Can non-US citizens collect Social Security benefits when living abroad?

Yes! Non-US citizens can definitely receive Social Security benefits if they've earned enough credits (those 40 quarters you mentioned). I went through this with my father-in-law last year. The Social Security Administration doesn't care about citizenship for retirement benefits - they care about whether you paid into the system. However, receiving benefits while living outside the US gets complicated. It depends on which country you're in. Some countries have totalization agreements with the US that make it pretty straightforward. Others have restrictions. Check out the SSA's "Your Payments While You Are Outside The United States" publication - it lists all the countries and specific rules.

ive heard some countries tax ur SS diferent too, so u might get less $$ depending where u go. my uncles friend moved back to philippines and gets his check there every month no problem tho

I can provide some precise information on this topic. As a non-US citizen who has worked legally in the US and earned 40 credits (quarters), you are entitled to retirement benefits regardless of citizenship status. However, there are important considerations: 1. Country-specific restrictions: Payments to non-citizens living outside the US can be withheld for certain countries (Cuba, North Korea, etc.) 2. Alien residency requirements: If you're not a US citizen, you generally need to have lived in the US for at least 5 years during which you had a legal relationship with the Social Security system (spouse, child, or parent) 3. Tax implications: Benefits paid to non-residents are sometimes subject to a 30% withholding tax unless your country has a tax treaty with the US 4. Totalization agreements: The US has agreements with 30+ countries that allow you to combine work credits from both countries to qualify for benefits SSA Publication No. 05-10137 covers this in detail. I recommend calling SSA directly to discuss your specific situation.

My cousin tried to collect SS from Canada AND IT WAS A NIGHTMARE!!! She spent MONTHS trying to reach someone at Social Security. They kept sending forms to her old US address even though she updated her info like 20 times!!! The phone lines were always busy or they'd hang up after she waited for 2 hours!!! She almost gave up on getting HER OWN MONEY that she paid into the system!!! The whole system is DESIGNED to make it hard for people outside the US!!

One thing nobody's mentioned is that your benefit amount is based on your highest 35 years of US earnings. If you only work 10 years in the US, you'll have 25 years of zeros averaged in, which significantly reduces your benefit amount. Just something to consider in your retirement planning. You'll still get something, but it might be substantially less than what the SSA estimates show if they're assuming a full US work history.

has anyone here actually successfully gotten their benefits sent to another country? i keep hearing horror stories and now im worried. i worked in US for 15 yrs and plan to retire in thailand next year. already paid into SS all this time!

my aunt gets ss in mexico and uses western union to get her money but she says they take a big cut everytime, try to avoid that if u can

To answer your follow-up question: Once you've earned your 40 credits, you're eligible for benefits regardless of your immigration status later on. Your green card status doesn't need to remain valid after you leave the US to collect retirement benefits. However, non-citizens who received their Social Security numbers after 2004 must have work authorization at some point to receive benefits based on that work. Also, be aware that different rules apply for different benefit types. For example, SSI benefits generally cannot be received outside the US, while retirement benefits can (with the country restrictions others have mentioned).

ANOTHER THING they don't tell you - some countries have AGREEMENTS with the US so you don't LOSE benefits, but other countries DON'T! If your country doesn't have an agreement you might lose some of your benefits after 6 months abroad!! Look up "totalization agreements" on the SSA website!!!