Social Security Number Verification Service (SSNVS)
Social Security Number Verification Service (SSNVS) is the Social Security Administration’s check of current and former employees’ names and SSNs, for wage reporting purposes only.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) lets employers and third-party submitters who register through Business Services Online verify current and former employees, only for wage reporting (Form W-2Form W-2. Form W-2 is the annual wage and tax statement you give employees and file with the Social Security Administration, reporting wages paid and taxes withheld.Click to open the term) purposes. A current employee is someone who has received and accepted a job offer; using SSNVS on potential new hires or contractors is illegal. SSA returns every name and Social Security number (SSN) submitted, and a mismatch is not, in and of itself, a basis for adverse action against the employee.
How is SSNVS different from E-Verify?
SSNVS verifies current and former employees’ names and SSNs for wage reporting purposes only. If you participate in E-Verify, you generally create a case for each newly hired employee after Form I-9Form I-9. Form I-9 is the federal form every U.S. employer completes for each new hire to verify identity and employment authorization, from documents the employee chooses.Click to open the term is completed, no later than the third business day after the employee starts work for pay. Neither is for screening applicants: SSNVS is not for anyone who has not accepted a job offer, and E-Verify rules say you must not use E-Verify to pre-screen an applicant for employment.
| QUESTION | SSNVS | E-VERIFY |
|---|---|---|
| Who you check | Current and former employees, for wage reporting purposes only | Generally each newly hired employee, after Form I-9 is completed |
| Job applicants | Not until the applicant accepts a job offer | Must not use E-Verify to pre-screen applicants |
| Employees hired before you joined E-Verify | Covered, for wage reporting only; SSA says your policy should be applied consistently to all workers | No case for an employee hired before you signed the E-Verify Terms and Conditions, except in certain instances such as employees of federal contractors with the FAR E-Verify clause |
General information, not legal or tax advice. Apply current federal and state rules with qualified guidance.