A Social Security Number: Do I Need One as a Foreign Journalist?

MS. NISBET: Good morning and thanks for coming today in the wind and rain. I'd like to welcome John Shallman, the New York Regional Communications Director from Social Security Administration. He's going to give us an update on new policy decisions that have been made regarding the Social Security cards, how to go about getting one, and the benefits to having a Social Security card.

So with that, I will hand it over to Mr. Shallman. After his remarks, we'll open up the floor to questions. Please state your name and affiliation before asking a question. Thanks.

MR. SHALLMAN: Thank you and thank you very much to the Foreign Press Center for allowing Carmen Ross, my Senior Public Affairs Specialist, and me to come here today to speak with you about Social Security numbers. If you are temporarily in the United States for the purposes of working here, your employer is going to ask you for your Social Security number. Your employer uses that Social Security number to report your wages, your earnings, to the government. We at Social Security use that Social Security number to determine eligibility for Social Security benefits at a future date. So the bottom line, if you're here -- foreign workers, non-U.S. citizen workers here in the United States can get a Social Security number and a Social Security card.

First, however, you have to have documents from the Department of Homeland Security that verify your U.S. immigration status and also verify your eligibility to work here in the United States. Once you have those documents, you should apply for a Social Security card -- for a Social Security number.

It's very easy to do and let me just say, first of all, you all have in your chairs information packages that contain one very important fact sheet, and it's here on the left-hand side, and it really takes you through everything you need to know, including the documents you need to bring to apply for a Social Security number.

A Social Security number is free. You apply at a Social Security office, filling out one of these forms. It's called an SS-5 and I have enough here if anyone's interested. You have to show us original documents and sometimes that's a problem, but we need to see original documents proving your immigration status, proving your work eligibility, your age and, of course, your identity.

You take this completed application and the documents, as I said, to your local Social Security office. Here in Manhattan alone, I believe we have eight Social Security offices from Washington Heights all the way down to below Canal Street. In New York City alone, we have, I believe, 35 offices.

Does anyone here live or receive their mail in Brooklyn? Brooklyn has a special program that is a dedicated Social Security card center in Brooklyn. So if you live, or receive mail in Brooklyn, you have to go there. Anyone else can either go to that card center in Brooklyn or go to any one of our 35 offices in New York City or the eight offices here in Manhattan.

To prove your immigration status for us, you have to show your immigration document -- the I-94 -- the Arrival/Departure Record. If you're J-1 or a J-2, you must show your DS, that's a Department of State, DS Form 2019 or Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status.

Work eligibility: For most foreign workers we only need to see your I-94. That will indicate eligibility to us -- for some visas we will actually need to see that work permit card, the work authorization card that the Department of Homeland Security issues.

You also must present your birth certificate, if you can easily obtain it. If you cannot easily obtain your birth certificate, we can consider other documents, such as a passport or any document issued by the Department of Homeland Security that shows your age.

Identity: We will ask to see all your current U.S. immigration documents. That includes -- now, this is for intended immigrations -- your form I-551, which includes the machine readable stamp that you see in some passports, the I-551. Your I-94 with your unexpired foreign passport or a work permit card from the Department of Homeland Security. All documents must be either originals or copies certified by the originating agency -- originals or copies that that agency has certified as a certified good copy. We cannot accept photocopies and we do not accept notarized photocopies of documents.

We cannot accept a receipt showing that you applied for those documents. A receipt from that agency is not good enough for us. We may use one document for two purposes, obviously. As I mentioned, the I-94 can demonstrate many things: identity and it can demonstrate your work eligibility. So we can use one document for more than one purpose, but we have to establish the lawful U.S. immigration status, work eligibility, age and identity. Again, all of the information I'm telling you is contained in this information package.

Another question we get a lot is how long does it take to get a Social Security card once I've applied for it? I can't really tell you an exact date because we have to verify your documents with the Department of Homeland Security. Depending on their backlog, depending on how many people are already in line in front of you, I can't really say. Normally I would tell you it takes two weeks, but it's irresponsible of me to promise you that you will have your card in two weeks. It's up to another agency over which we have no real authority or control. They get to it in the order they are received. We work constantly with the Department of Homeland Security to streamline the process, but every once in a while I hear stories of significant times. And sometimes you have to come back and follow up and say, "I applied three months ago at this office. Can you tell me what the status is?" And we can look into it once you do that for us. But you need to remember where you filed your SS-5. Again, as I told you, we have eight offices in Manhattan. Remember which one you went to. That will help us greatly in tracking a delayed card application if you haven't received a card in a timely manner.

Here's another question, do you need to have your number before you start working? The Social Security Administration doesn't require you to have an SSN. That's not what we do. We issue a card that helps track your wages and we issue a number that helps us determine your eligibility for benefits at a later date. The number, you probably realize, has grown into something much larger than what it was originally intended for. It was never intended to be an identification document or to control your account at the local video store. That was never the purpose of the number.

So we don't require you to have a number before you start work, but the Internal Revenue Service requires employers to report those wages, as I mentioned before. They have to report your wages, what you earn here in the United States, to the Internal Revenue Service and the only way they can do that is with a Social Security number.

While you wait for a number, your employer can use a letter from us. We can give you a letter, if you come into our office, stating that you applied for a Social Security number. Your other immigration documents show that you're eligible to work, so with the combination of proof that you applied for a number, and your authorization to work, this should satisfy an employer.

Your employer can also find more information and, again, this is in the information packet, but feel free to mention this to your employer. On the socialsecurity.gov website there is information for employers who hire non-U.S. citizen workers and it has "frequently asked questions" for them: How do I take care of this? What if I can't get a number? How do I report these wages." And the instructions are there for them. But your purpose here today, from my understanding, is to streamline the process of applying for a Social Security card.

Let me give you a couple more "frequently asked questions." I always jot them down. And then we'll take your questions. One of the questions that we get a lot is -- Can I get my Social Security number from a U.S. embassy or consulate overseas? The answer to that is no, if you do not have an immigrant visa. Let me go back and say -- an immigrant is an intended permanent resident here. You -- most reporters come here on a temporary visa, and you eventually will return home.

You say, "But I have a visa." Well, the visa allows you to apply for entry at a border point in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security actually does the admitting or the excluding at the border point. So you must be lawfully admitted into the United States before you can apply, for a temporary worker, to apply for a Social Security number.

What if your card is lost or stolen -- this is after you get your card. You can replace your card or your child's card for free if it's stolen. However, you're limited now. Due to recent legislation, you are limited to three replacement cards a year. And over a lifetime you can get ten. Legal name changes -- there are some exceptions to that rule. If you get married and legally change your name that doesn't count against that 3-10 requirement, but changes -- and also changes from non-citizen or, correction, non-immigrant to immigrant status, those don't count against you either. You will have the same number and your name will be the same in our system. But if you go from non-immigrant to immigrant status here in the United States, we will issue a new card. We can issue you a new card for that. The card won’t say, "not authorized for work purposes" on it. You'll get a standard Social Security card.

Let me close it there. As I said, there's a great information package. I have SS-5’s, the application itself, which also contains instructions. And now, let me take your questions if you have any.

QUESTION: Andrew Purcell, BBC Radio. On an I-visa, I see having a good look at this document, I pretty much need to go to the Social Security center in Brooklyn for me --

MR. SHALLMAN: Right.

QUESTION: -- and the possible -- and the I-visa and the I-94 itself that's enough, right?

MR. SHALLMAN: Let me look at the I-visas here. I just happen to have a list because these are -- is everyone here on an I-visa, by the way, because I just noticed that is the Foreign Information Media. So everyone --

MS. NISBET: All the journalists have I-visas with the exception of a few that may have technical -- professional visas, which are, for example, an engineer inside a news organization.

MR. SHALLMAN: Let me repeat: you need proof of your lawful immigration status and you have that in your I-94. You need work eligibility, which is inherent in that I-visa. You need proof of your age and identify. If the documents you just asked me indicate -- or include all that, you fill out one of these forms. You go in person to 620 Fulton Street, the 6th floor, between the hours of 9 and 4:30; on Thursdays until 7:30 and apply.

Now, one advantage, you say, well, it's unfair for the residents of Brooklyn; in a sense, yes. There's only place you can go, but the good news for you is that we also have Department of Homeland Security people there at that unique facility, so it tends to go much more quickly at the Brooklyn card center, just something to consider.

Yes, ma'am.

QUESTION: I'm Kirsten Buzzi from the Daily News Norway. Can I also go to the Brooklyn office?

MR. SHALLMAN: Yes. You can go not only to the Brooklyn office, but you can go to any one of our 1300 field offices nationwide or the 35 that we have in New York City.

QUESTION: This sounds like a good idea to go to the Brooklyn location if they have everything.

MR. SHALLMAN: Yes. It’s conveniently located near the DeKalb Subway station and also near the Nevins Street stop on the 4 and 5 Trains.

MS. ROSS: But you can go to 48th Street.

MR. SHALLMAN: You can also go to Second Avenue between 41st and 42nd Street is our Grand Central office - only a few blocks east of Grand Central. Typically our hours are nine to 4:30. I would advise visiting our office anytime other than say the first three days of the month. That tends to be a very busy time and you may have a long wait. So right now's good, until the end of the month, you know, from February 1st through, say, February 5th. I think you can probably count that there will be a lot of people in those offices for our other benefits and programs that we administer. That's typical, but after that --

Also, lunch, obviously, is a more crowded time. But if you can go late afternoon or early morning, I think those are best for any of our offices, Brooklyn included.

Yes, ma'am.

QUESTION: Silvia Jelenz, Handelszeitung, Switzerland. Many journalists, I suppose, are paid by an employer back in their home country -- receive their salary there and they might pay their home country Social Security directly. What happens in that case?

MR. SHALLMAN: Well, -- we have treaties with certain countries where we can totalize your earnings here and your earnings there, where you could actually get credit in your own country, towards your own country's Social Security system. Likewise, if you stay here, your home country's work credits that you've earned can also count here when you totalize them, when you combine them with your earnings here in the United States. I think in this room, and I looked at the attendance list: Germany, Norway, United Kingdom, and Sweden --

MR. SHALLMAN: There's about 20 countries that we have these agreements with and there's several that are in works and in negotiation. But, needless to say, does that answer your question because -- wages that you earn here in the United States, would be reported to the IRS by your employer using your SSN.

You had your hand up first, sir.

QUESTION: Emmanuel St-Martin from Le Point French news magazine. I would like to make something here about work eligibility. Does that mean that -- your visa must allow you to work for an American employer?

MR. SHALLMAN: That question would best be directed to either the Department of State or Department of Homeland Security.

QUESTION: Is that the case with the I-visa?

MR. SHALLMAN: You know, the I-visa was a new one on me. But I notice here, and Carmen correct me if I'm wrong, on the I-visa it's a foreign information media and it just says -- part of the definition is "legal alien allowed to work." Maybe what you're thinking about -- a spouse or child; you know, the principal is allowed to work. I do not believe that that work eligibility, that work authorization extends to a spouse of an I (visa holder) or the children.

QUESTION: I don’t think it extends to us, that we're allowed to work for American companies. Is that right?

MS. ROSS: You’d have to ask the DOS what the I visa allows and doesn’t allow.

QUESTION: The I visa is not enough to work in the United States, only to work for the foreign company --

MR. SHALLMAN: Okay.

QUESTION: -- to come to United States.

MR. SHALLMAN: Okay. A J-1, for example, I mean, we deal a lot with students and visiting professors. And that is a, you know, the students in F-1, professors, I believe, typically come in under a J-1 visa or J-2. They are authorized to work for an American company and I know that first hand, because they come here and teach at American universities and are paid by those universities.

QUESTION: But the point is, having a Social Security number doesn't change our immigration status in any way.

MR. SHALLMAN: Absolutely not.

QUESTION: What if I freelance for an American company.

MR. SHALLMAN: The first part is, you are authorized to receive a Social Security number, assuming all your other documents are in order, on an I-visa, because that I-visa gives you eligibility to work in the United States, regardless of an American or foreign employer. I mean, I don't know that we even make that distinction.

Sir.

QUESTION: (Robert Greenan, Foreign Press Center) We have some journalists go to the Social Security offices with their I-visa and their other documentation and they've been asked for the work authorization card from the Department of Homeland Security. Holders of I-visas do not receive work authorization card because their employment rights are limited to the foreign media organization that sent them. What should they do in that instance?

MR. SHALLMAN: That is a great question and I'm going to have to take that back because I don't know how we resolve that. But that has come before where I said, inherent in a visa is the authorization to work and, therefore, the work authorization. Probably what they need to do if they talk to you, is you give me a call and we'll straighten it out. Unfortunately, we'll straighten it out one case at a time, but I hope that it is not such a prevalent problem that that's all we do all day. But, yeah, please call me.

QUESTION: Is there anything -- is there a magic word or something that these guys should say if they encounter that?

MS. ROSS: Well, what we'll try and do, once we establish the situation is to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Do you go to 48th Street or do you go somewhere else?

QUESTION: Many of them go to 48th Street.

MS. ROSS: If you go to one office, then we can streamline that situation for you. Once we get the documentation, we can establish what we call internally a precedent for that particular issue to handle those people who come to the office. But first, of course, we will need to know of the problem.

MR. SHALLMAN: Call me, in the meantime, because we want to straighten that out as quickly as possible. That does come up. As I said, there are as many visas as there letters of the alphabet and then some. But we can only fix that if you let us know, so please do. Please, let us know.

I believe you had your hand up, yes.

QUESTION: Yes, just a follow up. So if I go to Social Security Administration, should I then call yet to see or should I contact you in case I'd be asked for the work visa?

MR. SHALLMAN: You can -- either one. I don't mind. I will give my phone number out right here and now. I don't have enough business cards for everyone, I'm sorry. But I'll give it to you as well because maybe you as a focal point. But my phone number -- my name is John Shallman. And my phone number is area code 212/264-2500. And that's number's also -- so you can ask for John Shallman or Carmen Ross; she's also at that number.

QUESTION: Can you please, sir, repeat the number?

MR. SHALLMAN: Yes, area code 212/264-2500 -- 2500. Did you have a question?

QUESTION: Yes, sir. My name is Tahir Mahmood. I am from South Asian news agency. I am on I-visa and I already have a Social Security number, but my question regarding my spouse and my kids. So I'm trying the last eight months to get them Social Security numbers. I went to three or four offices, but they said if you have work authorization you bring work authorization.

MR. SHALLMAN: Right. That part is true.

QUESTION: Is my family eligible for Social Security cards.

MR. SHALLMAN: By the strict definition, no. The principal, the owner of that I-visa, you, are work authorized by definition; your spouse and your children are not. Now, while they are here, certain things may happen, changes may occur that would render them eligible for whatever reason to work here or even make them eligible for some federally funded benefit here in the United States or in New York. And in that case, I mean, it really is a case by case.

But let's say your child becomes eligible for a federally funded benefit while here, as the dependent of an I-visa holder, that child could get a Social Security number, but again, I can't tell you all of the reasons why we could render that child eligible. But, yes, in certain cases. Typically, the dependents of an I-visa holder are not authorized to work. And therefore we don't issue Social Security numbers anymore, to non-citizens, unless you're authorized to work. In the past we did.

And the biggest impact I think it had in the last year or two, if you were here for that, we stopped issuing Social Security numbers to people solely for the purpose of their obtaining a driver license here in New York or the United States. We no longer do that. We'll give a letter to that person explaining why they're not eligible for a Social Security number and they can then take that to the division or the department of motor vehicles and get a driver license. But we longer just issue Social Security numbers based on an application. If you're a foreign worker, you have to be authorized. If you're a non-citizen, you have to be authorized to work. And if you are a dependent of a non-U.S. citizen there has to be a reason -- typically that reason is to be, you know, they become eligible for a federally funded benefit, but otherwise no Social Security numbers.

Yes, ma'am.

QUESTION: Yes, Anna Oscarius with TV 4 Sweden. I was wondering – you said it's important to have the Social Security number before you start working. I'm a freelancer and wanted to pay taxes here (inaudible) and I've been working here for one year so I want to get my Social Security number now or I need it to pay taxes. But is that I going to be a problem but I didn't have it from the start --

MR. SHALLMAN: No.

QUESTION: -- when I want to pay taxes?

MR. SHALLMAN: Well, I mean, when you say is that going to be a problem, not for the Social Security Administration it wouldn't be a problem. We look at, do you have the documents that render you eligible for a Social Security number, if yes, here's your Social Security number. Your issue about taxes you would have to take up with the IRS, and I frankly don't know the answer to your question.

QUESTION: Okay. And you don't know then other -- what exact documents I need to pay the taxes -- I mean, when it comes (inaudible).

MR. SHALLMAN: Again, you're going to have to visit the IRS.

MS. ROSS: Are you a private contractor?

QUESTION: No, I'm on a contract with Swedish television, but it's a freelance --

MS. ROSS: Well, then you're a self-employed person and the IRS has a special ruling for you. And they have a wonderful website and they also have wonderful customer service people.

QUESTION: Okay.

MS. ROSS: But, if you cannot get through, because this is a special deal that we're here today, you can call (212) 264-2500 and we'll give you an IRS contact.

QUESTION: Thank you very much.

I saw a hand in the back. Was it you, sir? No, okay. Well, there's one and then you.

QUESTION: I understand that the card we get is not the regular card or (inaudible). Does it make any difference?

MR. SHALLMAN: Is it the regular card? I mean, if we have to issue a card to that dependent, in that rare case where the dependent gets a number, even though they're not usually eligible, it will say "not authorized for work purposes" on that card. But the card you get is the same card I get, the same card to anyone who is eligible.

QUESTION: Even get it with I-visa?

MR. SHALLMAN: You get the same card.

MS. ROSS: They only use one card.
Yes, sir.

QUESTION: Vladimir Lensky, Channel One Russia. Is there one location better to go to when dealing with "I" visas?

MR. SHALLMAN: There's two offices that handle the most volume -- obviously, our Grand Central office, which is almost adjacent to the UN, to the United Nations, has a great deal of experience in this. Our office on 48th Street, on the West Side, on 8th Avenue, also does this a lot. The Brooklyn card center also is very good. But all our offices -- for this region, the Social Security Administration is divided into ten regions.

We're divided into ten regions. New York typically has 10 percent of the nation's workload in filing for retirement and all of the other benefits, disability. But our enumeration workload, the workload for giving Social Security numbers to newly arrived immigrants and non-immigrants, we have about 30 percent of the nation's workload in that. Obviously, you asked the question are any offices more experienced than others? They're all very good at it; it's something they do on a regular basis.

MS. ROSS: Let me give you the address, the exact address, for 48th Street. It's 237 West 48th Street and they're located on the fifth floor. It's a regular condominium type of building.

MR. SHALLMAN: You might have to stand up. I don't know if everyone can hear you.

MS. ROSS: And then there's 755 Second Avenue at 42^nd Street on the third floor. It's the Grand Central United Nations office and 237 West 48th Street on the fifth floor is what we call our midtown office.

MR. SHALLMAN: That's around 8th Avenue.

Yes, ma'am.

QUESTION: I have a practical question. Birth certificates usually come in a foreign language. Do we need a translation?

MR. SHALLMAN: We do that.

MS. ROSS: We have a translation service.

MS. ROSS: We have -- in many offices we have our own people who translate or we send it out.

QUESTION: But you didn't really need that if you -- I mean, the passport should…

MR. SHALLMAN: Yeah, but we need at least two documents. You know, even if one document has everything we need, we still need two documents. That's our requirement.

QUESTION: Oh, okay.

MR. SHALLMAN: And many people bring in a birth certificate and many people bring in translations of same, and we don't use that. In New York City, in our offices, we speak 62 languages, I think, last count. So it hasn't been a problem yet.

QUESTION: Okay. And the visa and the passport is not counted as those two documents?

MR. SHALLMAN: Well, as I said, sometimes we can use the same document for more than one -- for age and identify, passport. But we still need two documents, so you'll still need something else. We can't just have you come in with one document and say, here's everything you need to know about me.

QUESTION: (Ms. Oscarius, TV Sweden) What about a Swedish driver's license? Would that be sufficient?

MR. SHALLMAN: You know what, that is so technical I don't know what they'd have to say about that in the field office. You must have something else.

In this form here, in the information package, they give you some examples of identity documents: an I-94, the work permit card, an I-551, which probably doesn't apply here but those types of things.

QUESTION: There used to be a credit card in that list. Is this no longer --

MR. SHALLMAN: I don't believe credit cards are listed. To my knowledge, they've never been accepted.

QUESTION: Siu-Wai Cheung, Ta Kung Pao, China. What about foreign citizen's cards? In many countries there is a citizen's card. Everybody carries that around. For instance, I'm from Hong Kong. We have a citizen card and the police require you to carry it whatever time when you move out of your home. And the police have the authority to stop you whenever they feel like to. So that card could be a government-issued document, which is substitute to the passport. So you may have two, although they are issued by one government.

MR. SHALLMAN: I mean, typically you're going to have I-94, if you are here as a temporary worker from another country, you're going to get an I-94. That I-94, I don't believe it gets ever stamped in your passport, so right away now you've got a passport and an I-94. As for your card specifically, I frankly don't know. They would have to look at it.

If they can prove or they can verify that that is a valid document, maybe they could accept it. But the bottom line is, if you have a birth certificate, if you have an I-94, if you have a passport, these are great documents to use.

Any other questions? Sir.

QUESTION: Shinichi Ikeo, Toyko Shimbun. How do you get Social Security number to apply for a driver's license? I got the Social Security number five years ago when I was here. I came back here and I tried to apply for a driver's license.

MR. SHALLMAN: Here in New York?

QUESTION: Yes, in New York. So I submitted my Social Security number to them, but they found misspelling for my name. My name is Ikeo, i-k-e-o, but it was spelled i-k-e-u. So the driver license department said to me that you should fix on my Social Security number. I cannot fix my Social Security number.

MR. SHALLMAN: They have to match and we have the same agreement with the IRS. So what you need to do is to come into one of our offices and make sure that we have the spelling of your name correct.

QUESTION: Well, yes, I come in -- I submit again. I applied for Social Security. But if you want to change your name on your Social Security card, do you have to show proof of name changing?

MR. SHALLMAN: Well, you're not changing your name; you're correcting a mistake that we made when we issued you your card in the first place. That's different.

MS. ROSS: I had to do the same thing about a year ago. Have you already gone in to change it?

QUESTION: Yes.

MS. ROSS: Have they given you trouble?

QUESTION: I think it's in the process now.

MR. SHALLMAN: Okay. Well, you have our phone number, right? I mean, if you have any more problems, I'd like for you to give us a call.

MS. ROSS: How long has it been?

QUESTION: Two weeks ago.

MS. ROSS: If any of you file for a Social Security number and you don't hear back from us, either by receiving the card, the actual card, or you don't get a letter from us saying that we have a question about the documentation you offered us, please call us back within a three-week period. Because we keep the actual application, the original application in the office, and then after a period of 30 days, we get rid of the original documentation. If you're having a problem and we can locate the original documentation, we just re-input it on the computer and the process is started over again. But if we do not have the original documentation, then you have to go back in the office and provide the documents that you supplied originally and we have to start all over again. It’s incumbent upon you to kind of keep track of how long it's been since you filed the application.

You're okay. Two weeks and you should hear next week. Two weeks and you should get a new card.

MR. SHALLMAN: Carmen, if you could just make sure he has our number and we can follow-up, we can help him follow-up on that.

Anyone else?

QUESTION: Yes. I'm Kirsten, Dagbladet, Norway. What are the consequences of not getting a Social Security number?

MR. SHALLMAN: Well, it depends. What are the consequences? One, your employer cannot report your wages correctly to the Internal Revenue Service, as Ms. Ross said. And you are not collecting eligibility points towards some distant date when you may want to -- or you may be eligible for Social Security benefits, okay, if that's likely. So those are the consequences.

So what are the consequences, I think the two big ones are your employer cannot report your wages to the U.S. Government. Take that for what it's worth. And you're not getting credit for the money that you earned towards, you know, an eventual eligibility for retirement, survivor's, you know, disability benefits here in the United States.

MS. ROSS: And Norway is a Totalization country.

MR. SHALLMAN: So your credit -- what she means is everything you earn here can be combined with everything that you earn in Norway.

QUESTION: We have a tax agreement, I know. But I haven't quite decided yet how things work. If I stay about two months or two years, it depends – it might be two days, so --

MR. SHALLMAN: If you're eligible for a Social Security number, I would recommend you apply for one now, because you never know the way the laws are going to change in the future.

Yes, ma'am in the back row.

QUESTION: It’s not a journalistic question -- is there any plan of turning the Social Security then into some kind of an ID, like most countries have?

MR. SHALLMAN: There are always debates going back and forth, but right now, no. It's nothing official. Right now, the Social Security number for our purposes is used to track your wages, track the earnings that you report to the government and to determine eligibility for programs administered by the Social Security Administration.
QUESTION: But the main document then now is more like the driver's license.

MR. SHALLMAN: For identification? Well, I think a passport is probably the one -- the unique document in any country for identification.

QUESTION: Johan Fernandez, The Star, Malaysia. I just would like to find out in case of new families coming into this country, is there a timeframe for which they must serve here for them to be eligible for Social Security card?

MR. SHALLMAN: No, not really. If you arrive here, if you have the documents from Homeland Security that verify your lawful U.S. immigration status as an I-visa holder, verify your eligibility to work, again, inherent in that visa; no, there's no minimum time.

MS. NISBET: Any more questions?

MR. SHALLMAN: Have we really answered all your questions?

MS. NISBET: I don't know if any of you would like to approach him with some one on one. This usually happens.

MR. SHALLMAN: Carmen and I will be happy to stay here and take your individual questions, as long as we can still have the room. I don't want to presume.

MS. NISBET: You've got it for the duration. Thank you so much.

MR. SHALLMAN: Thank you very much.