USCIS has announced a directive now in place that should make things a little easier during the adjustment of status application process. Per the website, “applicants filing for lawful permanent resident status are now able to apply for a Social Security number (SSN) or replacement card” in conjunction with the adjustment. Previously, applicants would appear at a local Social Security Administration (SSA) office.

However, Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, has been redesigned and will now “include the additional questions needed to apply for an SSN or a replacement card.“ The USCIS’s partnership with the SSA will not only facilitate the process for transitioning to a lawful permanent resident, but the efficiency involved better serves the mutual interests of the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Homeland Security and SSA.

Of great importance, this change will facilitate the obligation of a current holder of an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to comply with IRS and SSA requirements, since a holder of an ITIN must inform the IRS when that taxpayer now has a Social Security Number. The SSN supersedes the status of the ITIN as an identifying 9-digit number to the IRS and more accurately identifies the taxpayer, both in individual and business taxes as well as the SSA. USCIS states that “after approving Form I-485,in most cases USCIS will electronically transmit the data to the Social Security Administration” and that original or replacement SSN card will be issued, as appropriate. Additionally, the fee will not increase.

Lastly, this change to Form I-485 is effective immediately.

To read the original USCIS news release, click here.