Can someone work on a 'not valid for work' social security card and does the social security office have a record of it and is there any way someone can find out if it's valid or not?

Answer 1

The Social Security Administration issues social security numbers to most individuals who immigrate here or are legal aliens. Typically the "Not Valid For Employment" moniker means the SSA issued the card and number when you were considered a legal alien with a status that does not allow you to work, although some conditional statuses do in fact allow you to work even though your SS Card says otherwise. An example of such a status is a student visa, in which students are allowed to work for pay in the US as long as it is required for the degree; such as required internship or co/op. The SSA has no "official" knowledge of your status, and stamps it as such. This means you need to prove your eligibility to work in another way. This can usually be done through an International Students Office of a university, or if you are in the process of becoming a legal immigrant (not an alien), the USCIS will send you a card stating that you are eligible to work, called an EAD or Employment Authorization, and it will contain an expiration date. Employers are obligated by federal law to submit your social security number and could be prosecuted or penalized if they hire someone with a status that does not allow them to work. The Social Security Administration does not determine whether you are eligible to work, but the USCIS does. The Department of Homeland Security has the legal right to research and find people who are working out of status (i.e. a 601 SSN, and coordinate with the USCIS to verify that they are indeed working out of status. Typically, if you are working out of status, you will violate your visa or status requirements and therefore lose it, resulting in deportation hearings.