Countywide : Legal Immigrants Offered Amnesty on Phony Cards

Legal immigrants who have used false documents to obtain a Social Security card or who have used a fake card will receive amnesty from prosecution if they stop using the cards by Jan. 3, Social Security officials said.

“We will take the information from them and help them apply for a new Social Security card,” said Henry Hand, assistant district manager for the Ventura office.

“We will then do an investigation on the previous card number.”

About 2.5 million of the 3.1 million people who applied for amnesty under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 could be affected by the Social Security amnesty provision, which was included in the budget bill passed by Congress in October.

That provision allows a 60-day amnesty for those who hold fraudulent Social Security cards.

Immigrants who have qualified for legal status are eligible to receive valid Social Security cards, but many of them have not taken steps to correct their earning records, officials said.

“By reporting work they did using previous Social Security numbers, workers can get credits to qualify for higher Social Security benefits in the future,” said Larry Boland, manager of the Ventura office.

“Legalized immigrants can adjust their work records at any time, so long as they are not using any fake cards after Jan. 3.”

The current amnesty period is an exception to the laws covering use of fraudulent Social Security cards.

Normally, the offense is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.