Release date: Aug. 9, 2005
Contact: Elaine Justice at 404-727-0643 or elaine.justice@emory.edu

Emory Staffers Helps International Students
Who Don't Have Social Security Numbers

"The Social Security number is rapidly becoming a national I.D. number, and this is a real problem for some of our international students and scholars," says Lelia Crawford, director of Emory University's International Student and Scholar Programs office.

Many businesses now require Social Security numbers before providing service, including banks, appliance rental companies and apartment complexes. While this concerns privacy activists, the problems are more practical for immigrants and international students.

The Social Security Administration implemented a new policy last year that requires international students to have evidence of employment or an offer of employment before a Social Security number will be issued, says Crawford. Previously, students simply had to be of employable status to be eligible for a number.

U.S. law clearly stipulates that Social Security numbers are for employment purposes only and that service providers cannot require prospective customers to give one, but the actual practice is far different, says Crawford.

To help its international students overcome some of these difficulties, Emory staffers have been reaching out to local businesses to ensure that university students will have access to their services. While still a work in progress, Crawford's office has compiled a list of local vendors who will not require a Social Security number from Emory's international students.

For more information on this and other issues faced by international students attending U.S. colleges and universities, call Lelia Crawford at 404-727-3300 or lcrawfo@emory.edu.

Emory University is known for its demanding academics, outstanding undergraduate college of arts and sciences, highly ranked professional schools and state-of-the-art research facilities. For nearly two decades Emory has been named one of the country's top 25 national universities by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to its nine schools, the university encompasses The Carter Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Emory Healthcare, the state's largest and most comprehensive health care system.

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