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Social Security Number
If you will be earning money in the U.S. and have authorization to work on campus or off-campus (including graduate assistantships), you must apply for a Social Security number (SSN) in order to be paid. When applying for a Social Security number, individuals holding an F-1 or J-1 visitor category student visa will need to present the following documents to the Social Security Administration Office at 4212 Park Place Court, Suite B in Glen Allen, Virginia. To download these instructions in pdf, click here.
- All I-20s or DS-2019s
- Passport, visa and I-94 card
- Offer of Employment letter: must come from the employing college department on letterhead and must include the following:
- Student's full name.
- When the employment will begin (anticipated or actual employment start date no more than 30 days in the future at the time of application).
- The nature of the employment.
- Where the work will be performed.
- Number of hours per week the student will work (do not exceed twenty hours per week).
- R-MC's EIN (Employer Identification Number): 54-0505940
- Employer contact information, including telephone number and the name of the student's immediate supervisor.
This will prove that the student has obtained work or is employed. A sample letter can be found on the next page.
- Authorization to Work letter
- The OIE is the ONLY office authorized to issue this letter. We will need the Offer of Employment letter in order to prepare the Authorization letter.
- Once you apply in person with the Social Security Administration Office, you should receive your SSN within two weeks.
- If you or the department hiring you has any questions, please contact the Office of International Education or visit the Social Security Administration's section for foreign students: https://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10181.pdf
- Note: As of fall 2012, one-year exchange students are not allowed to work during their time at R-MC.
Questions? Contact the Office of International Education staff Mayumi Nakamura (804-752-3607 ∙ mayuminakamura@rmc.edu) or Jane Nucup (804-412-1574 ∙ JaneNucup@rmc.edu)
Sample employment letter:
(Please submit on school letterhead)
(DATE)
Social Security Administration Office
4212 Park Place Court, Suite B
Glen Allen, Virginia 23060
To whom it may concern:
XXXXXX XXXXXXX is an F-1 student at Randolph-Macon College. S/He has been offered employment in the XXXXXX Office/Department, and will begin working on MM/DD/YYYY (XX hours/ week) [Anticipated or actual employment start date no more than 30 days in the future at the time of application for an SSN. Also do not exceed twenty hours per week]. Her/his basic duties will be… [indicate the field of work and basic tasks, but no need to include too many details]. The college’s EIN is 54-0505940.
Please assist her/him in obtaining a Social Security number and, if any further paperwork is needed, contact the undersigned [must be the student’s immediate supervisor] at (phone/e-mail).
Thank you,
Signature Date
(Print name of student’s immediate supervisor)
(Title)
(Department)