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[TEX_715 6]

Do you know: can people with ssn numbers who are permanent residents can collect social security benefits, or just citizens?

I guess either way we are going to try for us citizenship and get rid of the expensive almost useless Burmese passport.

[Karee 4,189]

Do you know: can people with ssn numbers who are permanent residents can collect social security benefits, or just citizens?

I guess either way we are going to try for us citizenship and get rid of the expensive almost useless Burmese passport.

I've actually been looking at that recently. It's not real clear. I know there's something to do with 40 qualifying quarters (10 years) of work. We plan on moving back to Thailand sooner rather than later.

I did find out that they use your highest 35 years of earnings when calculating your benefits. If you don't have 35 years, they just put zeros for the years where you don't have an earnings.

[slowlyman 118]

Thanks Karee, I was thinking along the lines of needing 18 months of residency to even file for the ROC. Baby steps.

I've actually been having this discussion with my wife. She has been getting "advise" that we can split our time 6 months and 6 months and she can still file for ROC at the 1 year and 9 month point. She isn;t grasping the need for time in actual residence.

Edited March 16, 2014 by slowlyman

[slowlyman 118]

Do you know: can people with ssn numbers who are permanent residents can collect social security benefits, or just citizens?

I guess either way we are going to try for us citizenship and get rid of the expensive almost useless Burmese passport.

Without citizenship, she will pay in but not collect.

[Karee 4,189]

Thanks Karee, I was thinking along the lines of needing 18 months of residency to even file for the ROC. Baby steps.

I've actually been having this discussion with my wife. She has been getting "advise" that we can split our time 6 months and 6 months and she can still file for ROC at the 1 year and 9 month point. She isn;t grasping the need for time in actual residence.

Nope, 21 months from the date on the green card for ROC.

Technically you can do the 6 months living there and 6 months living here thing. There's a couple issues with that.

1. Upon returning to the U.S. after one of your 6 months in Thailand, it's up to CBP to determine whether or not residency is being maintained. This can get tricky. I know a couple that took off to South America for 6 months immediately after she got her 2 year green card. Then we she returned to the U.S., she was here for a month or so and then went to Thailand for a month. She didn't have an issue that I recall. (I pinged the guy on Skype to verify the timelines)

2. When you file for citizenship you have to list ALL trips out of the U.S. for more than 24 hours. You can file for citizenship after 2 years and 9 months of permanent residency. However, I think that if you stay out of the U.S. for 6 months, that may mean that you can't file for citizenship until 3 years and 3 months, so you're really delaying any kind of permanent move you may want to make.

If it were me, I wouldn't plan on any part time living situations until your wife has citizenship. After that you can live wherever you want for as long as you want. I don't know when Jin got her 2 year green card, but I'd tell her to plan on freezing her a$$ off for a couple more winters. Also, tell her to stop getting advice from Thais when it comes to this. They had my wife convinced I was going to sell her the minute she got off the plane. That's not the only crazy advice she got from them.

[Karee 4,189]

Thanks Karee, I was thinking along the lines of needing 18 months of residency to even file for the ROC. Baby steps.

I've actually been having this discussion with my wife. She has been getting "advise" that we can split our time 6 months and 6 months and she can still file for ROC at the 1 year and 9 month point. She isn;t grasping the need for time in actual residence.

[slowlyman 118]

My time line is up to date. Do ya think I'm new here?

Edited March 16, 2014 by slowlyman

[slowlyman 118]

Nope, 21 months from the date on the green card for ROC.

Technically you can do the 6 months living there and 6 months living here thing. There's a couple issues with that.

1. Upon returning to the U.S. after one of your 6 months in Thailand, it's up to CBP to determine whether or not residency is being maintained. This can get tricky. I know a couple that took off to South America for 6 months immediately after she got her 2 year green card. Then we she returned to the U.S., she was here for a month or so and then went to Thailand for a month. She didn't have an issue that I recall. (I pinged the guy on Skype to verify the timelines)

2. When you file for citizenship you have to list ALL trips out of the U.S. for more than 24 hours. You can file for citizenship after 2 years and 9 months of permanent residency. However, I think that if you stay out of the U.S. for 6 months, that may mean that you can't file for citizenship until 3 years and 3 months, so you're really delaying any kind of permanent move you may want to make.

If it were me, I wouldn't plan on any part time living situations until your wife has citizenship. After that you can live wherever you want for as long as you want. I don't know when Jin got her 2 year green card, but I'd tell her to plan on freezing her a$$ off for a couple more winters. Also, tell her to stop getting advice from Thais when it comes to this. They had my wife convinced I was going to sell her the minute she got off the plane. That's not the only crazy advice she got from them.

Somewhere I read the time in country is 18 months before filing ROC. Guess I remember wrong.

Heck, Jin still has people telling her I'm going to sell her. The one that really bugs me is when ever we have an "issue" she talks about it on Facebook. Right away she is being told to file VAWA. That is getting really old.

[Karee 4,189]

My time line is up to date. Do ya think I'm new here?

She doesn't have her green card yet?

Somewhere I read the time in country is 18 months before filing ROC. Guess I remember wrong.

Heck, Jin still has people telling her I'm going to sell her. The one that really bugs me is when ever we have an "issue" she talks about it on Facebook. Right away she is being told to file VAWA. That is getting really old.

I wonder how the hell they even know what VAWA is? That's scary. VAWA doesn't apply once she has a green card anyway.

[slowlyman 118]

We got a letter from the USCIS telling us to expect the card June or July. I did a Congressional inquiry and got the same answer. So, we wait.

Ya, they know so little about the immigration process, but they know about VAWA. Actually Jin came here with a packet of information on it, written in Thai. She said it came from the Consulate.

[Karee 4,189]

We got a letter from the USCIS telling us to expect the card June or July. I did a Congressional inquiry and got the same answer. So, we wait.

Ya, they know so little about the immigration process, but they know about VAWA. Actually Jin came here with a packet of information on it, written in Thai. She said it came from the Consulate.

Man that's insane. It's been almost 6 months since you filed the I-485. The average here is 121 days.

[slowlyman 118]

I know.......................... But this is America, what can you do?

[Karee 4,189]

I know.......................... But this is America, what can you do?

What sucks is that the clock doesn't start on anything until she gets that green card.

[AaronLV 12]

Without citizenship, she will pay in but not collect.

Not correct. As long as she has worked her 40 Quarters or 10 years she can collect SS benefits. The main restriction with not being a citizen, is if she is not living in the US, they will only pay here 1/2 of what she is entitled to, if living in the US, she gets 100%, provided she qualified. This goes for spousal death benefits also. I believe you have to be married 9 months before she qualifies to receive your benefits.

[AaronLV 12]

Thanks Karee, I was thinking along the lines of needing 18 months of residency to even file for the ROC. Baby steps.

I've actually been having this discussion with my wife. She has been getting "advise" that we can split our time 6 months and 6 months and she can still file for ROC at the 1 year and 9 month point. She isn;t grasping the need for time in actual residence.

The 18 months is for Physical Presence in the US for citizenship out of the 3 years to apply for citizenship. They add up all trips out of the USA for the physical presence. Anytime over 6 months out has to have a valid reason with documentation, or they will reset the clock for physical presence and when you can file for citizenship. Anytime over 12 months I believe automatically resets your clock.

I have a friend that him and his wife do two trips a year to Thailand with each one being about 3 months, they had no problem filing for ROC, not sure if they are going to do citizenship or not.