[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 20, Volume 2]
[Revised as of April 1, 2008]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 20CFR422.107]

[Page 1261-1263]
 
                      TITLE 20--EMPLOYEES' BENEFITS
 
               CHAPTER III--SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
 
PART 422_ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURES--Table of Contents
 
                      Subpart B_General Procedures
 
Sec. 422.107  Evidence requirements.

    (a) General. An applicant for an original social security number 
card must submit documentary evidence that the Commissioner of Social 
Security regards as convincing evidence of age, U.S. citizenship or 
alien status, and true identity. An applicant for a replacement social 
security number card must submit convincing documentary evidence of 
identity and may also be required to submit convincing documentary 
evidence of age and U.S. citizenship or alien status. An applicant for 
an original or replacement social security number card is also required 
to submit evidence to assist us in determining the existence and 
identity of any previously assigned number(s). A social security number 
will not be assigned, or an original or replacement card issued, unless 
all the evidence requirements are met. An in-person interview is 
required of an applicant who is age 12 or older applying for an original 
social security number except for an alien who requests a social 
security number as part of the immigration process as described in Sec. 
422.103(b)(3). An in-person interview may also be required of other 
applicants. All documents submitted as evidence must be originals or 
copies of the original documents certified by the custodians of the 
original records and are subject to verification.
    (b) Evidence of age. An applicant for an original social security 
number is required to submit convincing evidence of age. An applicant 
for a replacement social security number card may also be required to 
submit evidence of age. Examples of the types of evidence which may be 
submitted are a birth certificate, a religious record showing age or 
date of birth, a hospital record of birth, or a passport. (See Sec. 
404.716.)
    (c) Evidence of identity. An applicant for an original social 
security number

[[Page 1262]]

or a replacement social security number card is required to submit 
convincing documentary evidence of identity. Documentary evidence of 
identity may consist of a driver's license, identity card, school 
record, medical record, marriage record, passport, Department of 
Homeland Security document, or other similar document serving to 
identify the individual. The document must contain sufficient 
information to identify the applicant, including the applicant's name 
and (1) the applicant's age, date of birth, or parents' names; and/or 
(2) a photograph or physical description of the individual. A birth 
record is not sufficient evidence to establish identity for these 
purposes.
    (d) Evidence of U.S. citizenship. Generally, an applicant for an 
original or replacement social security number card may prove that he or 
she is a U.S. citizen by birth by submitting a birth certificate or 
other evidence, as described in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, 
that shows a U.S. place of birth. Where a foreign-born applicant claims 
U.S. citizenship, the applicant for a social security number or a 
replacement social security number card is required to present 
documentary evidence of U.S. citizenship. If required evidence is not 
available, a social security number card will not be issued until 
satisfactory evidence of U.S. citizenship is furnished. Any of the 
following is generally acceptable evidence of U.S. citizenship for a 
foreign-born applicant:
    (1) Certificate of naturalization;
    (2) Certificate of citizenship;
    (3) U.S. passport;
    (4) U.S. citizen identification card issued by the Department of 
Homeland Security;
    (5) Consular report of birth (State Department form FS-240 or FS-
545); or
    (6) Other verification from the Department of Homeland Security, 
U.S. Department of State, or Federal or State court records confirming 
citizenship.
    (e) Evidence of alien status--(1) General evidence rules. When a 
person who is not a U.S. citizen applies for an original social security 
number or a replacement social security number card, he or she is 
required to submit, as evidence of alien status, a current document 
issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service in accordance with 
that agency's regulations. The document must show that the applicant has 
been lawfully admitted to the United States, either for permanent 
residence or under authority of law permitting him or her to work in the 
United States, or that the applicant's alien status has changed so that 
it is lawful for him or her to work. If the applicant fails to submit 
such a document, a social security number card will not be issued. If 
the applicant submits an unexpired Immigration and Naturalization 
Service document(s) which shows current authorization to work, a social 
security number will be assigned or verified and a card which can be 
used for work will be issued. If the authorization of the applicant to 
work is temporary or subject to termination by the Immigration and 
Naturalization Service, the SSA records may be so annotated. If the 
document(s) does not provide authorization to work and the applicant 
wants a social security number for a work purpose, no social security 
number will be assigned. If the applicant requests the number for a 
nonwork purpose and provides evidence documenting that the number is 
needed for a valid nonwork purpose, the number may be assigned and the 
card issued will be annotated with a nonwork legend. The SSA record will 
be annotated to show that a number has been assigned and a card issued 
for a nonwork purpose. In that case, if earnings are later reported to 
SSA, the Immigration and Naturalization Service will be notified of the 
report. SSA may also notify that agency if earnings are reported for a 
social security number that was valid for work when assigned but for 
which work authorization expired or was later terminated by the 
Immigration and Naturalization Service. SSA may also annotate the record 
with other remarks, if appropriate.
    (2) Additional evidence rules for F-1 students--(i) Evidence from 
your designated school official. If you are an F-1 student and do not 
have a separate DHS employment authorization document as described in 
Sec. 422.105(a) and you are not authorized for curricular practical 
training (CPT) as shown on

[[Page 1263]]

your SEVIS Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) 
Student Status, you must give us documentation from your designated 
school official that you are authorized to engage in employment. You 
must submit your SEVIS Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for 
Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status. You must also submit documentation 
from your designated school official that includes:
    (A) The nature of the employment you are or will be engaged in, and
    (B) The identification of the employer for whom you are or will be 
working.
    (ii) Evidence of your employment. You must also provide us with 
documentation that you are engaging in, or have secured, employment; 
e.g., a statement from your employer.
    (f) Failure to submit evidence. If the applicant does not comply 
with a request for the required evidence or other information within a 
reasonable time, SSA may attempt another contact with the applicant. If 
there is still no response, a social security number card will not be 
issued.
    (g) Invalid or expired documents. SSA will not issue an original or 
replacement social security number card when an applicant presents 
invalid or expired documents. Invalid documents are either forged 
documents that supposedly were issued by the custodian of the record, or 
properly issued documents that were improperly changed after they were 
issued. An expired document is one that was valid for only a limited 
time and that time has passed.

[55 FR 46665, Nov. 6, 1990, as amended at 60 FR 32446, June 22, 1995; 62 
FR 38456, July 18, 1997; 63 FR 56555, Oct. 22, 1998; 68 FR 55308, Sept. 
25, 2003; 69 FR 55076, Sept. 13, 2004; 70 FR 74651, Dec. 16, 2005]