Legal immigrants whose immigration status allows them to work do get an SSN. Legal immigrants without work-authorized status can't get one. Since it's formally

Legal immigrants whose immigration status allows them to work do get an SSN. Legal immigrants without work-authorized status can't get one. Since it's formally considered only a work-related number, rather than a general identity number (even though it's increasingly being used as the latter), there isn't a provision to get an SSN if you aren't employment-eligible. In somewhat more detail: http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10096.pdf http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10096.pdf