APPLYING FOR A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
Social Security Administration
200 High Street, 2
nd
Floor
Holyoke, MA 01040
(877) 480-4989
*The city of Holyoke and Mount Holyoke College are not the same.
Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 4:00pm. Wednesday only 9:00am - 12:00 noon!
Closed on weekends and holidays.
In order to obtain an SSN a student must have an on-campus job offer. To get a job you will need to apply for open
positions listed in Workday. When you have your job, complete the Employment Evidence Form and have your work
supervisor sign it. Bring the form to our office, and we will issue an ISSO letter verifying your student status and your
employment on-campus. Spot jobs are not eligible for SSN numbers.
Take the following documents with you to the Social Security Administration to apply:
- Passport and I-20
- Print-out of your most recent I-94 (Print at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94
)
- Employment Evidence Form
- Letter from the International Students & Scholars Office
- SS-5 form (
https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf). If you’d like, you can enter in the ISSO address as your
mailing address: 125 Wright Hall, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063.
What to expect at the Social Security Administration:
When you enter the office on the second floor, you’ll sign in through a machine kiosk which will give you a number. When
your number shows up on the screen in the waiting area, go to the available window. At the window, they will process your
paperwork, and you will be given a receipt that states you’ve applied for a Social Security Number. Please expect to wait
in line for approximately one hour. The line can sometimes be longer or shorter, but budget for a one-hour wait.
VERY IMPORTANT! After you come home:
1) Email your SSN receipt to studemp@smith.edu
to let them know you have applied for your SSN.
2) Wait for your SSN card in the mail (usually takes 2-3 weeks).
3) When it arrives, you will need to enter your SSN into Workday. You can do this in one of two ways:
a. You can add a National ID in Workday yourself, following the job aid (https://tinyurl.com/2a9ud39x
).
This does require you to upload a photo/scan of the SSN card.
b. Or, you can schedule an appointment with Student Employment to show them your card, and they can
enter the information into workday for you
(https://go.oncehub.com/SmithCollegeCOStudentEmployment
).
4) Keep your card & number safe! This is your financial identity in the US, so treat your SSN with care. Do not
carry your card with you – instead keep it with other important documents.
GETTING THERE BY BUS:
Take the PVTA Blue 48 to Holyoke (Bus schedule:
http://www.pvta.com/schedules/B48.pdf
)
Estimated ride time: 32 minutes
Get off at the bus depot at Veterans Park in the city of
Holyoke. Walk 1 block to the corner of Dwight and High
Street and turn left. The SSA Office will be on your right.
When you are finished, return to the bus station and take
the B48 bus back to Northampton.
Please Note: You cannot use your OneCard to ride for
free on the B48, so bus fare is $1.25 each way. Exact
change is required. They will not make change for you on
the bus. You may also purchase an all-day bus pass for
$3.00.
International Students & Scholars Office (revised 09/02/2021)
