Using Form i-551 as Required Document for Evidence of Migration Status

People who are applying for a Social Security card for the first time, if they are over the age of 12, will need to appear at a Social Security Administration (SSA) office in person, bring the required documents, answer some questions during a live interview, and submit an SS-5 “cover form” to the officials at the SSA office.

In all, applicants who are not U.S. citizens and who are applying for their first-ever SS card (and number) will need to demonstrate four things, in addition to sitting for the interview:

1. Work eligibility
2. Age
3. Identity
4. Immigration status

The SSA will usually accept one or two documents (originals only!) as proof of all four of those categories. For example, a foreign passport can be used to substantiate age and identity, while the I-551 form can prove eligibility to work and immigration status. Usually, a non-U.S. citizen can simply show a birth certificate (if it’s available), a passport and the I-551 form.

To prove immigration status, the SSA will accept a Form I-551, which is also known as a green card (even though they are no longer printed on green paper) or Lawful Permanent Resident Card. It’s important to know the difference between the I-551 and the so-called “work permit,” which is the I-766. In fact, either one of those documents is sufficient to prove immigration status to the SSA.

Applicants who nevertheless must appear in person at a SSA office should know that they’ll need to bring the exact forms required, an error-free Form SS-5 (which is the formal application for a SS card and number), and themselves.

If any of the documents are missing or incomplete, the applicant will be sent away without even being allowed to make a formal request for the SS card/number. How can a person streamline this process and avoid delays? The answer is this: enlist the assistance of a professional application service like application-filing-service.com to help you get the job done right the first time.

The experts at the service will not be able to sit in your place for the interview, but they can serve a vital function. They will help you gather the right documents, fill out the SS-5 form exactly right, and can make sure you know where to go for your personal interview.