SSN with F visa

[leonidb]

Hi:

I believe this is a basic question, so may be just tell me where to look it up. The friend of mine (foreign citizen) came to California to study in university and she holds F visa.

Is she entitled to SSN? It's kind of difficult to do anything without SSN here. Could F holders also work?

Thanks,

Leonid.

 

[fromnaija]

In the past, yes she could easily get SSN on F1 visa but things have changed.
She could get SSN if she could prove to SSA that she really needs it either for on-campus employment for which she has USCIS authorization or for a government process that requires SSN.

 

[leonidb]

And how F holders normally get USCIS authorization to work?

 

[Concerned4us]

F1 visa holders can work in very limited situations. She should not expect it to be granted the first year as she was to have adequate resource to pay tuition and her support. She can talk to the DSO at her university but should be prepared to explain why her financial situation now does not match the documents she presented in order to get the I20

 

[fromnaija]

And how F holders normally get USCIS authorization to work?

To be clear, F1 student only needs EAD for off-campus employment.