U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released a new edition of Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization) that officially removes the option for applicants to request a Social Security Number (SSN) as part of the same application. This change marks the formal end of a process that previously allowed certain applicants to obtain both documents through a single filing.
What Is Changing
Since 2017, a program known as Enumeration Beyond Entry permitted eligible foreign nationals to request an SSN by selecting a checkbox on their EAD application. Once the EAD was approved, the SSN card would be issued automatically and mailed to the applicant.
As of January 2026, this integrated process has been fully terminated.
Key changes include:
- Removal from Form I-765: All SSN request fields have been eliminated from the current edition of Form I-765.
- No Automatic SSN Issuance: Approval of an Employment Authorization Document no longer triggers the automatic creation or mailing of a Social Security card.
- Separated Processing: USCIS and the Social Security Administration (SSA) no longer coordinate SSN issuance through this program, requiring applicants to complete a separate step.
Background: SSA Suspension Prior to the Form Update
Although the Social Security Administration reportedly stopped automatically issuing SSNs based on Form I-765 applications in spring 2025, this suspension was not formally announced at the time. The release of the revised Form I-765 now confirms that the integrated SSN request option has been officially discontinued.
As a result, EAD approval no longer automatically leads to SSN issuance, and it is no longer possible to obtain both documents through a single application process.
What Should Applicants Do Now?
Foreign nationals who need a Social Security Number must now submit a separate application directly with the Social Security Administration. In most cases, applicants will be required to appear in person at a local SSA office.
