Student Employment Paperwork Guide

When applying for competitive employment jobs, the employer will request to see documents that prove:

You are allowed to work in the United States and

Your identity (that you are who you say you are)

If you don’t present original copies of these documents, the employer is legally not allowed to hire you. Since you don’t know how quickly an employer might be ready to hire for the posted position, it is best to make sure you have all the documents before you apply to a job.

There are many different documents that you can present to an employer that satisfy the requirements above. A US issued passport will prove both your right to work and identity.

Two of the most common documents that people use to satisfy the requirements above are:

Social Security Card and

California ID

If you need to obtain a replacement Social Security Card, you can go to the Social Security Administration (SSA)website for information. If you do not have a social security number and want to learn more about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), you can go to the SSA website and also to Educators 4 Fair Consideration, an organization that supports undocumented students and youth.

If you need to obtain a new or replacement California ID, you can go to the CA DMV website for information.

To obtain your Social Security Card you may need to present the Social Security Administration with a certified copy of your birth certificate. If you were born in San Francisco you can go the San Francisco Department of Public Health website. If you were born outside of California, you can go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for information on how to obtain records from your birth state.

School IDs will not satisfy the identity requirement for employment once you are 18 or older. It is best to obtain your CA ID as soon as possible. If you are planning to get your CA Driver’s License, it is a good idea to obtain your CA ID first, just in case it takes you longer than expected to obtain your license.
If you are under 18, your parents or guardians may need to help you obtain some of the documents above if you do not already have them