Anyone else have a SS #?

Hi there all,

I was wondering if there might be ANYONE in a similar situation.

I came to the states when I was five years old (back in 1990), and at the time, social security numbers were quite easy to get. All you had to do was ask for one. However, my card does have a "Not Valid to Work" stamped on it.

I've waitressed and babysat over the years, told understanding employers about my situation, and they've been fine since my SS# lets me actually be on payroll and properly pay taxes. None of these jobs came with benefits or were full-time, and all employers knew who they were hiring.

I've just been offered a full-time, full-salary job with benefits, that I desperately want to take. The issue is this: I can easily give my SS# to them, be paid like anyone else, and they'll never know. BUT, what I've always been squeamish about is having to lie on the W-2 I'll inevitably have to fill out - in the section that asks whether I am legally authorized to work in the US. I just worry constantly that when it comes time for me to apply for citizenship, that lie will come back to completely mess everything up.

Anyhow, it's a decision I have to make (and soon), and it's really making me anxious. I have both a college and master's degree, live in NYC, and am so sick and tired of waiting tables or chasing after toddlers.

So does anyone else have a situation like this? If so, what did you do? If not, what WOULD you do?

As supportive as family and friends are, they're not me and don't fully understand how it feels to be in this predicament. Whatever choice I make, will either benefit or hinder me- and only me.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

I think it's a small lie, that in all probability won't carry heavy repercussions. Hell, every CIR reform law I ve seen requires illegals immigrants to pay or have paid their back taxes. But the only way for illegals to be paying taxes is either through fraudulent documents or by saying you re legally allowed to work in the country.

When I was in college, I also had an SSN and I worked more than the 20 hours allowed by the visa and the guy who was my first employer was in the State Dept or something, like in the security establishment; he was the one who told me to not worry about working more than 20 hours.

I have a SS also. I got it back in 1997 when I had a pending case with Immigration. Mine says "Not valid for employment without INS authorization." I use it to work though with no issues at all.

So what do you plan on doing when HR asks to see your SS# card and notices that it states, "Not Valid to Work" ?

i also have one with the "not valid for employment." I used it to get a job in high school, and when they asked to see my card, i photoshopped the "not valid for employment" part out of it and just gave them a copy. nothing ever went wrong, i was on the payroll and paid taxes.

i haven't done anything like that since because i don't want to risk anything. I imagine that if you get a full time job with benefits, they would need to see the actual card.

lucky you....most places want to see the card and then make a copy.

I heard rumors that when they run it through e-verify they can tell if it is a "not valid for employment" SS#, anybody know if it is true???

Yes, it's true. Mine says : "valid for employment only with INS authorization."

I found a great job at a very high scale real state management firm. Guess what? they didn't ask to see my card. They only asked for 2 forms of ID. I gave them my passport, and my Driver's license, when I filled out the form, they must have ran my SS through e-verify because 3 days later I received a call from HR asking me to come in with my green card and SS card because their background check turned up that it could not be confirmed that I was an eligible non-citizen. Those were they words. I was floored. The salary was more than I had ever dreamed of at the time.

I've been e-verified at least 3 times, had criminal/background checks done and never had a problem.

...idk, maybe it's the fact that the amount of money I make for them dwarfs the fine they would have to pay?

I'm sometimes tempted to setup a company sign up for everify and run my own ssn just to see what it pulls up.

So Diplok: What did you do/say when they asked you to come in with those things?

I called the day I was due in and said I was withdrawing my application as I had gotten a better offer.