Applying for your Social Security Number
The nearest Social Security Administration branch is located at: 200 High Street, Holyoke, MA 01040
Branch Hours
Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Wednesday: 9 a.m.-noon
Closed on weekends and holidays.
Take the following documents with you to the Social Security Administration to apply:
- Passport and I-20.
- Print-out of your most recent I-94.
- Employment Evidence Form.
- Letter from the International Students & Scholars Office.
- SS-5 form. If you’d like, you can enter in the ISSO address as your mailing address: 125 Wright Hall, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063. By doing so, you give us permission to receive your SSN card, open the document, and share your number with Smith’s Payroll Office.
Please expect to wait in line at the Social Security Administration for approximately one hour. Often the earlier you arrive, the shorter the line is. When you are finished, the SSA agent will give you a receipt to show that you have applied for a Social Security number. Your actual card with your SSN will arrive a few weeks later. Remember that your SSN is your financial identity in the US, so keep it safe and private. We recommend that you do not carry your SSN card in your wallet, but instead keep it in a secure place.
Bus Directions
Take the PVTA Blue 48 to Holyoke. Estimated ride time: 32 minutes
Get off at the bus depot at Veterans Park in the city of Holyoke. Walk 1 block to the corner of Dwight and High Street and turn left. The SSA Office will be on your right. When you are finished, return to the bus station and take the B48 bus back to Northampton. Please Note: You cannot use your OneCard to ride for free on the B48, so bus fare is $1.50 each way. Exact change is required. They will not make change for you on the bus. You may also purchase an all-day bus pass for $3.50.