Received Green Card but waiting on Social Security Card. Should I go to the SSA office?
u/Plugartir/USCISFeb 10, 2026
I was approved 01/31, got my SSN in post today 02/10 (automatically), so 7 working days.
Answered September 2026
Your should be produced within two weeks of approval, and an requested on Form I-765 should arrive no later than 14 days after you receive the EAD.
“My work authorization was approved after almost 3 months and I am waiting on my Green Card. How long does it take to receive the EAD card and my SSN?”
Summary
Your I-765 decision is complete, so you are now in the shorter card-production stage. The SSN arriving later in a separate envelope is expected when you requested it through Form I-765.
Your SSN timing depends on which immigration form, if any, you used to request it.
SSN requested on Form I-76514 days
USCIS sends your information to SSA, so you do not submit a separate SSA application. SSA mails the card separately to the address on your application, and it should arrive no later than 14 days after you receive your [SSA EBE webpage; SSA POMS RM 10205.700].
SSN requested only on Form I-485after green card
This request is tied to permanent-resident approval: SSA says the card should arrive no later than 14 days after you receive your Green Card. If you need an SSN sooner, your EAD permits you to use the separate SSA application route [SSA EBE webpage; SSA Publication No. 05-10096].
No SSN requested on either formapply separately
After receiving your EAD, start a first-SSN application online and finish it at a Social Security office or Card Center within 45 days. The application is free [SSA Publication No. 05-10096].
The EAD and SSN card are issued by different agencies and arrive in separate envelopes.
Read the full explanationHide the full explanation
Watch out for
Production is not deliveryUSCIS says your should be produced within two weeks after approval and then mailed by USPS; it does not promise that it will be at your door within two weeks. If USCIS says it mailed the card but you do not receive it, submit the official non-delivery inquiry [USCIS EAD production page, 2026-03-23; USCIS non-delivery e-Request].
The SSN form choice mattersIf you requested your on Form I-765, the 14-day clock starts when you receive the EAD. If you requested it only on Form I-485, SSA says it should arrive no later than 14 days after you receive your Green Card—not after the EAD [SSA EBE webpage].
Use 14 days, not the older 7-day estimateAn undated USCIS flyer still says seven business days, but SSA—the agency that issues the card—now states 14 days, and SSA’s operating manual has applied that rule since October 10, 2024. Use the current 14-day period before escalating [USCIS EBE flyer; SSA POMS RM 10205.700].
Check both mailing addressesSSA sends an I-765-requested SSN card separately to the address on that application, while USCIS sends the EAD to its address of record. Make sure you can receive mail at both addresses [SSA EBE webpage; USCIS non-delivery e-Request].
Direct SSA applications have a 45-day stepIf you start a first-SSN application online, you must finish it at a Social Security office or Card Center with the required documents within 45 days [SSA Publication No. 05-10096].
Next steps
These steps take you from I-765 approval through EAD delivery and the correct SSN route.
Now—after approval
Allow two weeks for EAD production
USCIS says the EAD should be produced within two weeks after Form I-765 approval and then mailed through USPS. The two weeks is a production estimate, not a guaranteed doorstep-delivery date.
Requirements
Your Form I-765 approval date
Only if USCIS says it mailed the card
Submit a non-delivery inquiry if USCIS mailed the EAD
Use the USCIS Non-Delivery of Card e-Request at https://egov.uscis.gov/e-request/ndc. USCIS provides this inquiry when a card mailed to your address of record does not arrive.
Requirements
USCIS receipt number
A-Number, if applicable
Filing date and form number
Item not received
Email address
After the EAD arrives
Use automatic SSN delivery if you requested it on Form I-765
Wait up to 14 days after receiving the EAD; the SSN card comes separately. If it has not arrived after 14 days, start at https://secure.ssa.gov/ossnap/public/landingOSsnap and make an SSA appointment, as directed by SSA.
Requirements
Physical EAD
The mailing address listed on your Form I-765
After receiving the EAD
Apply directly to SSA if you did not request the SSN
Start at https://www.ssa.gov/number-card/request-number-first-time and complete the process at a Social Security office or Card Center within 45 days. If you cannot start online, complete Form SSA-5 at https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf and call 1-800-772-1213 to schedule the office visit. The fee is $0. SSA’s current publication promises mailing after document verification but gives no fixed number of days for this direct route. If you requested the SSN only on Form I-485, you may instead wait: SSA says it should arrive within 14 days after your Green Card.
Requirements
Current U.S. immigration document, including your EAD
Unexpired foreign passport
Foreign birth certificate, if you have it or can obtain it within 10 business days
At least two separate documents
Originals or copies certified by the issuing agency
Others who faced this
You are not the first to go through this. Here is how it went for others who asked the same thing.
Legal sources
The timelines and procedures come directly from USCIS card-delivery guidance and SSA’s public instructions and operating manual.
USCIS, How Do I Request Premium Processing?
USCIS gives a two-week production estimate after I-765 approval and says the card is sent through USPS.
USCIS, How Do I Request Premium Processing?
After a Form I-765 is approved, your EAD card should be produced within two weeks. Your EAD card will be mailed via U.S. Postal Service (USPS).
SSA EBE — Form I-765
An SSN requested on Form I-765 is mailed separately and should arrive within 14 days after the EAD.
SSA EBE — Form I-765
Form I-765
We will mail your SSN card separately to the address you listed on your application. You should receive your SSN card no later than 14 days after receiving your EAD.
SSA EBE — Form I-485
An SSN requested only through Form I-485 follows receipt of the Green Card.
SSA EBE — Form I-485
Form I-485
If USCIS approves your application for LPR status, we will mail your SSN card or replacement card to the address listed on your application. You should receive your SSN card no later than 14 days after you receive your Permanent Resident Card/Form I-551/ “Green Card” from USCIS.
SSA POMS RM 10205.700
SSA’s current operating manual confirms the 14-day rule for SSN requests transmitted by USCIS.
SSA POMS RM 10205.700
RM 10205.700
Applicants should receive an SSN card after 14 days of receiving the DHS document.
USCIS EBE Flyer
This older, undated USCIS flyer contains the superseded seven-business-day estimate that may still appear online.
USCIS EBE Flyer
You should receive your SSN card no later than 7 business days after you receive your EAD from USCIS.
SSA Publication No. 05-10096
SSA explains the direct-application deadline, evidence, cost, and mailing rule for noncitizens.
SSA Publication No. 05-10096
To complete the application process, you must visit your local Social Security office or Card Center with the required documents within 45 days of starting the process. We will mail your SSN card as soon as we have all your information and have verified your documents with the issuing offices. To prove your identity and work-authorized immigration status, you will need to show us your current U.S. immigration documents and your unexpired foreign passport. You must present your foreign birth certificate if you have it or can get it within 10 business days. Important: All documents must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. However, you must provide at least two separate documents. Applying for an SSN and card is free.
USCIS, Employment Authorization Document
The physical EAD can serve as proof of temporary authorization to work.
USCIS, Employment Authorization Document
Having an Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766/EAD) is one way to prove that you are authorized to work in the United States for a specific time period.
USCIS e-Request — Non-Delivery of Card
USCIS provides an online inquiry when a mailed EAD does not arrive.
USCIS e-Request — Non-Delivery of Card
Once USCIS approves an immigration benefit for which a card issued, USCIS will mail the card to your address of record. If you do not receive a card that was mailed to your address of record, you may submit an inquiry.
These are the official USCIS and SSA rules as published or updated on the dates shown; 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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