Unless the special Afghan-parolee instruction applies to you, wait until 14 days have passed since your EAD arrived, then ask SSA to trace the existing request instead of filing a second application.
“I filed my I-765 and I-485 concurrently and ticked the box for USCIS to process my SSN. I received my EAD but am still waiting for my SSN. Should I go to the SSA in person to apply for it, or will that cause delays since I already requested it on my forms?”
Summary
A proper follow-up after the waiting period is not supposed to restart your case: SSA staff are instructed to continue a matching pending application rather than create a new one. Because SSA receives the request after either I-765 or I-485 approval, your still-pending I-485 does not prevent you from following up after receiving the EAD.
Your next move depends mainly on whether 14 days have passed since your EAD arrived, with one special rule for Afghan parolees.
Wait until 14 days have passed. Your USCIS checkbox used , which normally removes the need for a separate initial SSA application; SSA says it receives the data after USCIS approves either Form I-765 or Form I-485. (SSA POMS RM 10205.700(A), (C).)
Contact SSA now and ask it to trace the USCIS request. You may start by phone; the POMS expressly provides procedures for telephone and in-person inquiries after the card has not arrived. (SSA POMS RM 10205.700(C).)
Do not submit a blind second application. SSA staff must first search for an assigned number and pending application, continue a matching pending record, and process a new application only when no matching pending record exists. (SSA POMS RM 10205.700(F).)
If you are an Afghan national paroled into the United States, USCIS specifically directs you to make an SSA appointment and apply in person after receiving Form I-766. That current, cohort-specific USCIS instruction controls this special case. (USCIS Form I-765 webpage, updated 2026-08-14.)
For the general route, count from the date you physically received the EAD.
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Watch out for
Next steps
These steps let SSA find and continue your USCIS-requested SSN application before opening a new one.
Special cohort only
Use the Afghan-parolee instruction if it applies
USCIS says to make an appointment and apply at SSA in person after receiving Form I-766. Call SSA at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. local time, to request the appointment.
Requirements
General EBE route
Count 14 days from EAD delivery
If 14 days have not yet passed, wait. SSA POMS RM 10205.700(C) measures from receipt of the DHS document; it also says SSA receives the request after USCIS approves either Form I-765 or Form I-485, so you do not need to wait for the I-485 decision.
Requirements
After 14 days
Call SSA and request an EBE trace
Call 1-800-772-1213 between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday. Say: “I requested an SSN through my I-765/I-485, received my EAD on [date], and the card has not arrived. Please check for an assigned SSN and a pending application, and confirm my mailing address.”
Requirements
If SSA refers you in person
Visit SSA if identity or evidence cannot be resolved by phone
Use SSA’s office locator at https://www.ssa.gov/locator/ to identify the field office or Social Security Card Center serving your ZIP code. Ask staff to trace the existing EBE request first. If the record says “Investigate” or “Not Completed,” provide the requested evidence in person; SSA says these records otherwise can remain pending for 365 days.
Requirements
Fallback only
Complete Form SS-5 only if SSA finds no record
If SSA finds neither an assigned SSN nor a matching pending application, complete Form SS-5. The application is free. If you are age 12 or older and have never had an SSN, Form SS-5 says you must apply in person.
Requirements
Legal sources
The answer comes from SSA’s current Enumeration Beyond Entry POMS, Form SS-5 instructions, SSA’s contact page, and USCIS’s current Afghan-parolee instruction.
SSA POMS RM 10205.700
This establishes that the USCIS checkbox replaces the initial SSA application and gives the general 14-day follow-up point.
Overview; C
The EBE process eliminates the need to visit the field office (FO) or Social Security Card Center (SSCC) to apply for an SSN card when the applicant requests enumeration on these forms. SSA receives EBE enumeration data after USCIS approves the Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization), Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status), or Form N-400 (Application for Naturalization). Applicants should receive an SSN card after 14 days of receiving the DHS document.
SSA POMS RM 10205.700
This establishes that SSA can begin the follow-up by telephone and that the EAD is primary identity evidence for an EBE inquiry.
C
Establish the applicant’s identity (for in-person inquiries, establish the applicant’s identity using the documents listed in RM 10210.405 and RM 10210.420 ); for inquiries via telephone, ask for name, date of birth, place of birth, parent's names, mother's maiden name, and current address. Primary evidence of identity for an applicant who requests an SSN as part of the EBE process is an EAD (Form I-766) , Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551).
SSA POMS RM 10205.700
This establishes how SSA prevents the follow-up from becoming an unnecessary duplicate application.
F
If you determine that the pending record belongs to the applicant, continue to process the pending application instead of the new application. If you do not find a pending application that you determine belongs to the applicant, process a new application after obtaining any necessary evidence, and take action to resolve any exception conditions or subsequent EMs.
SSA POMS RM 10205.700
This establishes when an unresolved EBE record requires an in-person evidence visit rather than more waiting.
EBE pending applications
Unprocessed applications in a status of "Investigate" or "Not Completed" remain pending for 365 days unless the applicant visits the FO or SSCC to provide required evidence. Do not clear these unprocessed applications without the applicant providing the required evidence.
Form SS-5 (12-2024)
This establishes the evidence, in-person age rule, document format, and no-fee rule if SSA must process a new original-card application.
pages 1–2
To apply for an original card, you must provide at least two documents to prove age, identity, and U.S. citizenship or current lawful, work-authorized immigration status. NOTE: If you are age 12 or older and have never received a Social Security number, you must apply in person. In general, you must provide your birth certificate. If you are not a U.S. citizen, we must see your current U.S. immigration document(s) and your foreign passport with biographical information or photograph. You must provide a current unexpired document issued to you by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) showing your immigration status, such as Form I-551, I-94, or I-766. We can only accept original documents or documents certified by the custodian of the original record. Applying for a Social Security Card is free!
SSA Contact Social Security By Phone
This gives the SSA national telephone number and current published calling hours.
You can call us at 1-800-772-1213 between 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday.
USCIS Form I-765 webpage
This establishes the special in-person instruction for Afghan parolees.
Afghan Parolee
If you are an Afghan national paroled into the United States and you are applying for employment authorization, you will need a Social Security number (SSN) to work in the United States. Your SSN allows employers to report your earnings to the U.S. government. You must make an appointment to visit a Social Security Administration office in person to apply for your SSN after you receive your Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766).
These are the official SSA and USCIS rules published or effective on the cited dates; agency rules and procedures can change.
This is general information about official processes, not legal advice, and SettleKit is not a law firm.
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