Retirement & Medicare Benefits for immigrants

[raymaga 25]

To get retirement benefits, you need 40 credits of work.

To get Medicare benefits at age 65, you need the same number of credits that you need for retirement benefits. If you don't have enough credits when you reach age 65, you may contact a local Social Security office to learn whether you're eligible to buy Medicare coverage.

Did you all know this?

I was not aware of this until I received my "Social Security Statement" which I requested from the Social Security Administration.

I am working part-time, and I fully intend to keep working until I have met the 40 quarter requirement so that I can get some Social Security and Medicare benefits when we retire.

You can earn up to four credits per year and each year the amount of earnings needed for a credit rises as average earnings levels rise. In 2008, you receive one credit for each $1,050 of earnings, up to a maximum of four credits per year. In 2007, you receive one credit for each $1,000 of earnings.

Just thought this might help some of you who are wondering what is the requirements for Social Security and Medicare.

[payxibka 10,048]

In 2009, you receive one credit for each $1,090 of earnings, up to the maximum of four credits per year.

[Reba 2]

For Canadians though, with the treaty between Canada and US, we can also still collect CPP payments from Canada when we retire, and possibly OAS, depending how many years you contributed before you left.

[faryan 4]

Thanks for posting, I never thought about these things before. Does this apply also to PRs or naturalized immigrants, as I dont intend to be a citizen?

[Waldo 0]

Should I even care? I'm 26... It would be nice to have but I would prefer to save on my own and if I get it great.... But I could never trust SS for retirement.

My job now pays me a pension which I hate because when we do go bankrupt that will be one of the first things they take.

[mawilson 2,133]

So essentially NO retirement or medicare benefits for IMMIGRANTS, correct?

[raymaga 25]

There are benefits for immigrants, it's just that you have to work in order to get them.... 40 quarters of work.

I wasn't aware until recently that you had to work the full 40 quarters in order to get ANY benefits, though. And I'm wondering how many people are thinking that they will get some benefits whether they work or not.

I intend to get at least my 40 credits of work (10 years) before I quit working so I get some Social Security and Medicare when we retire.

If I hadn't found this out, I may have quit working before I got my 40 credits in.

I will be able to collect my CPP from Canada, and possibly OAS, but I also want to get something from SS after I had to work here too.

[mawilson 2,133]

There are benefits for immigrants, it's just that you have to work in order to get them.... 40 quarters of work.

Right, which essentially means 'no benefits' for elderly immigrants.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

There are benefits for immigrants, it's just that you have to work in order to get them.... 40 quarters of work.

Right, which essentially means 'no benefits' for elderly immigrants.

Immigrant spouses benefits are based on either their earnings, or their spouses earnings, which ever is greater, I believe. So, spouses are okay. Now, if you bring the parents over, then they may not get any benefits until they work the 40 quarters. I think that is right.

Edited February 8, 2009 by Mister_Bill

[Danno 1,228]

I'm trying to recall but wasn't Carter responsible for supporting legislation which made it possible for

Older Immigrants who never paid in at all, to collect.

Seems I recall this was a big flap for him.

Perhaps this was changed?

[NickD 203]

As far as I know, everybody has to pay something in FICA taxes to get any SS benefits. Have some friends that worked for the government all of their life that never paid a dime to SS, and are not getting a dime from SS.

Current rate is 7.65% deducted off the top of your income where your employer pays that same amount to the government. On IRS form SE, $102,000 or less, multiply line 4 by 15.3% (.153). Enter the result here and on Form 1040, line 57 where line 4 is your net income for self employed persons for 2008, more for 2009. If you earned over $102,000, still have to pay FICA taxes on that amount over that figure, but at a 2.9% rate with no limits. But this is on earned income, the kind you have to work your can off to get. If you are a retired attorney for example getting paid $200,000 a year from your firm to use your name, that is unearned income, you don't have to pay FICA taxes on that.

To get full benefits, have to work until you are over 67 now, and the maximum benefits you can receive is around $25,000 per year, but only if you paid in maximum FICA taxes your entire life. They also toss in a the last five years of FICA taxes you paid that can drastically lower those benefits, say if you became ill or were laid off.

If you did earn say $100,000 and paid in your share of 7.65% or $7,650.00 on a W-2, you do not list $93,350 as your income, even though that is all you got, but you list $100,000.00 meaning that you are paying income taxes on top of your FICA taxes. But at the same time, on line 15a of the 1040, you may have to pay as much as 85% of your SS benefits in additional income taxes, you are getting hit twice on paying taxes.

But they hope you kick the bucket and don't have to pay you a dime, well something like 300 bucks to dig a hole and toss you into it.

SS is a ripoff, wasn't that way at the start, but sure is now, to assure your early death, there is Medicare that only pays a fraction of what your medical provider asks, many won't even touch a Medicare patient and is a major reason why health insurance costs is so high for other people. But yet, many politicians say SS is going broke, the lying b@stards.

[Danno 1,228]

As far as I know, everybody has to pay something in FICA taxes to get any SS benefits. Have some friends that worked for the government all of their life that never paid a dime to SS, and are not getting a dime from SS.

I believe this changed in the Reagan years, about 1984.

[justashooter 430]

to clarify, if a person is married to a citizen who has already paid 40 quarters the spouse can benefit from the citizen's working time in terms of acheiving the 40 quarters requirement earlier. these benefits are available to PR on very similar if not identical terms...

[mawilson 2,133]

to clarify, if a person is married to a citizen who has already paid 40 quarters the spouse can benefit from the citizen's working time in terms of acheiving the 40 quarters requirement earlier. these benefits are available to PR on very similar if not identical terms...

How?

[tom&tata 2]

I know there is 10 years marriage requirement. I am not sure of the credit had to be earned during marriage or not. That's a good question.