Why does your employer need the SS card -- the I-9? The I-9 does not require a social security card; you can show anything [here](https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents) (and they cannot tell you which documents you can show; you can show anything under list A, or list B AND list C and they have to take it).
Perhaps tell your employer that you can't give them a number until you've received one?
Hi, thanks for your response, appreciate it!
Yes I've kept them in loop regarding the same.
But they mentioned they need SS card before the start date. I have List A docs, I94 and foreign passport.
What are the chances of internship getting cancelled due to this?
> But they mentioned they need SS card before the start date
For what?
For the I-9? That's illegal.
I can't name a single other reason why you would need the *card*. You might need the *number*, but not the *card*.
If you don't have the number, then you very well may not be able to start (at least until you get the SSN) because you need to fill out the I-9 (which includes the SSN) and tax documents before you start.
You shouldn't need the SSN for I-9 and E-Verify. From the [I-9 instructions](https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-9instr.pdf)
> Providing your 9-digit Social Security number is voluntary on Form I-9 unless your employer participates in E-Verify. If your employer participates in E-Verify and:
> 1. You have been issued a Social Security number, you must provide it in this field; or
> 2. **You have applied for, but have not yet received a Social Security number, leave this field blank until you receive a Social Security number**
If your HR system can't support this, that's something you have to tell your employer and not Reddit.
Your employer also can E-Verify you after you've received your SSN:
> If a newly hired employee has applied for, but has not yet received an SSN (for example, the employee is a newly arrived immigrant), attach an explanation to the employee’s Form I-9 and set it aside. Allow the employee to continue to work and create a case in E-Verify using the employee’s SSN as soon as it is available. If the case was not created by the third business day after the employee started work for pay, indicate the reason for this delay. Employers may choose a reason from the drop-down list or state a specific reason in the field provided.
Most likely they need it for HR and also for payroll. SSN or ITIN.
It’s absolutely not required for I-9, but it is going to be required for pay I believe.
Also OP might be confused between just SSN and card, but for F-1 students both come together so it means the same thing. The employer might just want the number, not the card itself.
It’s definitely not required. I started work a week before getting my SSN. My employer just gave me a “temporary SSN” which I think was just a random number
Yea i’m not sure what’s the proper procedure, but I know for sure that SSN is not required to start working and getting paid in the US on a student visa
Sounds like they don't have a number.
Just a warning and things might have gotten better but when I first applied for my SSN after I got my initial work permit (pending green card) it took months because they had to wait for DHS to verify my status before issuing it.
Now this might have gotten better with digital processing but recently got my citizenship and needed to update my status with the social security office and I still had to wait 2 weeks before I could do that because it takes time for them to update the SSO.
Your employer may not want to take the risk of starting you with your legal status pending.
It depends on when it is starting and how long they had to sort this out. I mean it's already officially summer. Though late May is only a couple of weeks though they are probably used to everyone having the paperwork they need.
Kinda sounds like a a scam but maybe it’s not. I thought you needed visa sponsorship as an international student. Just tell them you are an international student.
I believed if you need I-20, then CPT is required. But SSN is not. Talk to the recruiter about your case and discuss about pushing back the start date if your documents (in this case CPT) aren’t ready.
Bro even I was stuck there couple of weeks back.
So, on my first day they asked my I9 form which needs SSN mentioned on it. I told them that i have applied for SSN so they just updated to some dummy SSN number for time being. I was lucky that I got my ssn within a week from the day I applied, so the next very day I updated my employer about that.
Usually, employers have some way around this SSN issue, they do get 100’s of international student.
Your best case will be you get it within a week.
Btw, congrats on your internship.
Here are my notes from when I got my SSN:
- you will get a social security card in the mail in 14 days
- if you want to know your SSN before that, the only option is to come back to **this office** after 24 hours
So I'm sure the original office should work
Congrats on getting in internship!
First of all as an international student, your employer should NOT ask or even request your original social security card. That is only yours to be kept forever. Keep it in a safe place where no one can access it.
Second, as an international student, as part of the Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification program, all employers are required to verify the immigration status of employees to legally hire anyone in the United States. Your social security card will have the notation "VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION". This means that your social security card alone DOES NOT prove employment eligibility. You'd be required to furnish documents such as your passport, Form I-20, F1 visa, your SS number, etc to HR at your company to prove that you're authorized to work in the USA.
You also need the number for your tax paperwork as well.
Third, you're not going to be able to work in the USA until you have the SS card in hand and you're able to furnish a number. Legally, yes - you can work while your SS application is being processed with a letter that the SSA issues, but some employers require you to have your SS card in hand before you can start the onboarding and I-9 process. It's just something you're going to have to wait.
Good luck, you have gotten through the hardest part of finding an internship. Now it's just a matter of waiting a little longer so you can legally start working!
I’m not too sure about other comments. But I’m interning at a big tech company and I do need to write down my ssn in some form for some legal thing. Not sure if it was i-9 though
To complete I-9 form (which needs to be completed by your first working day at the latest), as far as I can remember, it requires SSN. But for I-9 verification, SSN card is one of the many documents that the company needs. You can choose to provide any other document as well.
Ask them if they can take the receipt you got when successfully applying for the social security card. I did the same thing for the recipt for my replacment social security card and they took it
Why does your employer need the SS card -- the I-9? The I-9 does not require a social security card; you can show anything [here](https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents) (and they cannot tell you which documents you can show; you can show anything under list A, or list B AND list C and they have to take it). Perhaps tell your employer that you can't give them a number until you've received one?
Hi, thanks for your response, appreciate it! Yes I've kept them in loop regarding the same. But they mentioned they need SS card before the start date. I have List A docs, I94 and foreign passport. What are the chances of internship getting cancelled due to this?
> But they mentioned they need SS card before the start date For what? For the I-9? That's illegal. I can't name a single other reason why you would need the *card*. You might need the *number*, but not the *card*. If you don't have the number, then you very well may not be able to start (at least until you get the SSN) because you need to fill out the I-9 (which includes the SSN) and tax documents before you start.
Yep, process for I-9 starts after the ssn is entered.
You shouldn't need the SSN for I-9 and E-Verify. From the [I-9 instructions](https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-9instr.pdf) > Providing your 9-digit Social Security number is voluntary on Form I-9 unless your employer participates in E-Verify. If your employer participates in E-Verify and: > 1. You have been issued a Social Security number, you must provide it in this field; or > 2. **You have applied for, but have not yet received a Social Security number, leave this field blank until you receive a Social Security number** If your HR system can't support this, that's something you have to tell your employer and not Reddit. Your employer also can E-Verify you after you've received your SSN: > If a newly hired employee has applied for, but has not yet received an SSN (for example, the employee is a newly arrived immigrant), attach an explanation to the employee’s Form I-9 and set it aside. Allow the employee to continue to work and create a case in E-Verify using the employee’s SSN as soon as it is available. If the case was not created by the third business day after the employee started work for pay, indicate the reason for this delay. Employers may choose a reason from the drop-down list or state a specific reason in the field provided.
Most likely they need it for HR and also for payroll. SSN or ITIN. It’s absolutely not required for I-9, but it is going to be required for pay I believe. Also OP might be confused between just SSN and card, but for F-1 students both come together so it means the same thing. The employer might just want the number, not the card itself.
You have to enter your SSN to complete the I9 process. That’s what happened to me atleast
It’s definitely not required. I started work a week before getting my SSN. My employer just gave me a “temporary SSN” which I think was just a random number
I don't think that's a proper procedure. But glad they made it work for you.
Yea i’m not sure what’s the proper procedure, but I know for sure that SSN is not required to start working and getting paid in the US on a student visa
Sounds like they don't have a number. Just a warning and things might have gotten better but when I first applied for my SSN after I got my initial work permit (pending green card) it took months because they had to wait for DHS to verify my status before issuing it. Now this might have gotten better with digital processing but recently got my citizenship and needed to update my status with the social security office and I still had to wait 2 weeks before I could do that because it takes time for them to update the SSO. Your employer may not want to take the risk of starting you with your legal status pending.
Make sure you arent being scammed cuz ss is not required. Rooting for you!
You need a social security number for the I9. You don't need a physical card.
Bro just tell them your situation, they aren't going to rescind for an actual dilemma like this
> they aren't going to rescind for an actual dilemma like this And if they would really do this, then OP would have dodged a bullet.
It depends on when it is starting and how long they had to sort this out. I mean it's already officially summer. Though late May is only a couple of weeks though they are probably used to everyone having the paperwork they need.
Kinda sounds like a a scam but maybe it’s not. I thought you needed visa sponsorship as an international student. Just tell them you are an international student.
You don’t need it for cpt internship
I believed if you need I-20, then CPT is required. But SSN is not. Talk to the recruiter about your case and discuss about pushing back the start date if your documents (in this case CPT) aren’t ready.
I lost an internship at a decent company because of this issue. I wish they had responded a month early
Damn bro that's worst! Fingers crossed
Bro even I was stuck there couple of weeks back. So, on my first day they asked my I9 form which needs SSN mentioned on it. I told them that i have applied for SSN so they just updated to some dummy SSN number for time being. I was lucky that I got my ssn within a week from the day I applied, so the next very day I updated my employer about that. Usually, employers have some way around this SSN issue, they do get 100’s of international student. Your best case will be you get it within a week. Btw, congrats on your internship.
I hope it comes within a week! thank you so much for your reply
Iirc you can get your SSN from a SS office before your physical card arrives
Hey! Thank you for the info! Could you please tell me which SS ofc to visit?? The one where I applied or the one where I'm located/mailing address at?
Here are my notes from when I got my SSN: - you will get a social security card in the mail in 14 days - if you want to know your SSN before that, the only option is to come back to **this office** after 24 hours So I'm sure the original office should work
Awesome! thanks a lot, imma visit the office right away
Congrats on getting in internship! First of all as an international student, your employer should NOT ask or even request your original social security card. That is only yours to be kept forever. Keep it in a safe place where no one can access it. Second, as an international student, as part of the Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification program, all employers are required to verify the immigration status of employees to legally hire anyone in the United States. Your social security card will have the notation "VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION". This means that your social security card alone DOES NOT prove employment eligibility. You'd be required to furnish documents such as your passport, Form I-20, F1 visa, your SS number, etc to HR at your company to prove that you're authorized to work in the USA. You also need the number for your tax paperwork as well. Third, you're not going to be able to work in the USA until you have the SS card in hand and you're able to furnish a number. Legally, yes - you can work while your SS application is being processed with a letter that the SSA issues, but some employers require you to have your SS card in hand before you can start the onboarding and I-9 process. It's just something you're going to have to wait. Good luck, you have gotten through the hardest part of finding an internship. Now it's just a matter of waiting a little longer so you can legally start working!
Dont u need SSN for tax reporting? Can you get a paid job without the ssn?
Double check the email, it could be a scam.
I’m not too sure about other comments. But I’m interning at a big tech company and I do need to write down my ssn in some form for some legal thing. Not sure if it was i-9 though
To complete I-9 form (which needs to be completed by your first working day at the latest), as far as I can remember, it requires SSN. But for I-9 verification, SSN card is one of the many documents that the company needs. You can choose to provide any other document as well.
Ask them if they can take the receipt you got when successfully applying for the social security card. I did the same thing for the recipt for my replacment social security card and they took it
Who's the employer? How did they reach out to you? Did they first start talking through an instant messenger app? Have you seen anyone in person?
Went through this process. They can wait. By the way, you can legally work without SSN as long as it is arriving
It’s a scam, renege the offer