What Does a Legal Social Security Card Look like

The current social security card is able to perform its intended function for the lifetime of the number holder. Paper Social Security cards with little use or manipulation should last at least 50 years. Cards with moderate use or handling should last 35 to 50 years. Although SSA issues about 10 million Social Security replacement cards each year, this volume is the result of lost or damaged cards or the need to change the name on the card, not card fatigue. A Social Security Number (SSN) is a unique nine-digit number assigned to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or temporary residents who work. The SSN was founded in 1936 to track the earnings history of American workers for Social Security claims and benefit calculation purposes. Although the Social Security card was never intended to serve as a personal identification document, the SSN has also been used by many government agencies and other private entities to identify and track an individual`s financial history. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has made the SSN card tamper-proof. However, the SSN card is not used as proof of identity as it does not contain any personal information about the holder.

The following information was www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber/ from the U.S. Social Security Administration website. However, employers do not have the legal authority under Social Security law to require an employee to present their social security card. Neither the Social Security Act nor social security regulations require the presentation of the Social Security card to do business with SSA. To prove your immigration status: If you are not a U.S. citizen, Social Security must see your current U.S. citizen. Immigration documents. Acceptable documents include: An applicant can obtain a Social Security number and corresponding card by completing Form SS-5. For a complete list of information required for the Social Security Number application, such as documents proving age, identity, and U.S. citizenship or immigration status, see Form SS-5. The application and issuance of the SSN card is free of charge for all.

A description of the card types can be found in Appendix D. The Social Security card reliably serves only as official verification of the SSN assigned by SSA to the person whose name appears on the card. The card is not proof of the holder`s identity or citizenship/non-citizen status and has no transaction or data storage capabilities. Employers are advised to use the Social Security card to obtain an employee`s correct name and social security number when they first collect this information for payroll reporting purposes. On September 14, 1992, the SSA began printing the words “VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH INS AUTHORIZATION” on cards issued to non-citizens legally issued in the United States with temporary work permits. In these cases, employers must review the non-citizen`s INS document to determine if the non-citizen has an active work permit in the United States. In May 1982, the SSA began printing the words “NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT” on the social security cards of non-citizens who were not entitled to work. This legend was added because people increasingly need Social Security numbers for non-business purposes, such as: IRS tax return, and the INS is concerned that unauthorized people could use their Social Security numbers for work.

Because the IRS has begun assigning tax identification numbers to non-citizens for tax purposes if the non-citizen does not meet the requirements of an SSN, there are few valid reasons to issue a non-professional Social Security card. One of these reasons for issuing a non-work-related NSS is to receive federal benefits. A card marked “NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT” is not acceptable proof of eligibility for employment under CARI. The new online service allows individuals to obtain replacement Social Security cards through the Social Security Administration website: www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber A signature line and the word “signature” are pre-printed at the bottom of the card, and above the signature line is a blank space for the signature of the number holder. Social Security cards issued to certain non-citizens are labeled “Valid for work only with permission from the INS.” Other non-citizens have cards that say “Not valid for employment.” If these legends are applicable to a particular social security card, they will also be printed during the card issuance process. Since 1936, the U.S. Social Security Administration (“SSA”) has had U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents with a nine-digit Social Security number to track that person through the Social Security system. This number, formally printed on a card and given to each person, is increasingly used for identification purposes, including verifying the name and social security number of new employees.

It is a formal document and therefore follows certain official conventions. If you`re aware of these conventions, you may recognize a fake Social Security card or number if you`re tasked with verifying someone`s Social Security information.