Social Security Number (SSN): What It Is and What It's For

The Social Security Number (SSN) is the nine-digit number (formatted XXX-XX-XXXX) the U.S. government uses to identify each person in the federal system. It is issued by the Social Security Administration (SSA), and for people coming from Brazil the easiest comparison is the CPF: it’s the number that shows up at work, on your taxes, at the bank and on your credit.

The difference is that here, not everyone can get one. That’s behind most of the questions we hear.

What is the SSN used for?

• Jobs and payroll: your employer uses the SSN to register you and report to the IRS what was paid and withheld. At the end of the year, it’s the number on your W-2.
• Income taxes: it’s how the IRS knows how much you earned and how much you owe or get back.
• Banking and credit: banks and lenders use the SSN to confirm your identity and pull your credit history when you open an account, apply for a card or finance a car.
• Benefits: retirement, disability and other Social Security benefits depend on the contributions recorded under your number.
• Everyday documents: your driver’s license and U.S. passport application also ask for your SSN — more on that below.

Who can get an SSN?

• U.S. citizens, including children of Brazilian parents born in the U.S. In most cases the number is requested at the hospital, along with the birth registration.
• Permanent residents (green card holders) and noncitizens with work authorization from the U.S. government.
• People without work authorization only get an SSN in narrow cases, when a law requires the number for a benefit. Otherwise, the path is usually an ITIN.

Many people don’t know this, but immigrant visa applicants, and people applying for work authorization or a green card with USCIS, can request an SSN on the immigration form itself, without visiting an SSA office.

What does the SSA ask for?

The application is Form SS-5, and it’s free. In general, the SSA needs to verify three things: identity, age, and immigration status (with work authorization). Three details trip up a lot of Brazilians:

• A valid passport. Noncitizens usually prove identity with their home-country passport — and it must be unexpired. An expired Brazilian passport won’t work. If yours is close to expiring, it’s worth renewing your Brazilian passport first.
• Documents in Portuguese. Age is proven with a birth certificate. A document that isn’t in English needs a translation; without one, the application can sit waiting for the SSA to arrange it. A certified translation of the certificate avoids that wait.
• Originals, not copies. The SSA only accepts originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted.

SSN, driver’s license and U.S. passport

Even after you have the number, the SSN keeps coming up:

• New Jersey driver’s license: the MVC asks for your SSN as part of the 6 Points of ID. People with neither an SSN nor an ITIN have an alternative the state itself provides — we explain how it works in Getting a NJ Driver’s License Without a Social Security Number. For the full application, see our NJ driver’s license service.
• U.S. passport: the State Department’s passport application asks for the applicant’s SSN, and not providing it may lead to the application being denied. This applies to children born in the U.S. too. See our U.S. passport service.

Why should you protect your SSN?

Just like the CPF in Brazil, the SSN is extremely sensitive. With it, criminals can open accounts in your name, apply for credit or commit fraud — it’s the gateway to identity theft.

Only share the number when it’s truly necessary, such as:

• formal employment;
• opening a bank account;
• applying for credit or financing;
• sending money, when required by financial regulations.

If someone asks for your SSN outside those situations, ask why they need it and whether another form of ID is accepted.

What if you don’t have an SSN?

If you’re not eligible for an SSN but need to file taxes, the path is an ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number), issued by the IRS for tax purposes only. It doesn’t replace the SSN for formal employment, but it keeps your tax situation in order and can even help you build credit in the U.S.. Learn more in What is the ITIN.

Where we come in

You apply for the SSN directly with the SSA, and it’s free. What we do, from our office in Newark, is handle what gets in the way before and after it:

• Brazilian passport renewal, so you have a valid document.
• Certified translation of your birth certificate and other Brazilian documents.
• NJ driver’s license, with or without an SSN.
• U.S. passport, including for children born here.

Questions about your case? Talk to us — we help in Portuguese, Spanish and English.

Related reading: What is the IRS · Tips for opening a bank account in the U.S.

Social Security Administration rules can change. The information above reflects what the SSA publishes as of this update and is not legal advice.