Uscis Laminated Social Security Card

Do not laminate your card.

Uscis laminated social security card.

While the social security administration ssa discourages individuals from laminating their social security cards the u s citizenship and immigration services uscis guidance indicates an. The social security administration ssa advises cardholders not to laminate social security cards. Citizen or lawful permanent resident you may have a work restriction listed on your card. However you may cover the card with plastic or other removable material if it does not damage the card.

Link see questions 31 33 there is no official guidance on i 9 central uscis webpage for i 9 questions or in the m 274 regarding laminated social security cards. All cards show your name and social security number. If your employee presents a restricted social security card ask the employee to provide a different document from list c or a document from list a. For a period of time the answer was no.

Over the years the uscis has had varying positions on whether a laminated card was acceptable. We issue three types of social security cards. If the card states on the back not valid if laminated then the laminated social security card is not valid. You must accept any document s from the lists of acceptable documents that reasonably appear to be genuine and to relate to the person presenting them.

Then the agency s position morphed into they are acceptable unless the card on the back indicates that it was not valid if laminated and sure enough many cards had that notation. Lamination prevents detection of many security features. If the card states on the back not valid if laminated then the laminated social security card is not valid. Metal or plastic reproductions of social security cards are not acceptable for form i 9 purposes.

The rule used to be that if the card itself said not valid if laminated then the card was not valid for list c purposes so i would stick with this latest rule. If you are not a u s. The revised uscis form includes additional questions that allow applicants to apply for an ssn or replacement card without visiting a social security office.