9
(over)
Agreement Between The United States And Canada
How benets can be paid
If you have Social Security credits in both the
United States and Canada, you may be eligible
for benets from one or both countries. If you
meet all the basic requirements under one
country’s system, you will get a regular benet
from that country. If you do not meet the basic
requirements, the agreement may help you
qualify for a benet as explained below.
• Benets from the United States — If you do
not have enough work credits under the U.S.
system to qualify for regular benets, you
may be able to qualify for a partial benet
from the United States based on both U.S.
and Canadian (CPP/QPP) credits. However,
to be eligible to have your Canadian credits
counted, you must have earned at least six
work credits (generally 1½ years of work)
under the U.S. system. If you already have
enough work credits under the U.S. system
to qualify for a benet, the United States
cannot count your Canadian credits.
• Benets from Canada — Canada provides
retirement, disability and survivors benets
through two separate programs.
1. Old-Age Security (OAS) Program — To
get OAS benets, you must be age 65 or
older and must have been a resident of
Canada for at least 10 years after age 18
(or 20 years after age 18 to have benets
paid outside Canada).
Under the agreement, Canada will
consider your U.S. Social Security credits
earned after 1951 and after age 18, along
with periods of residence in Canada after
1951 and after age 18, to meet the OAS
residence requirements. However, to be
eligible to have your U.S. credits counted,
you must have resided in Canada for at
least one year after 1951 and after age 18.
2. Canada Pension Plan and Quebec
Pension Plan — The Canada Pension
Plan (CPP) and the Quebec Pension
Plan (QPP) pay retirement, disability and
survivors pensions based on your covered
work performed on or after January 1,
1966 (when CPP and QPP started), and
the amount of your earnings. The CPP
operates throughout Canada, except in the
Province of Quebec. Both plans require a
minimum qualify for benets. People who
have contributed to both CPP and QPP
receive one benet based on their total
contributions to both plans.
Under the agreement, U.S. Social Security
credits completed after 1965 may be
considered along with CPP or QPP work
credits, if necessary, to meet the minimum
requirements for CPP or QPP disability
or survivors benets. However, to be
eligible to have your U.S. credits counted,
you must have earned at least one year
of credit under the CPP or QPP. It is not
necessary to consider U.S. Social Security
credits in determining eligibility for CPP
or QPP retirement benets since anyone
who has made at least one contribution
to either plan can qualify for a retirement
benet at age 65 or a reduced retirement
benet as early as age 60.
How credits get counted
You do not have to do anything to have your
credits in one country counted by the other
country. If we need to count your credits under
the Canadian system to help you qualify for a
U.S. benet, we will get a copy of your Canadian
record directly from Canada when you apply for
benets. If Canadian ofcials need to count your
U.S. credits to help you qualify for a Canadian
benet, they will get a copy of your U.S. record
directly from the Social Security Administration
when you apply for the Canadian benet.
Although each country may count your credits
in the other country, your credits are not actually
transferred from one country to the other. They
remain on your record in the country where you
earned them and can also be used to qualify for
benets there.
Computation of U.S. benet under the
agreement
When a U.S. benet becomes payable as a
result of counting both U.S. and Canadian
Social Security credits, an initial benet is