09/17/2002   English German

  Edition # 39  
San Francisco, 09-17-2002


Back to work

Angelika Michael had been longing for this day for years: With our new Green Card, I can finally be working here in the US. Although I haven't been idle, no one was allowed to pay me for my efforts. The Tenderloin Childcare Center, where I volunteered twice a week for five years, immediately offered me a full-time position. However, I gratefully declined because the pay in childcare in America is more than modest, and a full-time job would have left me no time for my photography and various other activities. But now I am a substitute there. I can work as much or as little as I want and am assigned to groups that are missing a full-time staff member for various reasons (vacation, illness, etc.). The facility is currently undergoing changes, as it moved to a new building in the same neighborhood in August. We are now not only taking in more children but also providing spots for babies.

Perhaps you have wondered what an employee in America needs to engage in (legal) work: There is no wage tax card like in Germany. Instead, every employee fills out the so-called W-4 form, which determines the amount of tax withholding from the gross salary. In a questionnaire style, the number of "exemptions" for the employee is determined. "Exemptions" are available, for example, for children, for being married, and you get an additional one if your spouse does not work. The more "exemptions" you accumulate, the lower your personal tax rate will be.

Then, every employee needs a "Social Security Number" because there are mandatory contributions (e.g., social security) that the employer pays to the relevant authority, called the "Social Security Administration." I mentioned a long time ago that I received my American Social Security Number when I obtained my American driver's license. The only problem was that my Social Security card stated "Not valid for employment" at the time. After our Green Card was approved, I had to visit to the "Social Security Administration" again, and lo and behold, the computer was aware of our Green Card status. The clerk was extremely confused that I had received a Social Security Number at all with my old visa. Nowadays, that is no longer possible, he said. Only people with work visas receive the coveted number. This leads to significant problems for many with "dependent visas," as the Social Security Number is needed, as mentioned, to obtain a driver's license, open a bank account, and so forth.

Figure [1]: Here is the "Social Security Number"

Two weeks later, the authorities sent me a new card with the same number, but without any employment restrictions. Michael also went through the same process, as his card had the clause "Valid for work only with INS-Authorization" under visa status. With a Green Card, he is now free as well, as he can work for any employer without the need for approval from the immigration authorities.

Furthermore, I filled out the I-9 "Employment Eligibility Verification" form, which every American employer must have on file for both American citizens and "everyone else." Essentially, you are certifying that you are indeed eligible to work and that you are who you claim to be. However, a signed certification alone is not sufficient; the employer is required to review the appropriate documents, such as a driver's license with a photo or a passport, as well as a green card and social security card.

And because I work with children, the state of California continues to require that my fingerprints be taken to check that I don't have any prior convictions related to child abuse.

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