<human>: Hi good people of reddit,

I am a sponsored international student and moved into the US (Delaware) 3 months ago. I will stay in the US 6-7 more years (as much as my Masters and Phd will take). Now, I am holding a J1 visa and I need to have a SSN number for following reasons.

1- According to all the research I conducted, I need to have a credit card to build a credit score, yet I cannot have it since I do not have history. It is like a chicken-egg paradox. Anyway, I went to the PNC Bank to solve this issue, they offered me to a prepaid credit card for first year then will replace it to the normal credit card. However, they told me that I needed to have a SSN number.

2-  I need a drivers license.

3- I want to use Google Wallet, and the app asks me to write down the last four digit of SSN number.

I am not employed and I do not intend to have job. Besides, I am a student of University of Delaware in English Language Institute. My government can issue a sponsorship document that showing my status of education, my stipend, my health insurance and so on.

Am I eligible to have a SSN number, if so how should I apply one?

Thanks in advance.

Can you provide a brief rundown of the text in within 3 sentences?
<bot>: A resident alien holding a J1 visa, wants to have a SSN number; however, do not know where to apply and whether is eligible or not.