Social SecurityCenter for International and Cultural Education

You must have a U.S. Social Security number to work at Gustavus or elsewhere in the United States. The Center for International and Cultural Education will advise and help you prepare for your Social Security application. To apply, you will need to go to a Social Security office with the following documents:

  • Passport
  • Form I-20 or Form DS-2019
  • Form I-94 (can download on I-94 website)
  • Completed Form SS-5
  • Verification that you are employed. Jeff Anderson in CICE will provide a letter to current students who are working on campus.

The nearest Social Security office is located at 12 Civic Center Plaza #1550 in Mankato, MN 56001 (phone number 877-457-1734). The Center for International and Cultural Education normally provides transportation to Gustavus international students applying for Social Security cards.

The Mankato Social Security office is closed to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic, except for special arrangments.

When you receive your Social Security card, you should:

  • Sign your Social Security card. Do not laminate (put a plastic coathing on) your card.
  • Bring your Social Security card to the Office of Student Employment, Student Accounts & Financial Aid (Jackson Campus Center Room 205), so that you can be paid for your student employment.
  • Keep your Social Security card in a safe place. You should not carry it with you. Most students keep it with their immigration documents.