AARP Hearing Center
How Social Security Works for Non-U.S. Citizens
7 min read
Key takeaways
- Legal status matters: Only those noncitizens authorized to live and work in the U.S. can qualify for benefits.
- Noncitizens who are eligible for Social Security may continue to receive payments if they move abroad, but there are restrictions.
- Undocumented workers are barred from claiming benefits, whether or not they paid Social Security taxes.
Workers gain eligibility for Social Security by paying into the system through taxes on their earnings. That includes many non-U.S. citizens. They can qualify for Social Security retirement and disability benefits under the same rules as native-born and naturalized Americans, provided they are legally authorized to live and work in the country.
Undocumented immigrants are not eligible to claim Social Security, even if they worked in the U.S. and paid Social Security taxes. Here are the facts on how immigration intersects with Social Security.
- How noncitizens can qualify for Social Security
- How noncitizens can obtain Social Security numbers and cards
- Types of Social Security cards for noncitizens
- Can noncitizens keep getting benefits if they leave the U.S.?
- Undocumented immigrants can’t receive Social Security
- Can noncitizens get Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?
How noncitizens can qualify for Social Security
Noncitizens who fulfill the broader requirements to qualify for benefits — working for a certain length of time in jobs or self-employment in which they paid Social Security taxes — can collect those payments if they also meet one of these criteria:
- They have permanent legal residency status, represented by a green card.
- They have temporary visas that allow them to work in the U.S.
- They are in the country under the Family Unity or Immediate Relative provisions of U.S. immigration law.
Noncitizens with legal U.S. residency may also collect family or survivor benefits based on the work history of a spouse, former spouse or deceased spouse, under the same terms as citizens.
How noncitizens can obtain Social Security numbers and cards
People planning to immigrate to the United States can request a Social Security number and card as part of their State Department application for an immigrant visa, a process called Enumeration at Entry.
Immigrants who are already in the country and have work authorization or are newly naturalized U.S. citizens must go to a local Social Security office with their immigration documents to apply for a Social Security card and number. Those with legal permanent resident status can apply by mail through a process called Enumeration Beyond Entry.
To apply for a Social Security card in person, noncitizens must provide proof of age, identity and authorization to live and work in the U.S. Acceptable documents include a foreign birth certificate, an unexpired foreign passport and immigration documents issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). All documents must be originals or certified copies.
Types of Social Security cards for noncitizens
The Social Security Administration (SSA) issues three kinds of cards to noncitizens, but not all of them allow the recipient to work.
The most common type is the basic Social Security card, known to hundreds of millions of people. It is issued to U.S. citizens and to noncitizens whom DHS has authorized to live and work in the country permanently, including green card holders, refugees and people granted asylum.
The second type of card carries the words “valid for work only with DHS authorization.” It is issued to people who have permission to live and work here temporarily. The third type is stamped “not valid for employment.” It is issued to noncitizens who don’t have permission to work but need a Social Security number for other reasons, such as to apply for government benefits or services.
Can noncitizens keep getting benefits if they leave the U.S.?
Noncitizens who meet the eligibility requirements for Social Security but have returned to their native country or otherwise moved abroad can still receive their payments, but in some circumstances, payments can be suspended after six consecutive calendar months abroad, unless the recipient returns at least temporarily to the U.S.
“That can and does happen,” says Ray R. Harris, a registered Social Security analyst and the founder of Social Security Claiming Experts, an advisory firm in Chicago. “They can generally start again if the person returns to the U.S. and is physically and lawfully present for a full calendar month — every hour of every day of that month.”
However, there are numerous exceptions to this six-month rule. For example, citizens of 29 countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas can continue receiving any form of Social Security no matter how long they stay outside the U.S. Citizens of about 50 more countries can continue collecting retirement or disability benefits with no return requirement, but there may be conditions for those getting spousal or survivor benefits related to factors such as their marital history, duration of U.S. residence and whether they now live in a country that has a Social Security agreement with the U.S.
The SSA’s online screening tool will help you determine whether you can receive benefit payments in your current or prospective country of residence. You can also find detailed information on international payments in an SSA brochure titled “Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States.”
Undocumented immigrants can’t receive Social Security
People living and working in the U.S. without legal authorization are barred from claiming Social Security benefits. Proof of citizenship or legal immigration status is required as part of the application process.
Some undocumented immigrants obtain fake Social Security numbers or use lapsed or stolen numbers to get a job. They pay into Social Security through the payroll taxes deducted from their wages, but they don’t qualify for benefits. A 2024 report from the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found that undocumented immigrants paid $25.7 billion into Social Security in 2022.
Can noncitizens get Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?
In some cases, yes, but they must meet a slew of complex conditions set forth in the rules and regulations governing SSI, a federal benefit program administered by the SSA but funded by general revenues rather than by payroll taxes.
SSI is designed to serve people with very limited income and financial resources who are 65 or older, blind or have a disability. With rare exceptions, a noncitizen claiming SSI must also be what the SSA calls a “qualified alien,” a designation that generally covers people who enter the U.S. legally as immigrants, asylum seekers or refugees.
Additionally, noncitizens must meet one of several conditions based on factors such as how long they have lived in the U.S., how long they have worked or whether they served in the U.S. military. The details are complicated; you’ll find them in the SSI section of the Social Security website, along with information on the handful of exceptions to the “qualified alien” standard.
As with regular Social Security benefits, noncitizens must present proof of legal status, such as DHS papers or a judge’s order granting asylum, to claim SSI.
Andy Markowitz and Deirdre Shesgreen contributed to this article.
The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.
- Social Security Benefits for Noncitizens, Congressional Research Service
- Social Security Numbers for Noncitizens, Social Security Administration
- Foreign Workers and Social Security Numbers, Social Security Administration
- Types of Social Security Cards, Social Security Administration
- Social Security Payments Outside the United States, Social Security Administration
- Tax Payments by Undocumented Immigrants, Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy
- Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States, Country List 1, Social Security Administration
- Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States, Country List 2, Social Security Administration
- Spotlight on SSI Benefits for Noncitizens, Social Security Administration
Sharon Jayson is a contributing writer who covers aging, family, health care and retirement. She previously worked for USA Today and the Austin American-Statesman, and she also has written for Kaiser Health News, Time magazine and The Washington Post.
Stephen Richardson is a retired New England regional communications director for the Social Security Administration and AARP consultant on Social Security benefit issues. He began his career with the agency in 1982 as a claims representatives.
