Replies

"In Colorado, Illinois and California, illegal immigrants would be allowed to get licenses by showing a taxpayer identification number, which they can obtain without a Social Security card. "

???

Has anyone else heard of this?!? I've never been able to get a job without an SS card. Is this some special loophole that only illegals are elegible for?

I did some research on the web on these taxpayer id numbers. I found a legal site that says they are supposedly for use by legal aliens working in the country, but are not PR's.
Then they go on to say: "Foreign clients often ask their immigration lawyers: "How can I pay taxes when I’m here illegally and can’t get a social security card?" On the same basis, some employers who know they have hired an unauthorized alien who lacks a social security number (SSN) violate U.S. tax and other laws by paying off the books and failing to comply with the W-2 requirements. They may not realize that the Social Security Administration (SSA) will issue an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) in this situation.

And I liked this one too:
Generally, an alien may obtain an SSN in three instances: (1) the alien is a permanent resident or has a legal status permitting employment in the United States; (2) the alien lacks such status but has a valid nonwork purpose that requires an SSN; or (3) the alien resides in the United States, has no evidence of alien status, and needs the SSN by law as a condition for receiving a federally-funded benefit. In this last case the alien may receive an SSN limited to a nonwork purpose. 20 C.F.R. § 422.104(a).