Want a job, loan, benefits? You may need a Social Security card. Here's how to get one.

Americans originally received Social Security numbers to allow the government to track their job earnings over their lifetimes and calculate retirement benefits. But now, it’s much more than that.

That nine-digit number printed as a Social Security card often is used as a national identifier for taxes, or to open bank accounts, get loans, government assistance, passports, and driver’s licenses. Hospitals give parents of newborns a Social Security form to complete even before they take the baby home.

But if you weren’t born in the U.S. or somehow never completed a form, how much does it cost and how do you get one? First of all, it’s free. Second, we’ll walk you through the steps here.

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What documents do I need?

You must provide at least two original or certified documents to prove age, identity, U.S. citizenship or current lawful, work-authorized immigration status. If you’re not legally authorized to work, you must prove you have a valid non-work reason for requesting a Social Security card.

What can I use to prove citizenship?

A U.S. birth certificate or a U.S. passport.

What if I am a non-citizen adult?

To prove your U.S. immigration status, you must present your current U.S. immigration document, such as:

Form I-551 (Lawful Permanent Resident Card, Machine Readable Immigrant Visa) with your unexpired foreign passport.

I-766 EAD or "work permit".

I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record) or admission stamp in the unexpired foreign passport.

Students can show I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status).

Exchange visitors must show DS-2019 (Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status).

To prove work eligibility, you’ll need:

I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record) or admission stamp in the unexpired foreign passport showing a class of admission permitting work. Some foreign workers must show their I-766 EAD or "work permit."

Students need an official letter from the school as well as a letter from the employer or sponsor identifying you, work details, school status, and contact information.