Social Security spousal benefits for green card holder - online application possible?

Your wife will need to apply for spousal benefits in person at your local SSA office. Non-citizens with lawful permanent resident status CAN receive spousal benefits, but the online application system isn't set up to properly handle these more complex situations. For her appointment, she should bring: - Her permanent resident card (green card) - Social Security card - Birth certificate (with certified translation if not in English) - Marriage certificate - Your Social Security number (since you're the primary beneficiary) - Her passport Make the appointment ASAP as some offices are still backed up from the pandemic. You can apply for your retirement benefits online immediately - you don't need to wait for her appointment.

congrats on retiring! my wife is also a green card holder and got her spousal benefits last year. she had to go in person tho, the online system rejected her application when she tried.

Be prepared for a loooong wait to get an appointment at SSA these days. When I tried helping my mom with her benefits last month, they said the next available appointment was SIX WEEKS out! And if you call their 800 number, you'll be on hold foreverrrr. The whole system is broken since COVID.

Just to add some important information: Your wife can qualify for spousal benefits even without having her own 10 years of work credits, but as a permanent resident, she must meet additional requirements: 1. She must have been in the U.S. lawfully for 5 years 2. Her green card must be current and valid Since you mentioned she's been a permanent resident for about 20 years, she clearly meets these requirements. The good news is that as your spouse of over 30 years, she's eligible for up to 50% of your full retirement age benefit amount. Also, you should consider the timing of your applications. If you file at your full retirement age (which sounds like you're doing), you'll receive 100% of your benefit. If you were to delay until 70, you'd get 132% of your full benefit, but this wouldn't increase her spousal benefit. Finally, once you've filed your online application, I recommend printing the confirmation page and having your wife bring that to her in-person appointment as well.

wait, so does the wife need to have been married 10 years or have worked 10 years? my english isn't great and I'm confused because my situation is similar...

My wife had similar situation. Green card holder for 15+ yrs. SSA office gave us so much trouble even with all documents!!! Kept asking for more proof of status for no reason. Took THREE visits to finally get approved. Bring EVERY document you have and INSIST on speaking to supervisor if they give you trouble. System is designed to make immigrants struggle!!!

hey just remembered something important - make sure your wife's name on her green card EXACTLY matches her SS card and marriage certificate. my wife's middle name was abbreviated on one document and SSA made us fix that before proceeding. what a headache!

One final recommendation - when you make the appointment for your wife, specifically ask for someone who specializes in non-citizen benefit claims. Not all SSA representatives are equally familiar with these rules, and seeing a specialist can save you a lot of time and confusion. Also, if your wife has ever used other names (maiden name, different spellings, etc.), bring documentation showing the name progression. SSA needs to establish a clear identity trail.