Licensure without SSN in Texas

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Hi everyone,
I am graduating in this May 2013 and will need to apply for licensure after. I am here in Texas and one of licensure requirement states that you need to have SSN to apply for dental license! And i don't have! I am sure there are other ways to get license but i don't know what are they? Is there anyone in same boat? I want to work in Texas after my graduation. I am planning to seek legal advise as well and if anyone can recommend good local attorney i would certainly appreciate your time.

Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by nbde98

Hi everyone,
I am graduating in this May 2013 and will need to apply for licensure after. I am here in Texas and one of licensure requirement states that you need to have SSN to apply for dental license! And i don't have! I am sure there are other ways to get license but i don't know what are they? Is there anyone in same boat? I want to work in Texas after my graduation. I am planning to seek legal advise as well and if anyone can recommend good local attorney i would certainly appreciate your time.

Thanks in advance.

Not quite sure.... Sorry to ask but why is it that you don't have a SSN? Just another quick question what program/where are you graduating from?

I guess even if you are on a student visa you can get a SSN if that's the case.

If you are on H4 visa, you are not eligible to have SSN. I am not sure of other visa status, but generally if your visa does not authorize you to work, then you are not eligible for SSN. You can get SSN if you change to H1 visa.

If you are already on F1 visa, you are eligible to apply for SSN if you have an on-campus employment or job offer. If your school does not authorize employment while in school, then I believe the next best option is to be on OPT. (F1-OPT-H1). I am not very sure, but I believe you get EAD & hence SSN while on OPT. The EAD will be eligible only during the OPT period. You need to change to H1 visa if you want to continue working.

I'm pretty sure a good immigration attorney will be able to give you a better picture.

Originally Posted by drdoe

If you are on H4 visa, you are not eligible to have SSN. I am not sure of other visa status, but generally if your visa does not authorize you to work, then you are not eligible for SSN. You can get SSN if you change to H1 visa.

If you are already on F1 visa, you are eligible to apply for SSN if you have an on-campus employment or job offer. If your school does not authorize employment while in school, then I believe the next best option is to be on OPT. (F1-OPT-H1). I am not very sure, but I believe you get EAD & hence SSN while on OPT. The EAD will be eligible only during the OPT period. You need to change to H1 visa if you want to continue working.

I'm pretty sure a good immigration attorney will be able to give you a better picture.

Thanks all for your replies. In order to get H1 or OPT, i need to have my license after finishing school and in order to get license i need to have SSN. So, everything kind of stops at the same point!

What is your current visa status? If you are a F1 international student, then you can apply for a SSN. If you are an H4, ie. spouse of an H1 visa holder, then you may have problem. If you haven't graduated, then ask the school DSO to see if you can switch to F1 status.

The only other possibility is that you might be an undocumented student, eg. a "Dreamer"? If you did not qualify for DACA, then it may be that you need to seek states that doesn't require SSN. However, I don't know of any states that skips out the SSN registration.

I would never even think about using someone's SSN, no matter how desperate!! Go find an immigration lawyer and get help?

Originally Posted by BlueToothHunter

What is your current visa status? If you are a F1 international student, then you can apply for a SSN. If you are an H4, ie. spouse of an H1 visa holder, then you may have problem. If you haven't graduated, then ask the school DSO to see if you can switch to F1 status.

The only other possibility is that you might be an undocumented student, eg. a "Dreamer"? If you did not qualify for DACA, then it may be that you need to seek states that doesn't require SSN. However, I don't know of any states that skips out the SSN registration.

I would never even think about using someone's SSN, no matter how desperate!! Go find an immigration lawyer and get help?

I am on F-1. I will ask International office here at UT and will see what they have to say. Thanks for your reply.

I'm in your same situation. You need first to get a job offer and then working visa and then you can apply for a SSN to obtain license.
Good luck!

Originally Posted by nbde98

Hi everyone,
I am graduating in this May 2013 and will need to apply for licensure after. I am here in Texas and one of licensure requirement states that you need to have SSN to apply for dental license! And i don't have! I am sure there are other ways to get license but i don't know what are they? Is there anyone in same boat? I want to work in Texas after my graduation. I am planning to seek legal advise as well and if anyone can recommend good local attorney i would certainly appreciate your time.

Thanks in advance.

ok ...i m lost here..Are you not able to apply for an SSN while you are in the program on F1.
I ll be begginning my residency in june and i m totally shocked to know that you cant apply for SSN while in the program?

Originally Posted by drdoe

If you are on H4 visa, you are not eligible to have SSN. I am not sure of other visa status, but generally if your visa does not authorize you to work, then you are not eligible for SSN. You can get SSN if you change to H1 visa.

If you are already on F1 visa, you are eligible to apply for SSN if you have an on-campus employment or job offer. If your school does not authorize employment while in school, then I believe the next best option is to be on OPT. (F1-OPT-H1). I am not very sure, but I believe you get EAD & hence SSN while on OPT. The EAD will be eligible only during the OPT period. You need to change to H1 visa if you want to continue working.

I'm pretty sure a good immigration attorney will be able to give you a better picture.

I asked couple of other students and you are right You need to apply for OPT and will get EAD once it approved. Based on EAD we can apply for SSN and hence for license!

yes apply for OPT and even if u dont get a job afterwords, it doesnt matter. with OPT/EAD u can then get an SSN and thus get ur license.