Thread: Illegal aliens are not eligible for Social Security Retireme

Illegal aliens are not eligible for Social Security Retirement Benefits

Thursday, July 30th 2009, 4:00 AM

Q. Can my out-of-status father get Social Security retirement benefits? My father came here legally with a work permit. That permit has long expired. He is a now retired, having worked here as a doctor. He has paid taxes and contributed to his Social Security account. Now that he is retired, he wants to claim his federal benefits. E.R., New York

A. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for Social Security Retirement Benefits. Those benefits are available only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. That's true even though many undocumented immigrants, like your father, pay into Social Security. Undocumented immigrants have paid billions of dollars into the system and get nothing in return. If your father ever does get permanent residence, he may then start collecting his retirement benefits.

Q. I have tried to get permanent residence, but failed each time. Now that my mother is a U.S. citizen, can she petition for me? Can I interview here for permanent residence? I came here when I was just 2-1/2 years old. Now I am 25, having never left the United States. My previous attempts to get permanent residence have been futile, but I'm hoping now that my mom has naturalized, she can petition for me. Ivette, Brooklyn

A. A U.S. citizen can petition for her children of any age, married or unmarried. Whether you can get permanent residence here depends on when and how you made your "futile attempts" at getting permanent residence. If an employer or relative filed for you for permanent residence by April 30, 2001, you can interview here by paying a $1,000 filing penalty. Otherwise, you must travel to your home country for your final immigrant visa interview with all of the risks that entails.

A. I see no risk in your friend getting an ITIN number in her own name. In fact, I recommend it. If Congress ever passes a legalization program, having gotten and used an ITIN will help applicants prove her presence in the United States.

ITIN is a number issued by the Internal Revenue Service for tax filing purposes. Even if someone earned so little that the law doesn't require filing a tax return, filing a return is a good idea if for no other reason than to get the ITIN. Beyond establishing presence in the U.S., many undocumented immigrants want an ITIN for banking and other purposes. The ITIN is a handy substitute. Under current rules however, you can get the ITIN only when filing a tax return. To get an ITIN, you must have a legal obligation to file a return. You have that obligation if you earned $400 or more as an independent contractor, you are self-employed or your employer doesn't report your income to the IRS. If you earned very little last year, you can probably file a tax return reporting your income and get an ITIN without having to pay a cent in taxes. Examples of an independent contractors are day laborers and part-time housekeepers. If you worked for an employer who deducted taxes from your salary, you may file a tax return no matter the amount you earned. Even if you are undocumented, if your employer deducted taxes from your salary, you may be eligible for a refund, regardless of whether you filed using an ITIN or a Social Security number.

Note that the ITIN does not authorize you to work in the U.S. It is for record keeping purposes only. Still, some employers hire undocumented immigrants and report their worker's income using the ITIN. According to tax expert Eileen Glassman of the upstate Newburgh accounting firm of Goldstein, Karlewicz and Goldstein, LLP, if you or your employer report income using an ITIN number then later you get a valid Social Security card, you can ask the SSA to reconcile any retirement accounts that you create. For more information, go to www.irs.gov or www.ssa.gov.

Professor Wernick's Web site: www.allanwernick.com.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/bro ... z0MsK2kHTL

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A. I see no risk in your friend getting an ITIN number in her own name. In fact, I recommend it. If Congress ever passes a legalization program, having gotten and used an ITIN will help applicants prove her presence in the United States.

Illegal Aliens get ITIN numbers and buy houses.

Someone please explain to me why the IRS isn't violating federal law?

If it's against federal law for illegal aliens to have a job in the US, but somehow illegals can get an ITIN from the IRS to report their "wages", how does that make sense? Why don't we use ITINs to find and deport illegal aliens?!?!?! Why aren't employers penalized to hiring illegals via ITINs??

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Illegal aliens are not eligible for Social Security Retirement Benefits

A. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for Social Security Retirement Benefits. Those benefits are available only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. That's true even though many undocumented immigrants, like your father, pay into Social Security. Undocumented immigrants have paid billions of dollars into the system and get nothing in return. If your father ever does get permanent residence, he may then start collecting his retirement benefits.

Excuse me, but would someone please tell me how undocumented "immigrants" pay into Social Security or how they pay taxes? I was under the impression that the only way that has happened in the past is when Illegals commit identity theft and use someone else's Social Security Number, thereby leaving the actual SS Number's owner holding the bag for the taxes.

The person referred to above said his father came here under a work permit, which would give him a document. But undocumented workers have no papers, so how can they pay into Social Security or pay taxes? A work permit makes a migrant worker legal. An Illegal Migrant who has come into the country Illegally has no way of obtaining legal papers without giving one's self away. This should be clarified so that we can make those distinctions accurately.

There is something wrong with the ITIN process if it allows Illegals to register their names with employers without a Social Security card to begin with. And of course, employers who use that method of registering workers without Social Security Numbers are going against the law as well!

All employees within the United States are required to show valid citizenship Identification or work permits. If the ITIN is conducting registration of Illegals, then isn't that aiding and abetting illegal activity committed by those who cross the border illegally? I am asking the question and I think everyone else should, as well!

Originally Posted by MarkM

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Illegal aliens are not eligible for Social Security Retirement Benefits

A. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for Social Security Retirement Benefits. Those benefits are available only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. That's true even though many undocumented immigrants, like your father, pay into Social Security. Undocumented immigrants have paid billions of dollars into the system and get nothing in return. If your father ever does get permanent residence, he may then start collecting his retirement benefits.

Excuse me, but would someone please tell me how undocumented "immigrants" pay into Social Security or how they pay taxes? I was under the impression that the only way that has happened in the past is when Illegals commit identity theft and use someone else's Social Security Number, thereby leaving the actual SS Number's owner holding the bag for the taxes.

The person referred to above said his father came here under a work permit, which would give him a document. But undocumented workers have no papers, so how can they pay into Social Security or pay taxes? A work permit makes a migrant worker legal. An Illegal Migrant who has come into the country Illegally has no way of obtaining legal papers without giving one's self away. This should be clarified so that we can make those distinctions accurately.

If anyone, legal or not, files federal taxes and states that they do not have a social security number

the I.R.S. assigns them an ITIN, apparently with no questions asked.

Q. Can my out-of-status father get Social Security retirement benefits?

Out-of-status father? Oh brother, now i've heard everything!

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

[If anyone, legal or not, files federal taxes and states that they do not have a social security number

the I.R.S. assigns them an ITIN, apparently with no questions asked.[/b]

There is something wrong with the ITIN process if it allows Illegals to register their names with employers without a Social Security card to begin with. And of course, employers who use that method of registering workers without Social Security Numbers are going against the law as well!

All employees within the United States are required to show valid Citizenship Identification or Work Permits. If the IRS is conducting registration of Illegals through an ITIN process, then isn't that aiding and abetting illegal activity committed by those who cross the border illegally? I think there should be questions asked! I am asking the question and I think everyone else should, as well!

Illegals don't deserve to get anything but they are getting it......

The good news ( sort of) is that because of the tax dollars that have been stolen from the American people via Obama's criminal elites, we won't have money to give anyone Social Security.

"According to tax expert Eileen Glassman of the upstate Newburgh accounting firm of Goldstein, Karlewicz and Goldstein, LLP, if you or your employer report income using an ITIN number then later you get a valid Social Security card, you can ask the SSA to reconcile any retirement accounts that you create. For more information, go to www.irs.gov or www.ssa.gov."

So, if they do get a SS# their retirment accounts can be "reconciled." I guess that means income earned with an ITIN would be included in a future Social Security account. Therefore, getting an ITIN has a big advantage---particularly for those who might get amnestied and then get a valid SSN. More suckers on the overloaded Social Security system! Combine them with foreign retirees moving here in droves, getting SSI benefits, and we might as well kiss Social Security goodbye. Can the Obama administration spell C-R-I-S-I-S?