TN 16 (09-93)

A. Policy

When a foreign record request is required by GN 00302.057 or GN 00302.360 for a U.S. resident, establish an interim date of birth for payment purposes following the instructions below.

B. Procedure - FO

The FO will follow the development procedures below when a claimant must request a record from a foreign country.

1. Foreign Record

Ask the applicant to request that the foreign official return the requested document (or the notification that there is no record) to him or her in care of the FO.

If the applicant has already made the request without specifying that the record be returned to SSA, do not redo the request. Continue with the steps below.

NOTE: If the document is being requested from Greece, advise the claimant to submit his or her request to the FBU in Athens. Refer to GN 00307.518.

2. Interim Determination

Base the interim determination on:

• automatically convincing evidence, if available (see
  GN 00302.110 through GN 00302.118),

• a combination of other documents (see GN 00302.125B.), or

• the best evidence, if a material discrepancy exists (see
  GN 00302.160). In many cases, the best evidence available at this point will be a domestic document.

3. Information from Claimant

Ask the claimant for the following information and record it on the RMKS screen or a paper report of contact as appropriate:

• the date the request for the public or religious record was mailed to the foreign official,

• the name and address of the foreign official,

• the claimant's full name at birth,

• the claimant's mother's full maiden name,

• the claimant's father's full name,

• the claimant's date of birth, and

• complete details about the claimant's place of birth.

EXAMPLE: If the birth place is a small town, show the nearest large city; if the birthplace is a large city, show the area within the city. (See GN 00312.001 through GN 00312.450 for additional instructions relevant to the country involved.)

4. Interim Age

Tell the claimant that SSA will make an interim age determination on the basis of available evidence, pending receipt of the foreign record or a negative response (see GN 01010.120). For claims processed through MCS, request paragraph AGER09 (for text and fill-ins, see NL 00725.005) For awards processed through MADCAP, add paragraph C20 (for text and fill-ins) to the award certificate.

5. Diary

Enter diary code 51 to diary the case for 120 days from the date the foreign record was requested.

6. Alerting the PC

When preparing the routing form to the PC, the FO should indicate that it paid benefits based on an interim age determination and developed for a foreign birth record, which is pending.

7. Foreign Record or Negative Response Received

Upon receipt of a foreign birth record or a negative response:

1. have the document translated (see GN 00301.330 through GN 00301.365),

2. compare the interim date of birth and the date shown on the document and resolve any discrepancy,

3. forward the translation with a photocopy of the document to the claims authorizer in the PC (ensure that the claimant's name is shown in English and that the claim number is clearly visible), and

4. mail the original document to the claimant (see GN 00301.260 through GN 00301.280 for instructions on safeguarding and handling the claimant's records).

NOTE: Update MCS screens to show all actions as they are taken.

C. Procedure - PC

The PC will take the following action when the document is received or the diary matures.

1. Record or Negative Reply Received

When the record or negative reply is received:

1. compare the interim date of birth and the date on the foreign record,

2. revise the original date of birth finding, if necessary,

3. send the claimant written notice that the interim date of birth has either been confirmed or changed, and

4. cancel the diary.

2. Diary Matures Before Information is Received

If the diary matures and the requested material has not been received, review the MCS screens to determine if the material has been received and acted on by the FO. If the material has not been received by the FO, contact the claimant to see if the record was sent to him or her.

• If the record was sent to the claimant, have him or her forward it to SSA.

• If the record was not sent to the claimant follow up using the instructions in 3 below.

3. Special Assistance Request Form, SSA-2111-U3-FC

Use the SSA-2111-U3-FC only to follow up on a claimant's request for a civil or religious record of birth from the custodian of the record. Do not use to request initial development. If necessary, request assistance from the Claims Development Branch in OIO to develop evidence of age or to resolve a discrepancy, using an SSA-562-U3. Complete the
Form SSA-2111-U3-FC as follows:

1. Complete all items on the front side of the SSA-2111-U3-FC (if any of the information is not known, enter “unknown”) (see exhibit in GN 00302.363).

2. Forward the original and first copy to:

   Office of International Operations

   Attn: Foreign Service Post Correspondence Unit

   Box 17769

   Baltimore, Maryland 21235-6401.

3. File the second copy of the form in the claims folder.

4. Diary for 90 days pending receipt of the response to the SSA- 2111-U3-FC.

5. If a reply has not been received at the end of the diary period:

   • prepare another SSA-2111-U3-FC,

   • In the heading after “SPECIAL ASSISTANCE REQUEST” annotate: Followup on Request
     Dated        , and

   • diary for another 90 days.

D. Procedure - OIO

OIO will follow the procedure below in handling the SSA-2111-U3-FC from the PC.

1. Contact FSP

Upon receipt of the SSA-2111-U3-FC, request the appropriate U.S. FSP (or the FBU in Athens) to contact the records custodian in the country involved to obtain the requested evidence of information.

NOTE: Use the same procedure when a followup request is received.

2. FSP Return

When development is completed and the FSP returns a foreign record or a negative response to OIO:

1. translate, and

2. route to the appropriate PC.

EXCEPTION: If the FSP is a trained FSP (see GN 00904.225) and the foreign evidence or negative response has been translated into English by an authorized person (GN 00301.340), send the SSA-2111-U3-FC and related material directly to the PC that initiated the request.