Can a foreigner collect Social Security?

Q: I’m working in the U.S. on an H-1B visa and pay Social Security taxes. Can I collect Social Security from my home in India one day? —V.S., White Plains, N.Y.

A: People with H-1B and other working visa classifications are eligible for Social Security benefits. To qualify, you have to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes. (Some nonimmigrants and non­resident aliens are exempt from Social Security taxes.) The U.S. also has “totalization agreements” with several countries, sparing immigrants from the double taxation of Social Security here as well as in their native country. H-1B workers from India who are not covered by such an international agreement can in theory collect Social Security. Problem is, most H-1B workers can work in the U.S. for no more than six consecutive years, less than the minimum 40 quarters currently required for the benefit.

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Read about 7 Social Security pitfalls and windfalls.

This article also appeared in the October 2015 issue of Consumer Reports Money Adviser.

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