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Social Security Number, CA Driver License & ID

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Social Security Number (SSN)
 
SSN are primarily intended to identify participants in the federal government's social security program, which provides retirement and disability benefits to workers and their families.
 
The Social Security Administration (SSA) holds the view that a Social Security Number should be issued only for employment reasons. It is not intended to facilitate the issuance of credit cards, cell phones, bank accounts.
 
F-1 students are eligible for a Social Security Number only if one of the following apply:
  • Student has been issued an Employment Authorization Document / EAD by the USCIS
  • Student has an I-20 endorsed for Curricular Practical Training
  • Student is currently employed on campus or has a job offer to do so.
The Application Procedure
 
F-1 students must submit in person to the SSA the following documents in order to be considered for a Social Security Number:
  • A completed Form SS-5: Application for a Social Security Card
  • At least two documents that establish your age, identity and alien status
  • Passport that has been issued at least one year prior to the date that you apply for the SSN. If it has not, your birth certificate may also be required or your previous passport.
  • I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for F-1 student status).
  • A current I-94 card, also known as the "arrival / departure card." (This I-94 card should be stamped with the correct notation "F-1 D/S”)
  • Evidence of SSN eligibility, which must be one of the following:
    • EAD
    • I-20 showing unexpired CPT endorsement
    • For on campus employment, 2 letters are needed:
      •  A letter from the on-campus employer addressed to the SSA
      •  A letter issued by our office confirming your F-1 student status.
To find out where Social Security Offices are located, please visit  http://www.ssa.gov
 
  CA Driver License
 
  F-1 students, who intend to drive in the U.S, must get a California drivers license.
 
The Application Procedure
 
  • Visit a DMV office (make an appointment online for faster service). Make sure to bring   your I-20, I-94 card and passport when you go to the appointment)
  • Complete application form DL 44 and pay the application fee
  • Pass a vision exam and written exam. There are 36 questions on the test. You have three chances to pass
  • Once you pass the written test you will get an interim driving license that you may use together with your home country driving license to start practicing for the driving test. If you have a license from another country, you will be required to take a driving test. If you have a license from another state, the driving test can be waived. You have three chances to pass the driving test. Call a DMV office to set up an appointment. (Driving tests are not given without an appointment.) Phone: 1-800-777-0133
After you pass your drive test you will be issued an interim license valid for 60 days until you receive your new photo license in the mail. If you did not present complete documentation to verify birth date and legal presence, you will be issued a temporary license valid for 60 days until you complete the documentation requirements. Make sure you provide the DMV with your correct mailing address.
 
WARNING: International students applying for a California driver’s license may have to wait up to one year to receive a permanent license. The reason for this is that the DMV has to go through the extra step of verifying the student’s immigration status with the Immigration Service before issuing a license. If you have not received your license after 60 days, you can write or fax the Sacramento DMV (phone: 916-657-7445 or fax: 916-657-6419) and ask again that they solicit the verification from the Immigration Service. Send to DMV a copy of your passport, 1-94 card, temporary driver’s license and phone number. The DMV will renew your request for verification with the San Francisco USCIS office. In the meantime you should continue to update your temporary license until the permanent license arrives.
 
If you wish to apply for a motorcycle license, the procedure is similar; however, you must complete a motorcycle riding training course given by the California Highway Patrol or the Department of Motor Vehicles. Obtain the Motorcycle Driver Handbook for more information.
 
Vision exam requirement: A 20/40 visual acuity with or without glasses is the department’s vision guideline. The department has authority for administering the vision exam per the California Vehicle Code.
 
Bring your eyeglasses if you wear them. Applicants who do not pass the eye exam may, depending on the circumstances, be referred to a vision specialist. The vision specialist may prescribe eyeglasses or a stronger prescription for the current eyeglasses worn.
 
California Identification (ID) Cards
 
DMV issues ID cards to persons of any age. The ID card is similar to a drivers license, but is used for identification purposes only. A regular ID card is valid for 6 years. For further information please visit DMV website at: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/