I have a job offer but am still waiting for my OPT EAD and SSN.…

You do not need your Social Security number to start working, but you do need your physical Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card in hand.

“I have a job offer but am still waiting for my OPT EAD and SSN. I know I will need my physical EAD to apply for the SSN, but can an SSA office give me the SSN number as soon as I apply so I can give it to my employer for I-9 purposes? Is it possible to get the SSN number before the physical card arrives?”

Summary

You can cross this worry off your list. The government allows your employer to hire you and let you start working with just your EAD while you wait for your Social Security card to arrive in the mail.

Read the full explanation

Why you must wait for the physical cards

Optional Practical Training (OPT) allows F-1 students to work. To prove you are authorized, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issues an Employment Authorization Document, commonly called an EAD or work permit.

You must have the physical EAD card in hand to start working and to apply for a Social Security number (SSN) in person. A receipt or approval notice is not enough. The Social Security Administration (SSA) requires you to show your current, unexpired EAD to prove your immigration status and work eligibility.

You asked if an SSA office can give you your SSN as soon as you apply, or if you can get the number before the physical card arrives. The answer is no. You must wait for the physical Social Security card to arrive in the mail.

However, you do not need the SSN to complete your Form I-9 or to start your job. Form I-9 is the form all U.S. employers use to verify your identity and right to work. The EAD is a List A document for Form I-9, meaning it proves both your identity and your work authorization all by itself.

If your employer uses E-Verify, which is an electronic system employers use to confirm employment eligibility, they do need your SSN eventually. But they are required to let you start working while you wait for it.

Next steps

Follow these steps to complete your Form I-9 and begin your job lawfully.

Receive your physical EAD card in the mail

You must wait for USCIS to approve your OPT and mail the card to you.

Complete Form I-9 with your employer

Present your physical EAD to your employer as your List A document. Leave the Social Security number field blank in Section 1.

Begin working immediately

Your employer must allow you to work. If they use E-Verify, they will select "Awaiting Social Security number" to pause your case in their system.

Receive or apply for your Social Security card

If you requested an SSN on your OPT application, you used the automatic issuance program. This program sends your information from USCIS to SSA so they can issue your card without an office visit. However, immigration attorneys report that SSA recently paused this program for EAD applicants. If your card does not arrive automatically, you must take your physical EAD to a local SSA office to apply in person.

Give your new SSN to your employer

Once your physical Social Security card arrives, provide the number to your employer so they can update your Form I-9 and complete your E-Verify case.

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.

OPT Delayed + H-1B Approved: Can I Go Months Without Working?

u/Holiday_Pick_4264r/f1visaJun 16, 2026

I'm trying to understand whether my immigration status would be okay if my OPT EAD is delayed. I recently graduated and received a full-time job offer. I applied for OPT on February 12 and selected July 6 as my OPT start date because my job was scheduled to start on July 13. I was also selected in the H-1B lottery this year, and my employer is currently preparing my H-1B petition. Assuming everything is approved, my status would change from F-1/OPT to H-1B on October 1, 2026. The problem is that my OPT is still pending and I haven't received my EAD card yet. My HR told me that if I don't r

14 View on Reddit

Legal sources

These are the exact rules from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) that govern your OPT and Form I-9.

USCIS I-9 Acceptable Documents

An unexpired EAD is a List A document that establishes both identity and employment authorization.

USCIS I-9 Acceptable Documents

The documents on List A show both identity and employment authorization. Employees presenting an acceptable List A document should not be asked to present any other document. ... 4. Employment Authorization Document that contains a photograph (Form I-766)

Read the full text

USCIS M-274 Handbook for Employers

You can work while waiting for your SSN and should leave the field blank on Form I-9 until you receive it.

USCIS M-274 Handbook for Employers

Employees who have not yet received their Social Security number and who can satisfy all other Form I-9 requirements may work while awaiting their Social Security number. Have them enter their Social Security number in Section 1 as soon as they receive it.

Read the full text

E-Verify FAQ

Employers using E-Verify must allow you to work and select a specific option to pause your case while you wait for your SSN.

E-Verify FAQ

Allow the employee to continue to work and create a case in E-Verify using the employee’s SSN as soon as it is available. If you are unable to create a case by the third business day after the employee’s first day of employment, select Awaiting Social Security number when prompted by E-Verify.

Read the full text

SSA Evidence Requirements

SSA requires your physical, unexpired EAD to prove your immigration status and work eligibility. A receipt is not accepted.

SSA Evidence Requirements

You must present original documents or copies certified by the agency that issued them. ... We cannot accept a receipt showing you applied for the document. ... To prove your U.S. immigration status, you must show us your current U.S. immigration document, such as: ... I-766 (Employment Authorization Document, EAD, work permit)

Read the full text

SSA RM 10205.600

You will receive your SSN by mail after your application is approved; you cannot get the number early.

SSA RM 10205.600

Once your application is approved, you’ll receive a Social Security card with your number on it by mail within 14 days.

Read the full text

SSA RM 10205.700

The automatic issuance program allows USCIS to send your information to SSA to issue a card without an office visit.

SSA RM 10205.700

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.

Read the full text

Global Immigration Blog

Immigration attorneys advise that SSA has temporarily paused the automatic issuance program for EAD applicants, meaning you may need to apply in person.

Global Immigration Blog

As of March 19, 2025, the SSA has paused automatic SSN issuance for many immigrant applicants, including those receiving new work permits... Affected individuals must now apply in person at SSA offices.

Read the full text

SettleKit is not a law firm. This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your specific situation with a licensed immigration attorney.

Summary

Why you must wait for the physical cards

Next steps

Others who faced this

Legal sources

Related answers

Join the SettleKit newsletter