[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 212 (Thursday, October 31, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 56133-56134]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-27943]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
20 CFR Part 416

[Regulations No. 16]
RIN 0960-AD90


Evidence of Lawful Admission for Permanent Residence in the 
United States (U.S.)

AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This final regulation sets forth the type of documentation 
required for an alien to establish the status of lawfully admitted for 
permanent residence for eligibility purposes under the Supplemental 
Security Income (SSI) program. The Immigration and Naturalization 
Service (INS), the Agency responsible for determining alien status and 
issuing documents certifying alien status in the U.S., changed its 
policy with regard to what constitutes definitive evidence of lawful 
permanent resident alien status. In this final SSI regulation, we are 
removing references to specific INS form numbers and substituting a 
general reference to an Alien Registration Receipt Card issued under 
current INS regulations. Thus, SSA's regulations will be broad enough 
not only to be consistent with the new INS policy, but also to 
accommodate future INS regulatory changes regarding

[[Page 56134]]

acceptable documentary evidence of lawful permanent resident alien 
status. In the future, SSA will not have to revise its regulations to 
conform to changes in INS policy unless the form name changes. 
Historically, the form name has remained the same.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This regulation is effective December 2, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lois Berg, Legal Assistant, Division 
of Regulations and Rulings, Social Security Administration, 6401 
Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235, (410) 965-1713. For 
information on eligibility, claiming benefits, or coverage of earnings, 
call our national toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To be eligible for SSI benefits, an 
individual must be either a citizen or national of the U.S. or a 
qualified alien as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1641(b) and (c) who meets one of 
the exceptions in 8 U.S.C. 1612(a)(2). Our regulation at 
Sec. 416.1615(a)(1) sets forth the types of alien registration 
documents issued by INS which constitute valid evidence of lawful 
permanent residence status.
    INS is responsible for determining alien status and issuing 
documents certifying alien status within the U.S. INS does, when 
necessary, revise its regulations specifying acceptable documentation 
of alien status.
    Aliens who are lawfully admitted for permanent residence and who 
apply for SSI benefits are required to submit evidence of lawful 
permanent residence status to be eligible for benefits. Such evidence 
must be a valid document issued by INS under current INS policy.
    On September 20, 1993, INS published a final rule at 58 FR 48775 to 
terminate the validity of several older versions of the Alien 
Registration Receipt Card and to establish the Alien Registration 
Receipt Card, I-551, as the exclusive alien registration card for the 
use of permanent resident aliens. This INS rule originally was to have 
been effective on September 20, 1994. However, INS subsequently 
published two final rules in the Federal Register (on September 14, 
1994 at 59 FR 47063 and on March 17, 1995 at 60 FR 14353) to delay the 
effective date of this rule. The rule became effective on March 20, 
1996. As a result of the INS regulatory change, lawful permanent 
resident aliens must have replaced previously issued obsolete forms, 
such as the I-151, AR-3, AR-3a and AR-103, with the current Alien 
Registration Receipt Card, Form I-551, by March 20, 1996.
    SSA's current regulation on evidence of lawful permanent resident 
status specifies the form numbers of all previously acceptable versions 
of the INS Alien Registration Receipt Card. Thus, any INS policy which 
changes acceptable documentation of alien status, such as the change 
effective March 20, 1996, requires SSA to revise its regulation to 
conform to those changes. We want to ensure that our regulation not 
only reflects current INS policy on alien status documentation but is 
broad enough to encompass changes INS might make in the future.
    Therefore, in this final regulation, we are removing references in 
Sec. 416.1615(a)(1) to specific INS form numbers which are obsolete as 
of the effective date of INS' new regulatory change, and substituting a 
single reference to the Alien Registration Receipt Card issued under 
current INS regulations. As revised, our regulation simply indicates 
that the individual must submit an Alien Registration Receipt Card 
which is issued by INS in accordance with that Agency's current 
regulations.
    On August 30, 1995, we published a proposed rule in the Federal 
Register at 60 FR 45110 and provided a 60-day period for interested 
individuals to comment. We received no comments. We are, therefore, 
publishing this final rule essentially unchanged.

Regulatory Procedures

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    We certify that this final regulation will not have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because it 
only affects individuals who claim benefits under title XVI of the 
Social Security Act. Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis as 
provided in Public Law 96-354, the Regulatory Flexibility Act, is not 
required.

Executive Order 12866

    We have consulted with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
and determined that this final rule does not meet the criteria for a 
significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866. Thus, it was 
not subject to OMB review.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This final regulation revises paragraph (a)(1) of Sec. 416.1615. 
Section 416.1615 of the regulations contains reporting requirements. We 
would normally seek approval of these requirements (under the Paperwork 
Reduction Act) from OMB. We are not doing so because we already have 
clearance from OMB to collect this information under OMB No. 0960-0451.
    Public reporting burden for this collection of information is 
estimated to average 5 minutes per response. This includes the time it 
will take to read the instructions, gather the necessary facts, and 
provide the information. We expect approximately 271,800 claimants will 
be responding, and estimate the total burden to be 22,650 hours.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 96.006, 
Supplemental Security Income)

List of Subjects in 20 CFR Part 416

    Administrative practice and procedure, Aged, Blind, Disability 
benefits, Public assistance programs, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Supplemental Security Income.

    Dated: October 8, 1996.

    Approved.
Shirley S. Chater,
Commissioner of Social Security.

    For the reasons set forth in the preamble, subpart P of part 416 of 
chapter III of title 20 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended 
as set forth below.

PART 416--SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME FOR THE AGED, BLIND, AND 
DISABLED

Subpart P--[Amended]

    1. The authority citation for subpart P of part 416 continues to 
read as follows:

    Authority: Secs. 702(a)(5), 1614(a)(1)(B) and (e), and 1631 of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 902(a)(5), 1382c(a)(1)(B) and 
(e), and 1383); 8 U.S.C. 1254a; sec. 502, Pub. L. 94-241, 90 Stat. 
268 (48 U.S.C. 1681 note).

    2. Section 416.1615 is amended by revising paragraph (a)(1) to read 
as follows:


Sec. 416.1615  How to prove you are lawfully admitted for permanent 
residence in the United States.

    (a) * * *
    (1) An Alien Registration Receipt Card issued by the Immigration 
and Naturalization Service (INS) in accordance with that Agency's 
current regulations;
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 96-27943 Filed 10-30-96; 8:45 am]
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