getting paid without a SSN?

Hi,

I am currently working in the USA on a TN visa.

I have applied for a SSN and the process takes upto 4 weeks to get a number. My employer has a copy of this letter and is saying that they cannot release payment without the SSN. I read online that as long as they have my ITIN , they can generate a temporary number and release payment. They cannot send me pay stubs and can back date them later, but they can release payment.

Can someone guide me on this?

thanks

The issue is not whether you have an ITIN or not; that does not matter.

Technically, the only thing you need to begin working is your TN, and proof that you have applied for SSN.

However almost all companies have internal policies that prevent payrolling you.

This is easily overcome by paying you an "advance" or whatever scheme they wish, and then back paying you later when you have SSN.

It is a matter of convincing HR to do this.

You would need to get a copy of this so-called letter to verify the source of this inaccurate info.

http://www.ssa.gov/employer/hiring.htm

Technically, the only thing you need to begin working is your TN, and proof that you have applied for SSN.

However almost all companies have internal policies that prevent payrolling you.

Generally universities (which may add hundreds of foreign TA's/RA's to the payroll every September) will payroll someone pending the receipt of the actual SSN by using a dummy SSN--as the OP suggests. Private companies encounter this situation with far less frequency and usually aren't equipped to handle it (their software may not deal with it even if they would want to be accomodating).

An advance is usually the best bet as agnelson suggests.

Agreed with above.
Ask your employer to give you an advance. That's what I did and they then deducted it off my first pay.
In my case, the employer couldn't even enter my info into their payroll system without an SSN number.