Can I apply work overseas to my Social Security record?
Only earnings subject to U.S. Social Security are shown on a person's U.S. Social Security record. However, your work overseas may help you to qualify for U.S. benefits, but only if you worked in a country that has a social security agreement with the United States.
The United States has international social security (totalization) agreements in effect with Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. One purpose for these agreements is to help people who have worked in the United States and in a social security agreement country, but who have not worked long enough in one country or the other to qualify for social security benefits.
Under the U.S. Social Security system you need 40 credits (about 10 years of covered work) to qualify for retirement benefits. If you do not have 40 credits we can count your work credits from one of our agreement countries to help you qualify for U.S. benefits. Although you may count credits from a social security agreement country, we do not transfer these credits from one country to another. They remain on your record in the country where you earned them. It is therefore possible for you to qualify for a separate benefit payment from each country. The agreements do not provide for combining benefits for the United States and an agreement country into a single payment.
For more information about the agreements, including details see International Agreements, Payments Outside the United States, and Social Security in Other Countries. For information about how you earn Social Security credits see How You Earn Credits.
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