Get Assistance
The Social Security Administration and IRS are currently providing limited SSN or ITIN services. Please reach out to hotline@austin.utexas.edu for assistance with your specific situation.
The Social Security Administration and IRS are currently providing limited SSN or ITIN services. Please reach out to hotline@austin.utexas.edu for assistance with your specific situation.
A Social Security Number (SSN) is needed to facilitate payment for scholarships, employment in the U.S., and to file a U.S. tax return. Refer to the information below to determine if you are eligible for a SSN and for instructions on how to obtain one.
NOTE: While any individual employed in the U.S. must apply for and obtain an SSN, they can begin working before they receive the SSN.
Requirements/eligibility according to immigration status:
H-1B: You are eligible to receive a social security number.
F-1 Enrolled Student: You must have on-campus employment OR curricular practical training, and be registered for classes to be eligible to receive a social security number.
F-1 Students on OPT: You must have a USCIS Employment Authorization Document to receive a social security number.
F-2 Dependent: You are NOT eligible to receive a social security number.
J-1 Student: You must have on-campus employment OR work authorization to be eligible to receive a social security number.
J-1 Student Intern: You must be paid or receiving a stipend by your hosting department at UT to be eligible to receive a social security number during your internship program. Unpaid J-1 student interns are not eligible to apply for a social security number.
J-1 Research Scholar/Professor/Short-Term Scholar: You are eligible to receive a social security number. J-2 Dependents: You must have a USCIS Employment Authorization Document (J-2 Employment Authorization).
You must wait ten days after you arrive in the United States and:
F-1 and J-1 students and scholars who perform authorized employment on-campus or off-campus (with permission from USCIS) are generally exempt from the payment of Social Security Tax. J-2 Dependents who work are not exempt. More information is found in Internal Revenue Service Publication 519.
Government agencies use the SAVE system, which stands for Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, to determine if you are in a valid immigration status before granting a benefit such as a driver’s license or social security number. Sometimes the officer assisting you at Social Security Administration (SSA) may not be able to immediately verify your valid student or scholar visa status. If the SSA officer is not able to verify your status in the SAVE system, you should politely ask to speak with a supervisor. Supervisors at SSA may have more training in F-1 and J-1 visa issues and be better able to assist in the SAVE verification process. If a supervisor is not able to verify your valid student status, SSA should initiate a secondary verification process.
Here are some common reasons students and scholars are not able to get a Social Security Number on the first try:
What to do if your status cannot be verified:
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If you do not currently have a Social Security Number (SSN) and are not currently eligible for an SSN (i.e. you do not have employment), you will need to apply for an ITIN to facilitate payment for scholarships and/or to file your U.S. tax return.
Texas Global at UT Austin is an IRS VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) organization that offers free tax assistance to nonresident aliens who need help to prepare their own tax return. This tax season we are not able to provide individual appointments to assist in tax filing. Please email questions to intltax@austin.utexas.edu for assistance.
Our tax advising is focused on providing assistance in understanding filing instructions, how to navigate GLACIER Tax Prep, and general questions regarding nonresident taxes. Any specific tax situations that cannot be addressed by our volunteers will need to be discussed with a licensed professional tax advisor.
All volunteers have completed training through the IRS VITA program and as such are protected from liability under the Volunteer Protection Act. The taxpayer is ultimately responsible for the information on their tax returns.