USCIS Streamlines Process of Obtaining Work Authorization and Social Security Number

USCIS recently updated Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, to allow foreign workers to apply for an employment authorization document (EAD) and Social Security number (SSN) on the same form. You can view the updated Form I-765 here.

Form I-765 now includes additional questions that allow the applicant to apply for a Social Security number or replacement card without visiting the Social Security office in-person. The new process is the result of an information-sharing partnership between the Social Security Administration (SSA) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS will now transmit the applicant’s additional data to the SSA for processing.

The change is intended to help foreign workers in certain classifications and categories enter the labor force more quickly since some immigrants are legally required to have both an SSN and EAD to work. The SSN is used by the government to track employee wages and determine whether a person is eligible for certain benefits, and the EAD tells the employer that a person is authorized to work for a specific timeframe.

Before the update, those immigrants had to submit Form I-765 to USCIS and then visit their local Social Security office to apply for an SSN. The visit to the Social Security office is no longer necessary.

Thanks to the recent change, you should receive your Social Security card within two weeks of USCIS’ approval of your EAD. You can learn more about applying for an EAD by visiting the EAD page on the USCIS website. To learn more about getting a Social Security card, click here.

If you would like to live and work legally in the United States, contact my office to discuss your immigration goals. Call 973-453-2009 to schedule a free consultation with a New Jersey green card attorney at the Law Office of Eric M. Mark.