Certain Non-Citizens Now Have to Apply for Their Social Security Card in Person

What Happened

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has temporarily suspended the Enumeration Beyond Entry (EBE) program, which was a cooperative agreement with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The EBE program allowed certain non-immigrants and newly naturalized U.S. citizens to automatically receive Social Security numbers (SSNs) and cards by mail after their immigration applications were approved, without needing to visit an SSA field office.

Who Is Affected

• Non-immigrants who receive work authorization (via Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization).
• Newly naturalized U.S. citizens (via Form N-400, Application for Naturalization).
• Some applicants for adjustment of status (via Form I-485) may still be processed through EBE, but this may not be consistent across all cases.

What This Means for Non-Immigrants

• No More Automatic SSNs: Individuals who are granted work authorization and do not have an SSN must now apply in person at an SSA field office, rather than receiving their SSN automatically by mail.
• Potential Delays: The suspension forces tens of thousands of additional people to visit SSA offices each week, at a time when the SSA has reduced staff and closed offices, creating long wait times and delays.
• Manual Updates for New Citizens: Newly naturalized citizens must also visit an SSA office to update their citizenship status or change their name, rather than having these updates processed automatically.

Why Was the Program Suspended?

While there has been no official public announcement, the suspension appears related to cost-cutting measures implemented by DOGE, the “Department of Government Efficiency,” under the new Trump administration.