F-1 and J-1 students

Students are only eligible to apply for a Social Security card/number if they have been offered a job (see Steps below). This card is issued by a government agency in the US, the Social Security Administration, only to those students who will be working. For this reason, when applying at the Social Security Office in Lubbock, students need to have proof that they have been offered employment by a TTU department. In addition to this letter, students must have a letter from the international student counselor at TTU confirming that they are maintaining their status as non-immigrant students.

NOTE: You can only apply for a Social Security card/number at the Social Security office ten days after you enter the US.  Going to the Social Security office before then will likely delay the application process. Your international student counselor will issue you a social security letter 7 days after you do your online immigration check in (see instructions below and the list of documentation you will need to apply at the Social Security office ) .

J-1 Scholars and H-1B Workers

Unlike F-1 and J-1 students, J-1 scholars and H-1B Workers are not required to have letters from their employer and ISSS in order to apply for a social security number. 10 days after arriving in the US and checking in with your scholar counselor at ISSS, J-1 scholars and H-1B Workers can bring the following documents to the Social Security Office in Lubbock to apply for their Social Security Numbers 

• Passport
• Copy of your I-94 card (print out a copy of your record from the Department of Homeland Security Website
• DS2019 (J-1 Scholars) or  I-797 Approval Notice (H-1B Workers)
• Your TTU employment offer letter.  
  • If you are a J-1 scholar that is not paid by TTU (external or personal funding), you will need a letter from your hosting TTU department that describes the circumstances of your work at TTU.