Help with I-765 questions 9 and 15.

[Aguilabrava 0]

Hi:

I've been in the US for about 19 years. I arrived here with a Visitor Visa and overstayed. I recently married a citizen and we are in the process of introducing all the paperwork at USCIS to adjust my status so I can obtain legal residence.

My question is this, I'm filling the form I-765 Application For Employment Authorization, and in the question number 9 this form asks to write each and every Social Security Number that the person applying might have used in the past.

I did use a Social Security number invented by myself, because I worked all these years when in reality I shouldn't have since I only had a Visitor's Visa, but I had no choice, I had to support myself and in order to obtain employment I had to write down a Social Security number in every job application, and then make all the contributions to it that were deducted automatically from my paycheck.

Should I answer honestly this question, or should I just type N/A?. What could happen if I do answer one or the other?.

My other question refers to question number 15 in the same I-765 application, the question is Current Immigration Status, should I answer VISITOR, OVERSTAY or VISITOR OVERSTAY?.

Thank you very much.

[YuAndDan 153]

Moving this to Work Travel prior to green-card. forum

Edited April 20, 2009 by YuAndDan

[Otto 83]

Should I answer honestly this question, or should I just type N/A?. What could happen if I do answer one or the other?.

Am not sure what would happen if you put a fictitious (and potentially someone else's') social security number down.

If you have not already - I would suggest you enlist the help of a qualified family-based immigration attorney before submitting forms. Based on what you've described, you need more than help with forms - A 19-year overstay (not to mention illegal work) is not something a do-it-yourself typically has great success with.

Edited April 20, 2009 by Karin und Otto

[Bobby+Umit 161]

Hi:

I've been in the US for about 19 years. I arrived here with a Visitor Visa and overstayed. I recently married a citizen and we are in the process of introducing all the paperwork at USCIS to adjust my status so I can obtain legal residence.

My question is this, I'm filling the form I-765 Application For Employment Authorization, and in the question number 9 this form asks to write each and every Social Security Number that the person applying might have used in the past.

I did use a Social Security number invented by myself, because I worked all these years when in reality I shouldn't have since I only had a Visitor's Visa, but I had no choice, I had to support myself and in order to obtain employment I had to write down a Social Security number in every job application, and then make all the contributions to it that were deducted automatically from my paycheck.

Should I answer honestly this question, or should I just type N/A?. What could happen if I do answer one or the other?. If they find out - you just lied on a form you signed acknowledging everything on it was "true and correct".

My other question refers to question number 15 in the same I-765 application, the question is Current Immigration Status, should I answer VISITOR, OVERSTAY or VISITOR OVERSTAY?. Visitor (type) - expiration date (you could write "Visa overstay" but they can see by your 19 year old expiration date you overstayed

Thank you very much.

Concur with Karin und Otto - you should contact a very good lawyer for this case.

Your overstay "may be" forgiven due to the marriage, however, your use of an SSN (fake) and working without authorization will be adverse to your case.

Good luck.

[motu 6]

If you invented a SSN - you can try and get it corrected eventually, when you do get your greencard - if you have the records - your contributions will be transferred to your correct number and you should get the benefit (social security payments on retirement) from your contributions. This should not be too uncommon (Regan provided amnesty to millions so the process to do so exists as well as when by mistake, payments are not credited to the correct account and later discovered).

I would say answer correctly (and you may add a page of explanation if you wish to such questions) but it's best to go through an attorney as your case is much more complicated than most people on this forum. Good Luck