Social Security

To apply for a Social Security Number, go to www.ssa.gov/number-card to start the process online.  After you have completed the online application, you then may request an appointment to visit the local Social Security office. You must present your original documents to the Social Security office within 45 days of completing the online application. 

IMPORTANT: If you are located in New Brunswick, please use the following information to apply for your SSN

Step 1) Students prepare their SSN application packet. 

A complete packet must include:

See below and here for more information.

- Original valid passport with F/J/H-1B visa stamp inside

- Printed I-94 record

- For F-1 Students, original I-20 document (both current and previous)
- For J-1 Exchange Visitors, most recent DS-2019
- For H-1B Employees, the I-797 approval notice

- (F-1/ J-1 students only) Social Security Letter, signed by the student’s Designated School Official (DSO/ARO), obtained from the RGlobal Portal (you will need the SS letter even if you are applying based on OPT or CPT)

- Proof of employment:

- If on-campus, F-1 students submit the On-campus Verification Letter and J-1 students  Employment Verification Form for J-1 Students (completed by your on-campus employer) with an original, wet PEN ink signature from your hiring manager. This means bring the original document that was signed with a pen - not a scanned copy. Digital signatures are NOT accepted. 

- If off-campus, job offer letter (e.g. OPT/CPT/AT offer letter) from employer with an original, wet signature from your hiring manager and I-20/DS-2019 that shows CPT/OPT/AT recommendation on it. J-1 students on Academic Training will also need their AT letter signed by their ARO.

- For J-1 scholars and H-1B employees, an appointment letter from your academic department

Step 2) Ensure the SEVIS record has been activated, then complete the online SSN application and visit the SSA office within 45 days with the required documents. Effective January 6, 2025, all Social Security Administration offices will require customers to schedule an appointment for service in our field offices, including requests for Social Security Numbers. Students are advised to book their appointments through the online system and bring their application reference number with them to their scheduled appointment at the New Brunswick SSA office: 

Social Security Administration
550 Jersey Ave, Suite 200
New Brunswick NJ 08901

Step 3) An SSA staff member will review the SSN application packet and, if everything is in order, will provide a receipt notice for the application. The applicant should receive their SSN card in the mail within 7-14 days.

SSN denial letters are sometimes needed. However, please note the NJ MVC no longer accepts them.

If you need a denial letter, please complete the SSN application and mail it to the SSA. There is no need to submit any additional documentation like the I-20 or I-94 if applying for the denial letter. Please mail the application to:

Social Security Administration
ATTN: Mrs. Diouf
550 Jersey Ave, Suite 200
New Brunswick NJ 08901

You will receive the denial letter in the mail.

PLEASE NOTE: Students should NOT have an SSN and an ITIN at the same time. This can cause confusion in the IRS system. You will need to rescind your ITIN later on if you have the need to instead obtain an SSN.

From the IRS website: 

An ITIN, or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, is a tax processing number only available for certain nonresident and resident aliens, their spouses, and dependents who cannot get a Social Security Number (SSN). It is a 9-digit number, beginning with the number "9", formatted like an SSN (NNN-NN-NNNN).

You can use the IRS’s Interactive Tax Assistant tool to help determine if you should file an application to receive an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).To obtain an ITIN, you must complete IRS Form W-7, IRS Application for Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. The Form W-7 requires documentation substantiating foreign/alien status and true identity for each individual. You may either mail the documentation, along with the Form W-7, to the address shown in the Form W-7 Instructions, present it at IRS walk-in offices, or process your application through an Acceptance Agent authorized by the IRS. It usually takes about 7 weeks to get an ITIN.

Acceptance Agents are entities (colleges, financial institutions, accounting firms, etc.) who are authorized by the IRS to assist applicants in obtaining ITINs. They review the applicant's documentation and forward the completed Form W-7 to the IRS for processing.

NOTE: You cannot claim the earned income credit using an ITIN.

Foreign persons who are individuals should apply for a social security number (SSN, if permitted) on Form SS-5 with the Social Security Administration, or should apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) on Form W-7. Effective immediately, each ITIN applicant must now:

• Apply using the revised Form W-7, Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number; and
• Attach a federal income tax return to the Form W-7.

Applicants who meet one of the exceptions to the requirement to file a tax return (see the Instructions for Form W-7) must provide documentation to support the exception.

From the IRS website:

"Once you receive a SSN, you must use that number for tax purposes and discontinue using your ITIN.  It is improper to use both the ITIN and the SSN assigned to the same person to file tax returns.  It is your responsibility to notify the IRS so we can combine all of your tax records under one identification number.  If you do not notify the IRS when you are assigned a SSN, you may not receive credit for all wages paid and taxes withheld which could reduce the amount of any refund due."

To notify the IRS, follow the instructions here

For more detailed information on ITINs, refer to:

• ITIN FAQs in English
• Obtaining an ITIN from Abroad
• Publication 1915, Understanding Your Individual Taxpayer Identification Number PDF

Please note: Some of the following resources are external links, outside Rutgers.
Apply for a replacement or correction of the SSN card
FAQs for SSN
International Students and Social Security Numbers
Study in the States
Rutgers Global tax webpage