http://www.irs.gov/govt/fslg/article/0,,id=158487,00.html

 

Which means that IRS would not have information in it's database to claim that someone was involved in unauthorized work using SSN or for what employer you worked for or how much money you made. You possibly have worked in your college using your SSN, which is perfectly permissible.

 

What my assumption is there is more to the story, rather than being their work history checked using SSN, which I highly highly doubt. If you have taken a semester or two off without following process, have taken excessively long time to complete a degree, have taken reduced course load more often than permitted or something in your history that shows you are not serious at all with your education this would probably put a red flag on your record. Owing to these circumstances (which is again my assumption), the USCIS can(?) possibly request your tax records with IRS (?) or may be not, I am not sure. 

 

Someone I personally know, was denied Visa, after the person had stayed several years in States (abt 9-10 years), cause somewhere in long long past had dropped a semester...it was in the record, they asked for explanation and then denied the Visa...

 

Personally I had to leave States, cause I got into work violation. My records in the USCIS database shows that I was involved in unathorized employment. I followed the process, left States, had a good education history, got another scholarship and was back....at POE it does show in the system, however they don't know the details to it, as I had it explain it to them.

 

Another thing, Chicago as POE IS strict with my experience. I travelled several times through Chicago and everytime it has been pain in the ass..when I fly through Indy, things seems much relaxed.