Can undocumented immigrants legally obtain Social Security numbers in the U.S.?
Executive summary
Undocumented immigrants generally cannot obtain Social Security numbers (SSNs) unless they have Department of Homeland Security (DHS) authorization to work; the Social Security Administration (SSA) says SSNs are issued to noncitizens only when they have work authorization from DHS [1]. SSA administrative research and reporting shows discrepancies between SSN records and survey data are used to estimate unauthorized populations, indicating use of SSNs as a work-authority proxy in practice [2].
1. Law and agency rules: the formal bar on SSNs without work authorization
The Social Security Administration’s public guidance states that, “in general, only noncitizens with permission to work from the Department of Homeland Security can get a Social Security number,” making work authorization the central legal threshold for most noncitizen SSN issuance [1]. SSA also provides specific processes for immigrants to obtain SSNs through the immigration process (for example, as part of an immigrant visa application) — pathways that presuppose lawful status or lawful work permission [3].
2. Practice vs. headlines: what “issued SSNs to migrants” claims miss
News reports and political claims about vast numbers of migrants receiving SSNs conflate different categories. The SSA’s rule ties SSNs to work authorization, and independent coverage repeats that standard [4]. Separate SSA research papers use administrative SSN records as a tool to estimate unauthorized populations because SSN issuance patterns reveal mismatches with survey counts — not because SSNs are freely handed out to people without authorization [2].
3. Unauthorized work, payroll taxes, and invisible contributions
Scholars and advocacy organizations emphasize that many undocumented immigrants nonetheless contribute to Social Security through payroll taxes when employers report wages using SSNs — sometimes via names or numbers that do not match a worker’s lawful identity — and those payroll taxes support the system even if the worker cannot collect benefits without lawful presence when applying [5] [6]. SSA and Congressional analyses have long acknowledged tensions between immigration rules and the treatment of unauthorized work for Social Security accounting and benefits [7].
4. Alternative tax identifiers and limitations: ITINs vs SSNs
Undocumented taxpayers often use Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) to file taxes, but an ITIN is not an SSN and does not authorize work or qualify someone for Social Security benefits; reporting and analysis distinguish ITIN use from SSN issuance [6]. State or local programs sometimes note that noncitizens who are not authorized to work may still apply for an SSN for “valid non‑work reasons” in limited circumstances, but official SSA guidance centers on work authorization as the standard eligibility condition [8] [1].
5. What the data-driven SSA research shows about estimating unauthorized populations
The Social Security Bulletin articles use discrepancies between CP S survey responses and SSA administrative SSN records to develop new methods for estimating the number of unauthorized immigrants, demonstrating that SSN administrative data are a central—and complex—source for immigration demography, not proof of universal SSN access for undocumented persons [2].
6. Political framing and the hidden agendas in claims about SSN issuance
Advocates and critics use SSN issuance numbers to support opposing narratives. Immigration advocates stress that undocumented workers fund Social Security via payroll taxes and thus support system solvency [5]. Opponents and some media reports point to rising counts of noncitizens issued SSNs as evidence of lax controls, but the SSA’s eligibility standard based on DHS work authorization complicates simple readings of those figures [4] [1]. Be mindful that headlines citing raw SSN issuance totals can hide how many recipients had lawful work authorization, immigrant visas, or other qualifying statuses.
7. Limitations and unresolved questions in available reporting
Available sources do not provide a single, up‑to‑date statutory text saying “undocumented immigrants may never get SSNs under any circumstance,” nor do they offer exhaustive counts that separate SSNs issued to lawfully authorized newcomers from any anomalous or mistaken issuances; instead reporting relies on SSA guidance, administrative research, and media analysis [1] [2] [4]. Detailed case-level audits or follow-ups on alleged improper SSN issuance are not found in the current reporting set.
Bottom line: what to tell a reader
If someone is in the U.S. without DHS work authorization, SSA guidance makes clear they generally are not eligible for an SSN; SSNs are issued primarily when DHS has authorized the person to work or through the formal immigrant-visa process [1] [3]. At the same time, administrative research and tax-reporting realities show undocumented work nevertheless affects Social Security funding and complicates headline claims about how many migrants “received SSNs” [2] [5].