Taxes & Legal Resources

TAXES

What will happen to my Social Security number?

Once you receive a Social Security number (SSN) from the Social Security Administration, you must use your SSN for tax filing purposes and discontinue use of an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) if you had previously been issued one. If your work authorization is rescinded, your SSN remains valid for tax purposes, so you should continue to use your SSN for that purpose.
Note that this applies only to a valid SSN that has been assigned to you. You are required to file all your taxes under that single SSN going forward. It is important not to present false information on tax forms—such as filing the return with an SSN that was not assigned to you—as this could affect your immigration case in the future.
If you have questions about tax filing, you can visit a local tax clinic. In general, if you earn less than $54,000 a year, you are eligible for free services at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites. You can find a local VITA site here: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-you-by-volunteers.

LEGAL RESOURCES

There are several local and regional legal resources that students can consult. They include:
Student Legal Services: http://depts.washington.edu/slsuw/
Immigrant Family Advocacy Project: https://uwifap.wordpress.com/
Colectiva Legal del Pueblo: https://colectivalegal.org/
Kids in Need of Defense (KIND): https://supportkind.org/
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP): https://www.nwirp.org/