• An F-1 student who obtains employment authorization in the United States (U.S.) under the provisions of the F-1 regulations must apply for a Social Security Number (SSN) to report income and pay the required taxes to the U.S. government.
• The SSN is not required for other purposes, such as opening a bank account or renting an apartment off campus. To establish your identity, banks will ask for a taxpayer identification number, such as a SSN. In the absence of a SSN, you may provide a passport number. If you are asked for a SSN by a prospective landlord, cell phone company, or other private businesses, you may provide alternate evidence of your identity and records of your financial transactions.
• Do not apply for a SSN until you have fulfilled the initial reporting requirement at the 国际学生服务办公室 (OISS) to have your SEVIS record activated, and until you have obtained the necessary employment-authorization documents.

要多长时间才能拿到社会安全号？

This depends on how long it takes for the Social Security Administration (SSA) to verify your immigration documents before assigning a SSN. If the SSA receives immediate online verification from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), your SSN will arrive in about 2 weeks.

警告：不要成为身份盗窃的受害者。

Do not provide your SSN, credit card information, password, or other personal information through unverified, unsecured sites on the Internet or over the telephone. If someone has misused your SSN or other personal information to create credit or other problems for you, the SSA cannot resolve these problems. You should contact the 联邦贸易委员会 at or call 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338).

你还应该定期监控你的信用报告。 Free credit reports are available online at www.annualcreditreport.com.

更多信息：
www.ssa.gov