All employees of Boston University must have a valid Social Security number for tax purposes. International students may begin working and be paid while their application for a Social Security number is being processed.

If the student does not provide a valid Social Security number during any point of the hiring process, the student must provide this to Student Employment by the end of the calendar year.

Students who update their record with their Social Security Number after their initial hire may submit the information through one of the following options. Government identification should not be shared through regular email or phone.

  • To submit in person, the student should go to the FirstPoint counter at 881 Commonwealth Ave, 2nd floor with their Social Security Number card and BU ID.
  • To submit electronically, the student should send a secure email with the subject “SSN Submission”. If the hyperlink does not work, the full link is: https://securecontact.me/seo@bu.edu. Students should use their BU email. The email message must include full Social Security Number and UID.

Departments should contact Student Employment if they have questions.

Note: Students may not apply for a tax treaty until they have Social Security numbers.