Social Security international agreements confusion - Totalization vs. separate benefits for immigrant spouse?

I went through this exact situation with my husband from Germany. The totalization agreement typically works better if you don't have enough credits in either country to qualify for benefits on your own. Since your wife has 35+ years in Spain, she likely qualifies for full Spanish benefits without needing to combine credits. In our case, my husband applied directly to the German pension system, and they deposit his payment to our US account monthly. He's also building US credits but will receive a separate (smaller) US benefit based just on his work here. The most important thing: have your wife contact the Spanish social security administration first. They can explain her options under their system. Then make an appointment with SSA specifically about international benefits - regular claims reps often don't understand totalization agreements well.

my mom is from italy and she gets both!! italian pension goes to her italian bank and then she gets small SS check here too. she worked in italy 25 yrs and usa 11 yrs. never combined anything just applied to both countries separate

I worked with international benefits at SSA for many years before retiring. Here's how it generally works with Spain specifically: 1. If your wife has enough Spanish credits to qualify for a Spanish pension (which it sounds like she does), she can apply directly with Spain for those benefits. The US-Spain agreement allows those benefits to be paid even while residing in the US. 2. For her US benefits, she has two options: - If she earns 40 US credits (10 years) on her own, she can qualify for a regular US retirement benefit based solely on US work - If she doesn't reach 40 credits, the totalization agreement allows her Spanish credits to help her qualify for a US benefit, but the amount will be prorated based only on her actual US work 3. She should apply for both benefits separately - Spanish benefits through Spain's system and US benefits through SSA when she's ready to claim. Important: Spain has a special provision called "theoretical calculation" that can affect her Spanish benefit amount when receiving benefits from both countries. I strongly recommend consulting with a Spanish social security expert about this specific issue.

THE SSA IS IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH!!! I'm in similar situation with my husband from Portugal and we've been trying for WEEKS to get answers!! Called 35+ times, always disconnected or 3+ hour wait times. Went to local office twice and got told to make phone appointment. It's RIDICULOUS how they handle international cases!!! Anyone know how to actually SPEAK to someone knowledgeable about international agreements????????

my situation is kind of similar but different too lol. my wife is from japan and worked there 20 years. we thought the totalization thing would help but turned out the japanese system had better benefits for her so she just gets those direct deposited. sometimes the math works out better to keep them separate. depends if spain has good benefits?

To answer your follow-up question - your wife can absolutely apply for her Spanish benefits while continuing to work in the US. Unlike US Social Security, many European systems don't have earnings limits or penalties for working while receiving benefits. She should verify this with the Spanish authorities, but it's typically allowed. Regarding application process, my husband was able to start his German application process through their consulate in Chicago. No need to travel back to Germany. Spain likely has a similar process through their US consulates. They'll need: - Proof of Spanish work history - Marriage certificate - Current residency documentation - US immigration status - Banking information for direct deposits For her eventual US benefits, she'll apply through SSA when she's ready to claim those.

wait whats a totalization agreement?? is that different from just regular social secuirty? my mom just gets both checks but nobody ever said anything about special agreements

I helped my father-in-law navigate this with his Canadian pension and US Social Security. One important thing to understand is tax implications. Some foreign pensions are taxable in the US, while others aren't based on specific tax treaties. Spain and the US have a tax treaty, but I'm not familiar with the specific provisions regarding pension taxation. We had to hire an accountant who specializes in international taxation to make sure we weren't creating a tax problem. It was worth the expense because we discovered that taking the Canadian pension earlier and delaying US benefits actually created the best tax situation for him. I'd strongly recommend consulting with a tax professional who understands international agreements before making final decisions. The SSA representatives generally don't provide tax advice regarding international benefits.

just curious did anyybody here ever move BACK to their home country after getting us citizenship? wondering if benefits still work the same way? thinking about moving back to taiwan in future but worried about messing up retirement

I'm dealing with a similar situation but with my husband from the UK. One thing I learned that might help - Spain has a really helpful online portal called "Tu Seguridad Social" where your wife can check her contribution history and get estimates of her Spanish pension benefits. This helped us understand what my husband would receive from the UK before we started making decisions about timing. Also, since she's 63 now, she should know that Spain allows early retirement starting at age 63 (with reductions), so she has that flexibility if needed. The key thing we discovered is that taking foreign benefits early doesn't affect your ability to delay US Social Security until age 70 for delayed retirement credits. One more tip - when you do contact the Spanish consulate, ask specifically about the "convenio bilateral" (bilateral agreement) with the US. That's the Spanish term for the totalization agreement and they'll immediately know what you're dealing with.

I'm in a very similar situation with my parents who moved from Mexico! One thing that really helped us was getting copies of all her Spanish work records before starting any applications. The Spanish system (like Mexico's IMSS) keeps detailed records, but it's much easier to get them while you're actively planning rather than in the middle of an application process. Also, don't overlook that your wife might be eligible for spousal benefits on your US Social Security record if that ends up being higher than her own US benefit calculation. Since she'll likely only have 3-4 years of US credits, her individual US benefit might be quite small, but spousal benefits could be more substantial. One more thing - if you haven't already, check if Spain has any "voluntary contributions" program that might allow her to buy additional credits if it makes sense financially. Some countries allow this for people living abroad, though the math doesn't always work out favorably. The international benefits maze is so confusing, but it sounds like you're asking all the right questions!