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 Applying for a Social Security Number

To apply for a Social Security number you must appear in person at a Social Security Administration Office.  A copy of the application form is attached but you may be asked to complete a different version of the application available only at the Social Security office.  Further general information about applying for a social security number may be found at the website of the Social Security Administration.

 You must present the following items:

●  Completed application form (attached)

●  Your valid passport (if your passport was issued less than a year ago, you will also need to present documentation that is at least one year old that includes your name and date of birth)

●  Your valid I-94 (small, white card stapled into your passport)

●  If in J-1 visa status, your DS-2019 

●  If in H-1B visa status, the I-797 Notice of Action indicating the approval of your H-1B petition (paper with grey and orange wavy lines and the Statute of Liberty torch in the middle) 

A letter confirming your offer of employment or authorization to work on campus incident to your visa status.  You should present your appointment letter from the Office of the Dean of the Faculty.  If you do not have it, request a copy through your department.

 Please note:  Ordinarily, dependents (J-2s and H-4s) will not be able to obtain Social Security numbers.  If a J-2 obtains Employment Authorization from the United States Citizenship and Immigration service (USCIS) (see handout on J-2 Employment Authorization), he/she may apply for a Social Security number by showing the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) issued by the USCIS.  For drivers license application purposes, J-2s and H-4s should request a letter from the Social Security Administration indicating they are not eligible for a social security number.  For tax purposes, J-2s and H-4s may apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  Information about ITINs is available on the IRS website.

The Social Security office is open Monday through Friday, 9 am to 4 pm.  It is located at:

                                                   635 South Clinton Avenue

                                                      (in the Roebling Market)

                           Trenton, New Jersey  08611

                  Entrance to the office is on Elmer Street

By train:

You can take the Dinky train from Princeton to Princeton Junction.  At Princeton Junction switch to the New Jersey Transit southbound/outbound train (New York to Trenton) to Trenton.  Get off at the Trenton Rail Station (second stop).  Exit the Trenton station following the signs for Clinton Avenue and then turn left across the (metal) bridge to go down South Clinton.  Walk along South Clinton Avenue for approximately 10 minutes.  At Elmer Street, turn right.  The Social Security Administration is just behind the “Beauty Mart” which is in the Roebling Market shopping center on Elmer Street. 

 If you don’t want to walk from the train station to the Social Security office, at the Trenton Rail Station you can take the Route 601 bus to the stop at Roebling and Chambers.  Look for Elmer Street.  The entrance to the office is on Elmer Street. 

Train fare to Trenton is $5.00 each way or $8.25 round trip, off peak.  Approximate time to Trenton is 30-35 minutes. 

By bus:

You can take the New Jersey Transit bus Route 606 to the Trenton Rail Station and either walk from there or transfer to the Route 601 bus at the Trenton Rail Station.  The Route 606 bus runs from the Princeton Shopping Center on North Harrison Street, along Nassau Street, then south on U.S. 206 to downtown Trenton.  To take the 606 to Trenton, wait at the Palmer Square kiosk.  The bus runs twice an hour between 8 am and 6 pm on weekdays, once per hour before and after that.  The schedule is posted on the kiosk but in general departures are at :25 and :55 in the middle of the day, Monday through Friday.  Tell the bus driver you need to transfer to the Route 601 bus.  You will need to get off at the Trenton Rail Station and either walk or take the Route 601 bus to the stop at Roebling and Chambers.  From the Trenton Rail Station, walk straight across the railway bridge along South Clinton Avenue for approximately 10 minutes.  At Elmer Street, turn right.  The Social Security Administration is just behind the “Beauty Mart” which is in the Roebling Market shopping center on Elmer Street. 

Bus fare to Trenton is $2.30 each way, exact amount required.  Approximate time to downtown Trenton is 35-40 minutes. 

By car:

Take Route 1 south past the Nassau Park and Quakerbridge Mall areas.  Get onto Route 1 south (highway, not business) toward Trenton.  Bear right onto Route 129 South.  From Route 129 South turn right onto South Broad Street.  Turn right onto Hamilton Street, then turn right onto South Clinton Avenue and then right onto Elmer Street.  You may park in the Shopping Center on the left.  The office is at the end of Elmer Street.      

Procedures in the office:

When you enter the office, you will need to take a number at the front desk and wait for your number to be called.  Be sure to have all of your documents in order.  When your number is called, go to the appropriate  window.  After you submit your application, you should request a receipt for your application.  It may take 4-6 weeks for the Social Security Administration to issue you a number and mail you a card.  If there are any problems, tracking your application will be easier if you have a receipt.  If you do not receive a number within 8 weeks, please contact the Social Security office to check on the status of your application.   

Items about which people commonly have questions or make mistakes or errors:

Name:  you must use the name in which your passport and other immigration documents have been issued. Do not use a nickname or an English version of your name.  Married women can use a married name if the passport has been annotated to reflect the married name. 

Address:  you must provide a complete address on the application form.  This is the address to which your social security card will be mailed.  Newcomers often provide inaccurate or incomplete addresses and the social security cards are returned as undeliverable by mail.

Citizenship:  you should check the box legal alien allowed to work.  Your J-1 or H-1 status through Princeton University gives you permission to work for Princeton University.