More than 60 million people receive Social Security benefits in the United States. This means that all of them are US citizens or residents who have made their working life in the country. But what happens when you have to go on a trip and you don’t know if that stay will be for several months or even more, permanently? Even more so when you are not a resident? In Solo Dinero we explain it to you.
If you’re a US citizen, you can receive your Social Security payments while you’re out of the country as long as you’re eligible and you’re in a country where payments can be sent. If you are not a US citizen you have to meet some of the payment conditions established by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
“When we say you’re outside the US, we mean you’re not in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia (Washington, DC), Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands or American Samoa for at least 30 consecutive days. We consider you to be outside the United States until you return and stay in the US for at least 30 consecutive days,” the SSA explains on its website.
Now, if you are not a US citizen, the picture is going to change, since you must meet the pre-established requirements so that payments continue when you are out of the country. If not, payments will stop once you complete six calendar months having been out of the country.
Once the payments stop, they cannot be resumed until you return to the country and stay for a full calendar month, the SSA explains.
The SSA may ask you to present proof that you have been lawfully in the United States for one calendar month.
However, if you cannot return to the United States, the Social Security Administration will only make your payments to you in the following cases:
1.- If the foreign employee was entitled to receive monthly Social Security benefits since December 1956.
2.- If the employee receiving Social Security benefits died while on active duty in the United States military.
3.- If the employee with benefits was disabled due to his work within the US Army.
4.- If you are receiving benefits as a dependent or as a survivor.
5.- If the worker on whose Social Security number your benefits are based worked for the railroad and paid Social Security taxes.
6.- If you are an active United States military or marine.
7.- If you are a permanent resident of a country that has an agreement with the US Social Security Administration (with the exception of Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden or Switzerland).
8.- If you are a refugee or a person without a country.
***
You may also like:
-How to get to talk to someone at Social Security to resolve a problem with your benefits
-How to notify Social Security that you changed your address so that they can send your payments