SSN card not here call 3 weeks after entry or 14 days after your green card or EAD
If your SSN card has not arrived, start with how you applied. If you requested an SSN on the DS-260 with your immigrant visa and the card has not arrived 3 weeks after entry, call SSA at 1-800-772-1213. If you requested it on the I-765 (EAD) or I-485 (green card) and the card has not arrived 14 days after you received your EAD or green card, contact SSA. On either route you do not need to line up at SSA first, and you should not apply again while you wait. If you changed your mailing address after entry or after filing, do not wait; contact SSA right away.
If you have to apply at an SSA office yourself, as with H-1B, L-1 or F-1, see the section near the end.
How long to wait for the SSN card by application route
| How you applied | Who | Where the card goes | Contact SSA if it has not arrived after |
|---|---|---|---|
| DS-260 (Enumeration at Entry) | Entered on an immigrant visa and checked the box on the DS-260 | The mailing address you gave CBP at entry | 3 weeks after entry |
| I-765 (Enumeration Beyond Entry) | Checked the box when applying for an EAD | The mailing address on your I-765 | 14 days after you receive the EAD |
| I-485 (Enumeration Beyond Entry) | Adjusting status inside the US and checked the box on the I-485 | The mailing address on your I-485 | 14 days after you receive the green card |
| Applying in person at SSA | H-1B, L-1, F-1 students with an on-campus job, and anyone who did not check the box on the form | The address you gave SSA when applying | Immigrants: about 2 weeks after SSA has everything; nonimmigrants: ask at the office |
Sources:POMS RM 10205.600 (DS-260), POMS RM 10205.700(I-765, I-485). Naturalization applications (N-400) use the same system but only for replacement cards, not new numbers.
DS-260 route call if nothing arrives 3 weeks after entry
The State Department passes the information from your DS-260 to CBP; after you enter, USCIS forwards it to SSA, and SSA assigns the number and mails the card to the mailing address you gave CBP at entry. You do not fill out an SS-5 or visit an SSA office (POMS RM 10205.600).
- When to call: the handout the State Department gives you with your visa says to call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 if you have not received your SSN card 3 weeks after arrival, or if you changed your mailing address after arrival. Keep the handout with you when you call.
- How SSA checks: first it confirms your identity. For this route, the primary identity documents are a machine-readable immigrant visa (MRIV) with temporary I-551 wording, or a green card. If SSA finds your application was processed less than 14 days ago, it will ask you to keep waiting; if it was processed more than 14 days ago, SSA will take a new application and ask for the full set of documents.
- Do not apply twice: SSA does not process a new application within 14 days of issuing a card, so do not file an SS-5 at SSA while you wait.
Your green card and SSN card are mailed separately. If the green card has not arrived, see Green card not here after 90 days check the Immigrant Fee and your address first.
I-765 and I-485 route 14 days after the EAD or green card
If you check the SSA section on the I-765 or I-485, USCIS sends your information to SSA after approval, SSA assigns the number automatically, and the card goes to the mailing address on your USCIS application (POMS RM 10205.700).
- How long: POMS says you should receive the SSN card 14 days after you receive your DHS document (EAD or green card). After 14 days, contact SSA.
- How SSA checks: if SSA finds the application was processed within the last 7 business days, it confirms your address and asks you to keep waiting; if it was processed more than 7 business days ago, or your address has changed, SSA will ask you to apply for a replacement card with documents.
- Different card wording: an SSN card issued through an EAD says “VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION”; a card issued through a green card has no such line.
- While you wait for the EAD: if you checked the box on the I-765, you do not need to apply separately for a non-work SSN. The USCIS receipt notice shows that you requested an SSN.
Application stuck go back within 365 days
If the form has errors, is missing information, or SSA’s system needs extra checks, the application is not processed automatically and stays pending. POMS says these applications are kept for up to 365 days, and you must bring documents to an SSA office or Social Security Card Center to complete them; on the DS-260 route, a record still unresolved after 365 days is dropped (RM 10205.600, RM 10205.700).
If your name is written differently on your passport and visa, SSA searches for your record under each version. Bring every document when you go to SSA.
If your address changed
- DS-260 route: if you changed your mailing address after arrival, call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 (the instruction on the State Department handout).
- I-765 and I-485 route: if SSA finds your address has changed, it will ask you to apply for a replacement card.
- Tell USCIS too: telling SSA does not tell USCIS. Noncitizens must file AR-11 within 10 days of moving; see AR-11 report your move to USCIS within 10 days.
What to have ready before contacting SSA
- Original identity documents: on the DS-260 route, your passport with the immigrant visa (MRIV), or your green card; on the I-765 or I-485 route, your EAD or green card. POMS lists these as the primary proof of identity.
- The State Department handout: for the DS-260 route, the one you received with your visa.
- Questions asked by phone: name, date of birth, place of birth, parents’ names, mother’s maiden name and current address. If SSA cannot confirm your identity by phone, it will ask you to visit an office.
- A-Number: printed on your green card or EAD; SSA uses it to look up your record.
H-1B, L-1 and F-1 applying in person
Anyone not on the DS-260, I-765 or I-485 routes files an SS-5 at an SSA office or Social Security Card Center. For how H-1B and L-1 holders order the first month, see H-1B first month in the US fill out I-9 when you start work then apply for a Social Security number.
F-1 students need a job before applying. For on-campus work, bring a letter from the school’s international student office (DSO) plus a recent pay slip or employer letter, or one employer letter signed off by the DSO (POMS RM 10211.245). With only F-1 status and an I-20, SSA will not assign a number.
For immigrants who did not check the box on the DS-260 and apply at an SSA office instead, the State Department handout says the card arrives about 2 weeks after SSA has everything it needs, and longer if documents must be verified (POMS RM 10205.600). For nonimmigrants such as H-1B, L-1 and F-1, POMS gives no separate time frame; when you apply, ask the clerk how long the card should take and write it down.
What you can do before the SSN card arrives
- Form I-9 at work: you do not always need an SSN card for I-9. An EAD is List A, and a passport with an immigrant visa carrying a temporary I-551 stamp is also List A; either one alone is enough. The SSN card is List C (USCIS I-9 acceptable documents).
- Opening a bank account: whether you need an SSN depends on the bank; for the order of steps, see SSN first or bank account first.
Frequently asked questions
I checked SSN on the DS-260. How long until the card arrives?
The State Department handout and the SSA manual both use 3 weeks after entry. If it has not arrived by then, call SSA at 1-800-772-1213.
I checked SSN on the I-765. The EAD came but the SSN card did not?
The SSA manual says it should arrive within 14 days after you receive the EAD. After 14 days, contact SSA.
Can I just apply again at SSA instead of waiting?
Not a good idea. SSA does not process a new application within 14 days of issuing a card. Call first and ask about the status.
I moved. Will the SSN card be forwarded to my new address?
Do not wait for forwarding. On the DS-260 route, call SSA; on the I-765 or I-485 route, SSA will ask you to apply for a replacement. Separately, file AR-11 with USCIS.
Can I work without an SSN card?
You can complete I-9 first. An EAD, or an immigrant visa with a temporary I-551 stamp, is List A and does not require an SSN card.
Fitting the SSN into your first month
Applying for an SSN is the first of the 30 free items in the My USA Plan checklist : the first 30 items are free, and the full 91 items cost US$9.90 once, not a subscription. For the order of SSN, bank, proof of address and driver’s license, see the order of 5 things after arriving in the US; for deadlines, see deadline table for new immigrants.
Sources and dates checked
All checked on 2026-10-26. The time frames in this article come from SSA’s operations manual, POMS (Program Operations Manual System); SSA’s general web pages return 403 to automated access and differ from page to page, so they were not used. This article is not legal or immigration advice.
- SSA POMS RM 10205.600 Enumeration-at-Entry (effective 2024-12-06, includes the full State Department handout):https://secure.ssa.gov/POMS.nsf/lnx/0110205600
- SSA POMS RM 10205.700 Enumeration-Beyond-Entry (effective 2024-10-10):https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110205700
- SSA POMS RM 10211.245 evidence of F-1 on-campus employment:https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110211245
- USCIS I-9 acceptable documents:https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents
- USCIS AR-11: https://www.uscis.gov/ar-11