I need an SSN so I can pay into social security and eventually make use of those benefits. Also pretty sure I couldn&#x27;t have applied for it in advance because I didn&#x27;t have any non-tax treaty income to report, which is what prevented me from getting one when I tried a few years ago.<p>I applied for a SSN when I got here but it took 4 weeks to process. I now have an SSN card with a statement on it saying that I&#x27;m only allowed to work with DHS authorization.<p>Part of the hassle is because I signed up for services with no SSN but web sites all assume you have an SSN. The other problem is that credit histories don&#x27;t cross the border. Even with an SSN, I&#x27;ve got no public record or credit history.<p>What I find funny (or sad) is that when I call to update my records with my SSN (largely so I can build a credit history) people refuse to take the number over the phone, and will not take an email scan. They only want snail mail or fax.