SOCIAL SECURITY CARD ISSUES
The Social Security Administration (SSA) currently issues SSA numbers and cards to aliens only if they can present documentation of current employment authorization in the U.S. Aliens such as lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees are issued unrestricted SSA cards that are undistinguishable from those issued to U.S. citizens.
Note on restricted SSA and other cards:
SSA 揤alid only with INS (or DHS) Authorization?card ?issued to aliens who present proof of temporary work authorization; these cards do not satisfy the Form I-9 requirements.
SSA 揘ot Valid for Employment?card ?issued to aliens who have a valid non-work reason for needing a social security number (e.g., federal benefits, State public assistance benefits), but are not authorized to work in the U.S.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) ?issued to aliens dealing with tax issues (e.g., reporting unearned income such as savings account interest, investment income, royalties, scholarships, etc.). An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number card is NOT employment eligibility verification.
Aliens who satisfy I-9 requirements have been known to present a restricted SSA card for payroll administration purposes (consistent with advice from SSA and IRS). In cases like this, the employer needs to encourage the individual to report the change in status to SSA immediately.
http://uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/faqeev.htm