Social Security Numbers
Where to go?
1330 Monroe Ave.
This is at the intersection of Monroe and Cleveland. Check this website for map, phone numbers and directions. Use zip code 38102 for your search.
https://secure.ssa.gov/apps6z/FOLO/fo001.jsp
What to bring?
Bring your PASSPORT, I-20 or IAP-66, I-94 card, prof of a job offer, and a letter from the Buckman Center, showing that you are a full-time student at Rhodes College.
You must bring all these documents, or your application will be denied.
Remember these Easy Steps:
1. Arrive prepared. Bring all of the above documents. For Social Security cards, bring a letter verifying employment from your on-campus employer.
2. Plan your time carefully. Don′t expect to get your SSN on a one-hour lunch break. Be prepared for long lines and considerable waits. If you are rushed, it is easy to become impatient and frustrated with the process.
3. Remain calm and polite. Usually, front desk staff are willing to work with customers as long as communications remain civil. Losing your temper, yelling, or other displays of anger rarely achieve progress. However, it is appropriate to ask to speak with a manager or supervisor if you believe it would help the situation.
4. For F-2 and non-employed F-1, J-1, and J-2 visa holders, taxpayer I.D. numbers (ITIN) are available. Many businesses accept these numbers in place of social security numbers.
5. When all else fails, leave and come back later with re-enforcements. If no one can help you at the time you visit a business or agency, come back when a higher-level authority is available. If the Buckman Center can be of assistance, ask for an offical letter on your behalf. There are usually other paths to achieving your goal.
Driver′s License
You do NOT need to have a social security number to get a driver′s license IF you have an F or J visa. You DO need to bring your passport and I-20, be ready to take the written and driving tests, and be ready to pay the fee for the license.
If you have a driver′s license from another country, you can skip the driving test if you turn in your home country license. Most people want to keep their home country license, and choose to take the driving test.
What if I don′t qualify for a SSN yet?
There is another government-issued number that work like an SSN.
Taxpayers Identification Numbers (ITIN)
Take your I-20, your passport, and your I94 card and go to:
Falls Building
22 North Front Street
4th Floor, Suite 400
This building is downtown. Union Avenue is usually your best route to Front Street.
This is the local Internal Rvenue Service Office. This office issues official U.S. Governement Taxpayer identification numbers. You must apply in person. You cannot apply by phone or by mail.
Note: ANY F or J visa holder who does not qualify for a social security card must get this kind of number.
Why do people want that number anyway?
Businesses and landlords ask for a social security card becuse they routinely check a person′s credit history. However, international students who are new to the U.S. do not have any credit history, and it is useless for these businesses to ask for a SSN.
Many businesses will say that a social security number is mandatory. However, this is misleading. Social Security numbers are the most common form of identification in the U.S., but they are NOT the only form of acceptable identification.
In the Memphis area, most landlords, banks, and utility companies have grown accustomed to working with international students, and will accept a Rhodes ID card, form I-20AB and passport.
