Obtaining a Social Security Number

In order to work legally in the United States, you must apply for a Social Security Number as soon as possible after entering the country. This number is used by the government to track tax payments, and is a crucial form of identification. U.S. citizens are issued a Social Security number at birth!

Often, you can apply for a Social Security Card at your post-arrival orientation. Otherwise, you should find the the nearest Social Security Office by calling toll-free 1-800-772-1213 or by visiting the social security web site (http://www.ssa.gov).

When applying for a Social Security Number, you will need to provide an address so that the Social Security card can be mailed to you. If you do not have an address when you arrive in the U.S., then you should use the CIEE Office Address for this purpose.

CIEE
300 Fore Street
Portland, ME 04101
Tel: 1-888-268-6245
Fax: 207-553-5000

This should be a last resort, and will take much longer for your card to finally reach you. Please let CIEE know when you have a home address, and we will forward the card to you.