant visa from outside the country, you can request the Social Security number at the same time by answering “Yes” to the SSN question on Form DS-260. The embassy sends your information to DHS, which forwards it to the SSA after you’re admitted. The card should arrive by mail within a few weeks of entry.¹⁰

Non-Citizens Without Work Authorization

You don’t need work authorization to get a Social Security number if you can show a valid non-work reason. Federal regulations limit that to two situations: you need the number to receive a federally funded benefit you’ve already qualified for, or you need it to satisfy a state or local law that requires the number for public assistance you’re entitled to.¹¹ Supplemental Security Income and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families are the most common examples.

The SSA wants documentation showing the number is genuinely needed. In practice, that means a letter from the benefit-granting agency confirming you meet all eligibility requirements except for the Social Security number. A lot of people assume that needing a number for a bank account or a driver’s license qualifies. It doesn’t. Those are private or state administrative needs, not the kind of government benefit requirement the regulation covers.

A number issued for non-work purposes comes with a card printed with the legend “NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT.” If wages ever get reported under that number, the SSA notifies the Department of Homeland Security.¹¹

If You’re Not Eligible: The ITIN Alternative

People who don’t qualify for a Social Security number but still have a U.S. federal tax obligation can apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number instead. The IRS issues ITINs to non-citizens (including resident aliens, nonresident aliens, and their spouses or dependents) who need to file a tax return or be claimed for a tax benefit but can’t get an SSN.¹²

To apply, you file IRS Form W-7 along with a federal tax return, unless you qualify for an exception. If the SSA already denied you a Social Security number, you attach that denial letter to your W-7.¹³ An ITIN is strictly a tax-filing number. It doesn’t authorize employment, doesn’t create eligibility for Social Security benefits, and can’t be used in place of an SSN for employment verification.

Confirming Eligibility Before You Apply

Every SSN application requires original documents (or copies certified by the issuing agency) proving three things: age, identity, and citizenship or immigration status. Photocopies and notarized copies aren’t accepted.⁷ U.S. citizens can prove citizenship with a birth certificate, U.S. passport, or Consular Report of Birth Abroad. Non-citizens must provide a current DHS document showing lawful admission and, for a work-purpose card, employment authorization.⁹

If your documents match one of the eligibility categories above, the application itself is free. Form SS-5 is available on the SSA website or at any local field office.¹⁴ Non-citizen applications go through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program; most checks return in seconds, though cases needing extra verification can take about 18 federal workdays as of March 2026.¹⁵ If you don’t fit any of the categories, the ITIN route is the appropriate next step for tax purposes only.

1
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 U.S. Code 405 – Evidence, Procedure, and Certification for Payments
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 24 – Child Tax Credit
3
Social Security Administration. State Processing Guidelines for Enumeration at Birth
4
Social Security Administration. How Long Does It Take to Get My Child’s Social Security Number
5
U.S. Department of State. Birth of U.S. Citizens and Non-Citizen Nationals Abroad
6
U.S. Embassy in the Republic of the Congo. Births and Eligibility for a Consular Report of Birth
7
Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. List A Documents That Establish Identity and Employment Authorization
9
eCFR. 20 CFR 422.107 – Evidence Requirements
10
Social Security Administration. What You Need to Do
11
Social Security Administration. Code of Federal Regulations 422.104 – Who Can Be Assigned a Social Security Number
12
Internal Revenue Service. Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
13
Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form W-7 – Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number
14
Social Security Administration. Application for Social Security Card – Form SS-5
15
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. SAVE Verification Response Time