Can my Mexican wife receive Social Security survivor benefits in Mexico with a green card but less than 5 years US residency?

Yes, your non-citizen spouse can potentially receive survivor benefits while living in Mexico, even without the 5-year US residency requirement. Mexico has a totalization agreement with the US that allows this. However, there are some important details to understand: 1. As a legal permanent resident (green card holder), she would be eligible for survivor benefits based on your work record if you're fully insured when you pass away. 2. The fact that she lives in Mexico isn't a problem because Mexico is one of the countries where the SSA can send benefit payments without restrictions. 3. She doesn't need to return to the US every six months to maintain eligibility for survivor benefits. 4. She may receive slightly reduced benefits (85% of what she would receive in the US) due to the alien non-payment provisions, but this varies based on specific circumstances. I'd recommend having her set up direct deposit to a bank that can receive international transfers from the US when the time comes. Makes the whole process much smoother.

my cousin's wife is mexican and she gets survivors after he died last year. she moves back and forth and I think SSA deposits the money right into her mexican bank account. but im pretty sure she had to live in the US for a while first before she could get the benefits in mexico

The previous responses have some inaccuracies. Let me clarify the rules for non-citizen survivors living abroad: 1. As a green card holder (LPR), your wife CAN receive survivor benefits while living in Mexico WITHOUT meeting the 5-year US residency requirement. This is because Mexico has a Social Security agreement with the US. 2. She would NOT lose benefits by remaining outside the US, nor does she need to return every 6 months. 3. However, she MUST maintain her LPR status or she could potentially face issues with both benefits and future US entry. 4. Important: If she spends too much time outside the US, immigration (not Social Security) might question her intent to maintain permanent residence. This is separate from her benefit eligibility but something to consider. I've dealt with this exact situation. Your wife should apply for survivor benefits at the Federal Benefits Unit at the US Embassy in Mexico City when the time comes.

I went through this EXACT situation but reverse (I'm Mexican, husband was American). Here's what I learned: Your wife CAN receive survivor benefits in Mexico and does NOT need to maintain US residency for any specific period after getting her green card. The US-Mexico agreement allows this. Important: This is a SOCIAL SECURITY issue, not an IMMIGRATION issue. They are completely separate! For Social Security: She qualifies for survivor benefits based on YOUR work record, not her residency. For Immigration: Yes, staying outside the US for extended periods COULD affect her green card status, but that's a separate concern from receiving SS benefits. When my husband died, I moved back to Guadalajara. I still get my survivor benefits direct deposited to my Mexican bank. Never had any problems with payments, but I did eventually give up my green card since I wasn't planning to return to the US.

This is wrong information!! My mom tried to get benefits in Mexico and they DENIED her because she didn't live in the US long enough!! She had to come back to California and stay for 6 months before they would start paying her again. The SSA doesnt care about green cards, they care about RESIDENCY!!

has anyone tried calling SSA about this? i waited 3 hrs last time i called them and then got disconnected lol

EVERYONE here is missing a HUGE point! If you're not a US citizen and you leave the US for MORE THAN SIX MONTHS, immigration considers that ABANDONING your green card status! Even if SSA pays benefits to Mexico, your wife will have IMMIGRATION problems if she tries to return to the US after living in Mexico for years! My sister-in-law lost her green card this way and had to start all over with the immigration process!

Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! I'm going to talk to my wife about her plans for maintaining her green card status. It sounds like even if she eventually gives up her green card to live permanently in Mexico, she would still be eligible for survivor benefits on my record - which is a huge relief. I think our next step is to contact the Federal Benefits Unit at the US Embassy in Mexico City for specific guidance on her situation. I'll also suggest she talk to an immigration attorney about the best way to handle her trips back and forth to maintain her green card if that's what she wants to do. Really appreciate all the insights and personal experiences shared here!

I'm glad to see you're getting some solid advice here! As someone who works with international benefit cases, I wanted to add a few practical tips for when the time comes: 1. Make sure your wife keeps her Mexican passport current - she'll need it for identity verification when applying for survivor benefits at the US Embassy. 2. Consider setting up a US bank account that offers good international wire transfer services now, rather than waiting. Some Mexican banks have partnerships with US banks that make transfers easier and cheaper. 3. Keep all your Social Security earnings records organized and accessible. The embassy will need documentation of your work history when processing her application. 4. If she does decide to give up her green card eventually, she should do it formally through USCIS rather than just staying away - this creates a clear paper trail that can actually help with benefit processing later. The totalization agreement really does make this much simpler than it used to be. Your 35+ years of contributions definitely put you in a strong position to provide for her future security.

Great question about banking! For US-Mexico transfers, I've had good experiences with Bank of America and Wells Fargo - they both have partnerships with Mexican banks that reduce transfer fees. BBVA is another option since they operate in both countries. For documentation, yes - keep those annual Social Security statements (Form SSA-1099), but also consider requesting a complete earnings record from SSA using Form SSA-7050-F4. This gives you a year-by-year breakdown of your covered earnings, which can be helpful if there are any discrepancies when your wife applies for benefits. One more tip: if your wife plans to maintain her green card, she should file US tax returns even while living primarily in Mexico. This helps establish her continuing ties to the US and can be useful documentation for both immigration and Social Security purposes. The foreign earned income exclusion can help minimize any US tax liability on her Mexican income. The fact that you're planning this out now really shows you care about her future security - that's wonderful to see!