Social Security Applications The third important federal record for modern immigrants is the Social Security application form. Most family historians know about the death index, derived from Social Security data, but they may not have learned about the record on which that index is based. There are surely more immigrants in this collection than any of the others we have discussed, but due to its relatively recent nature, only the later immigrants usually appear in this record. Thus it serves as an excellent complement to the passports and draft registrations discussed above. Lest anyone become confused, we are not discussing the Social Security Death Master File (or Death Index as it is sometimes called). That is simply an index to most of the persons who died, generally after 1962, who had social security numbers. What is important to modern immigration research is the actual application form that residents filled out to obtain a Social Security number. Called an SS-5 form (see our sample SS-5 form), it is a brief form with limited, but crucial, information. No larger than a half sheet of paper, the form asked sixteen questions, including the applicant's complete name, address, occupation or employer (with address), age, sex, race, date of application, signature, parent's names and the date and specific place of birth. Naturalization information was not requested, nor does citizenship seem to have been required to obtain a social security number. Of course, women who applied (many did not in the early years) would have their own cards.