TN 31 (08-05)

A. Process

Adult claimants residing in the PRC and born there before 1953 are not asked to submit a civil birth record. Each claimant is asked to submit all the evidence he/she has showing his/her age or DB to the nearest Federal Benefits Unit (FBU). The FBU (or FSP if needed and authorized by the Regional Federal Benefits Officer):

• Conducts a personal interview to verify the claimant's identity;

• Determines whether the claimant appears to be the age alleged and his/her reason for believing this to be his/her DB (the questioning is like that in GN 00302.170F.);

• Examines and makes certified copies or extracts of any evidence the claimant has;

• Gets a Notarial Certificate (see GN 00307.414B. and C. for information on these certificates) and a statement of the claimant's knowledge of the evidence on which it was based.

• Gets as much information as possible (if the claimant is the spouse of a NH who either entered or returned to the U.S. after their marriage) about the NH's arrival in the U.S., alien registration number, naturalization, etc. This enables SSA to secure evidence from other sources without recontacting the claimant.

The FBU (or FSP if needed) forwards this evidence and information to SSA with a report of its observations.

B. Procedure

1. Claimant in PRC

Do not request a Notarial Certificate, if the material from the FBU (or FSP if needed) does not include one, unless after considering all evidence in file and any that can be secured from other U.S. source, it will justify the time and expense in getting it.

Assume the claimant could not supply information about the NH's arrival in the U.S., naturalization, alien registration, etc. if the spouse's claim does not contain such information.

2. Claimant Not in PRC

Do not request evidence of age from the PRC. Develop for evidence issued outside the PRC.

If the claimant submits evidence from the PRC, evaluate it as explained in GN 00307.412 and GN 00307.414.