Newly arrived international students and scholars in F-1 or J-1 visa status being paid by the university (e.g. compensation, taxable scholarship, fellowship, prize or award) are advised to apply for a SSN soon as possible. The processing takes 3-4 weeks but you should only need to do it once. Be sure to report your SSN to your school registrar if you are a student, or to the Employee Service Center (221 Whitney Avenue) if you are an employee. Please do so in person - do not email your SSN or give it over the phone. A Social Security Number (SSN) is used by employers and employees for the purpose of reporting individual employee earnings for tax purposes. The SSN is valid for life, so you only need to apply once. The temporary number assigned by Yale to new international students and scholars (e.g., 900-00-0000) is NOT an SSN. An SSN is also often used for a variety of unofficial purposes, such as opening phone, utility, or bank/credit card accounts, however you can do all those transactions without an SSN. If you are eligible for a SSN, here are instructions for how to apply. Please note application of the SSN is a personal application made to the U.S. Social Security Administration directly by the applicant. The International Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and is for international students and scholars who are not eligible for an SSN. If you are not eligible for SSN (see criteria in previous section), but need to file a 1040NR tax return (you do not need an SSN or ITIN if you will only file Form 8843) then you need to obtain an ITIN (Individual Tax Identification Number). If you are currently: you may submit an ITIN application request via OISS Connect. You will need either an SSN or an ITIN to file your U.S. tax return(s). Once you receive your SSN:Applying for a Social Security Number or ITIN
Social Security Number
Who is Eligible for a SSN?
Applying for a SSN
International Taxpayer Identification Number
Applying for an ITIN
Filing Your Tax Returns
Applying for a Social Security Number or ITIN
Important Note:
OISS cannot process ITIN applications for dependents (F-2 or J-2). Dependents should plan to apply for ITIN in person (when services are available) at the local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center.
Important Note:
Do not write your SSN in the body of an email or text message or send a copy of the SSN card. Read more about identity theft.