Only non-citizens who have permission to work from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can apply for a Social Security number.

Here are the original documents you need to prove your U.S. immigration status:

1. Form I-551 (Lawful Permanent Resident Card, Machine Readable Immigrant Visa) with a valid foreign passport

2. I-766 (Employment Authorization Document, EAD, work permit)

3. I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record) or admission stamp in a valid passport

4. For F-1 or M-1 students, show I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status)

5. For J-1 or J-2 exchange visitors, show DS-2019 (Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status)

The application can be found in the following webpage: https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf

After completing the application, mail all legal documents and the application to the nearest Social Security office, which can be found at the following webpage: https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp