New I-9 Issues Facing Employers With Recently Legalized Employees

As more and more workers acquire temporary legal status in the U.S. and receive new work authorization, employers will be faced with the following common scenario.

An employee has recently legalized their status and acquired an employment authorization document (work permit) from U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS).  She then goes to the Social Security Administration and obtains a new social security number. 

When the employee was originally hired they presented what appeared to be valid work authorization documents. Now the employee comes forward and says my real name is different than the one used at the time of hire, and here is my new social security number and work permit.