Regulation

SSA to streamline Social Security Card application process

The Social Security Administration is making it easier for people to obtain Social Security number cards. 

The agency is doing away with its paper application, known as the SS-5 form, to allow for applications to be submitted electronically. The final rule is under review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.

{mosads}To get an original or replacement Social Security card, the SSA requires proof of citizenship – a birth certificate or a passport. Non-U.S. citizens must show their current immigration documents and foreign passport.

To obtain the nine-digit number, which is needed in order to get a job, an application must now be filled out and either mailed or brought into a local SSA office.