Can you qualify for SSI if you are not a US citizen?

It’s very difficult to advise on Social Security matters. Aid given to people regarding these issues has to be even more tailored to the unique needs of a person who is not a U.S. citizen. Yet there is an increasing number of non-citizen customers that financial advisers are servicing.

Can Anyone Receive Help?

You need to be a legal resident of the United States and have a Social Security number to be eligible for Social Security payments as a non-citizen.

When applying for an immigrant visa with the United States Department of State, many foreign nationals may also apply for a Social Security number in their native country. They may also apply at a Social Security office after they’ve settled in the United States.

Temporary visitors to the United States (non-immigrants) may apply for lawful employment in the United States and, if granted, get a Social Security number by submitting an “Application for Employment Authorization” to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Benefits from the Social Security System

The Social Security Administration administers multiple benefit schemes. For example, it offers retirement and spouse benefits, disability benefits for employees, and supplemental income for the elderly and the disabled who have little or no income or assets, in addition to benefits for retirees and their spouses.

Except for SSI, most of these programs require the applicant to have at least 40 Social Security work credits. That’s the equivalent of working in the United States for ten years under the policy in question.

Work Credits from the United States and Abroad Merged

When a worker’s home country has a totalization agreement with the United States, it may be possible for them to receive Social Security payments even if they haven’t accrued 40 work credits in the United States. To meet the requirements of both nations, non-citizens may now use the credits they acquired in both.