Green Card
by Debbie McGoldrickRSS 
Recent Posts
- Extending your stay with a 90 day holiday waiver - is it possible?
- Renewing my Irish child’s US passport without getting her American Dad involved
- Having divorced my American wife can I get my new Irish girlfriend a visa?
- I-94 arrival and departure cards in United States will soon be obsolete
- Can I reclaim an old Green Card and move back to the US?
Archives
Social security issues
“I lived in the U.S. 10 years ago with a green card. Unfortunately, I never bothered to apply for citizenship when I had the chance. I am back in the U.S. now, and I have a couple of questions. First, is the Social Security number that was issued to me all of those years ago still valid, and can I use it for work purposes, and to also obtain a driver’s license? If I use a Social Security number for work, will the U.S. government have any way of knowing that I let my green card lapse and that I’m now here illegally?”
The Social Security number that you received all those years ago is still valid and will always be valid. As you were a permanent resident at the time the card would have been issued without restriction – the Social Security Administration also issues cards to temporary residents that clearly note the card’s validity for work only with Department of Homeland Security authorization, and to non-citizens whose cards note that they are not valid for employment at all.
