A Social Security Number (SSN) is a nine-digit number assigned to U.S. citizens and other residents to track income and determine benefits. The SSN was created in 1936 as part of The New Deal to provide for retirement and disability benefits. The SSN is issued by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and is used to track an individuals yearly earnings and the number of years theyve worked. The SSN is composed of three parts: the area number, the group number, and the serial number. The area number is assigned by the geographical region and represents the state in which the card was issued. The group number is assigned in a specific order within each area number. The serial number runs consecutively from 0001 to 9999 within each group number.
Individuals in the U.S. are asked to provide their SSN to obtain credit, open bank accounts, obtain government benefits, make major purchases, and more. The SSN is frequently used by those involved in identity theft because it is interconnected with many other forms of identification and people asking for it treat it as an authenticator. Financial institutions generally require an SSN to set up bank accounts, credit cards, and loans.
To obtain an SSN, U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and eligible nonimmigrant workers must file Form SS-5 with the Social Security Administration. The SSA uses the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to verify nonimmigrant student status and determine if they are eligible for an SSN. If an F or M student is ineligible to receive an SSN but receives non-wage income while in the United States, they must apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) .
