Should I check the SSN box on the DS-260?

The community answer is almost unanimously yes: it is free and saves the SSA trip. Fears that the box "hurts the case" are not borne out in the chats.

Can I start work before the card arrives?

Work authorization comes from your status, not the card. Employers usually accept the status documents and take the number later. Ask HR - processes differ.

Does a child need an SSN?

Yes, it is useful - for tax credits, insurance and school. Immigrant children get it the same way: the DS-260 box or an SSA visit.

Your SSN after arrival: timing, the SSA office, EAD

Updated: September 9, 2026Author: Alina Kanametova

The SSN unlocks most of your first year: bank, credit history, license, work. How it arrives after an immigrant visa, what to do when it does not, and how to get it on an EAD. By member reports, 2025.

If you checked the box on the DS-260

With the "issue an SSN" box checked on the DS-260, the card arrives - by member reports - roughly ten days to three weeks after entry, separately from the green card. The most common delay is an address error recorded by the officer at the border: spell your address out at entry.

If the card never came

After four-six weeks of waiting, members go to the local SSA office in person with passport, visa and I-94 - the number often already exists, and a duplicate card fixes it on the spot. Offices and rules: ssa.gov.

An SSN via the EAD (work permit)

Form I-765 has its own SSN boxes - with them checked the card arrives, by reports, one-two weeks after the EAD approval in its own envelope. Without them - visit the SSA with the EAD card.

The card's restriction line and replacing it

A card issued on a work visa or EAD carries "valid for work only with DHS authorization" - that is normal. After the green card you swap it at the SSA for an unrestricted one; the number itself never changes.

Community takeaway

The community's hub advice: do not postpone the SSN - bank, credit card, license and payroll all stall without it. It is the first document to chase after entry.

The official sources for this topic

SSA: Social Security number and card

FAQ

Should I check the SSN box on the DS-260?: The community answer is almost unanimously yes: it is free and saves the SSA trip. Fears that the box "hurts the case" are not borne out in the chats.
Can I start work before the card arrives?: Work authorization comes from your status, not the card. Employers usually accept the status documents and take the number later. Ask HR - processes differ.
Does a child need an SSN?: Yes, it is useful - for tax credits, insurance and school. Immigrant children get it the same way: the DS-260 box or an SSA visit.