Your work overseas may help you to qualify for U.S. benefits if it was covered under a foreign Social Security system. The United States has Social Security agreements with a number of other countries. One of the main purposes of these agreements is to help people who have worked in both the United States and the other country, but who have not worked long enough in one country or the other to qualify for Social Security benefits.

Under the agreement, Social Security can count your work credits in the other country if this will help you qualify for U.S. benefits. However, if you already have enough credits under U.S. Social Security to qualify for a benefit, Social Security will not count your credits in the other country. If Social Security counts your foreign work credits, you will receive a partial U.S. benefit that is related to the length of time you worked under U.S. Social Security.

Although Social Security may count your work credits in the other country, your credits are not actually transferred from that country to the United States. They remain on your record in the other country. It is therefore possible for you to qualify for a separate benefit payment from both countries.

For more information about the agreements, including details about specific agreements in force, see International Agreements, Payments Outside the United States, and Social Security in Other Countries.