Passports & Hiring Dilemma

[RNtilTEN]

Okay, this is somewhat a complicated story so I'll try to make it as understandable as I can.

I was hired for a new grad program recently, starts soon in March. I've gone through all pre-employment steps and finished all the paperwork. I even took my photo ID for my badge and was fitted for scrubs etc. Last thing was they needed verification of my citizenship and that I'm able to work. This is where it got tricky. I brought my passport, my green card, and my social security card. They came back after they were going to photocopy it and told me they couldn't take any of them. Reason being is because my passport expired in 2007, my green card expired in 2002, and my social security card has a restriction that says "Valid for work only with INS authorization". The HR recruiter told me that either I renew any one of them or get the social security card without any restrictions on it before I can begin employment in March.

The problem is, I can't renew anything because I apparently never received a Citizenship Certificate or Naturalization Certificate because I moved to the United States when I was 3 and had a valid green card that expires in 2002. In 2001 according to the "Child Citizenship Act" http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/pressrelease/ChildCitizenshipAct_022701.pdf I became an official American Citizen because my parents were citizens. Although I never got my citizenship certificates for some reason.

Long story short, I cannot renew them in time before my new grad program starts. & the solution I have is proof that I'm a citizen if you connect the dots, but it's just not the documentation they need.

Although I can prove I'm a citizen due to the Child Citizenship Act by providing my parents paperwork of being citizens etc. But will this even be sufficient enough to prove that I'm a citizen and that I can work in the United States? Or do I have to provide actual documentation and paperwork. I am able to receive the documentation...... But it will take 6-8 months.. This is the only thing I can think of. I know it's not official documentation but According to the law in 2011 I am a citizen due to my parents.

I've been jumping through hoops all weekend long and this is the fastest solution I can think about before the new grad program begins.. And this is definitely not an opportunity I want to miss..

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

Getting your US Passport renewed, paying for expedited service, is probably the fastest route.

a Certificate of Citizenship can take a really long time. It did when a friend needed one, but that was many years ago. You probably never got your certificate of citizenship because neither you nor your parents applied for it.

social security usually requires a passport or certificate of citizenship before issuing a card

if you have a current passport, that is all you need to produce. It establishes both identity and legality.

http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/form/i-9.pdf

[13grad71]

I lost my social security card a year and half ago. I went to my local Social Security office and i applied for a new card. The whole process took less than 20 minutes and they gave me a statement saying I applied for a replacement card. My employer took it as valid but I did show them the new card when it came in. I guess you can go there to show them your passport and maybe they will take that and issue you a new valid for work SS card.

I'm assuming your expired passport is US so I wonder why they didn't give you some slack. Having a passport, even expired, should be sufficient to prove citizenship even on a temporary basis.