Hi, I am a Singaporean married to a US citizen and have only visited US as a tourist.
As per the social security website, some nationalities will be eligible for spouse's social security benefit as long as we fulfill the 5 years residency in US.
Appreciate if anyone can help with my questions:
1. Do I have to go through the marriage green card route in order to prove the 5 years residency to Social Security? Would a K3 visa or CR1 visa validity suffice for 5 years of residency?
2. Do I have to live in USA for full 360/365 days per year to fullfill the 5 years residency? Our plan is to spend a couple of months between Singapore and US each year.
3. Which state/area would you recommend for retirement purpose? Lower cost of living with a great community and ease of travelling around and out of US.
Many thanks for your time