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Agreement Between The United States And Canada
Agreement Between The United States
And Canada
Contents
Introduction 1
Coverage and Social Security taxes 2
Certificate of coverage 4
Monthly benefits 5
A CPP/QPP pension may affect your U.S. benefit 10
What you need to know about Medicare 10
Claims for benefits 10
Authority to collect information for a certificate
of coverage (see pages 4-5) 11
Contacting Social Security 12
Introduction
An agreement effective August 1, 1984,
between the United States and Canada
improves Social Security protection for people
who work or have worked in both countries. It
also helps protect the benet rights of people
who have earned Canadian Social Security
credits based on residence and/or contributions
in Canada.
Because the Canadian Social Security system
includes a special pension plan operated
in the Province of Quebec, an additional
understanding has been concluded with Quebec
to extend the agreement to that province
also effective August 1, 1984. Terms of the
U.S.-Canadian agreement and the U.S.-Quebec
understanding are very similar, and except
where otherwise noted, references in this
booklet to the U.S.-Canadian agreement also
apply to the U.S.-Quebec understanding.
The agreement with Canada helps many
people who, without the agreement, would not
be eligible for monthly retirement, disability or
survivors benets under the Social Security
system of one or both countries. It also helps
people who would otherwise have to pay
Social Security taxes to both countries on the
same earnings.
For the United States, the agreement
covers Social Security taxes (including the
U.S. Medicare portion) and Social Security
retirement, disability and survivors insurance
benets. It does not cover benets under the
U.S. Medicare program or the Supplemental
SocialSecurity.gov
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Security Income program. For Canada, the
agreement applies to the Old-Age Security
program and the Canada Pension Plan. The
understanding with Quebec applies to the
Quebec Pension Plan.
This booklet covers highlights of the agreement
and explains how it may help you while you
work and when you apply for benets.
The agreement may help you, your family
and your employer
• While you work — If your work is covered by
both the U.S. and Canadian Social Security
systems, you (and your employer, if you are
employed) would normally have to pay Social
Security taxes to both countries for the same
work. However, the agreement eliminates
this double coverage so you pay taxes to
only one system (see pages 2-5).
• When you apply for benets — You may
have some Social Security credits in both
the United States and Canada but not have
enough to be eligible for benets in one
country or the other. The agreement makes
it easier to qualify for benets by letting you
add together your Social Security credits
in both countries. For more details, see the
section on “Monthly benets” beginning
on page 5.
Coverage and Social Security taxes
Before the agreement, employees, employers
and self-employed people could, under certain
circumstances, be required to pay Social
Security taxes to both the United States and
Canada for the same work.
Under the agreement, if you work as an
employee in the United States, you normally
will be covered by the United States, and you
and your employer will pay Social Security
taxes only to the United States. If you work as
an employee in Canada, you normally will be
covered by Canada, and you and your employer
pay Social Security taxes (contributions) only
to Canada.
On the other hand, if your employer sends you
from one country to work for that employer or an
afliate in the other country for ve years or less,
you will continue to be covered by your home
country and you will be exempt from coverage
in the other country. For example, if a U.S.
company sends an employee to work for that
employer or an afliate in Canada for no more
than ve years, the employer and the employee
will continue to pay only U.S. Social Security
taxes and will not have to pay in Canada.
Even if your occupation (such as truck driver
or professional athlete) requires you to make
frequent short trips from one country to the other
over a period of more than ve years, each
trip can be considered separately so that you
remain covered only by the country from which
you are sent.
If you are self-employed and reside in the United
States or Canada, you generally will be covered
and taxed only by the country where you reside.
Summary of agreement rules
The following table shows whether your work
is covered under the U.S. or Canadian Social
Security system. If you are covered under U.S.
Social Security, you and your employer (if you
are an employee) must pay U.S. Social Security
taxes. If you are covered under the Canadian
system, you and your employer (if you are an
employee) must pay Canadian Social Security
taxes (contributions). The next section explains
how to get a form from the country where you
are covered that will prove you are exempt in
the other country.
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Your work status Coverage and taxes
You are working in Canada/Quebec:
For a U.S. employer who:
Sent you to work in Canada/Quebec for ve years
or less
U.S.
Sent you to work in Canada/Quebec for more than
ve years
Canada/Quebec
Hired you in Canada/Quebec Canada/Quebec
For a non-U.S. employer Canada/Quebec
For U.S. government
Write to the U.S. address on page 12 for
further information.
You are working in the United States:
For an employer in Canada/Quebec who:
Sent you to work in the United States for ve years
or less
Canada/Quebec
Sent you to work in the United States for more than
ve years
U.S.
Hired you in the United States U.S.
For a non-Canadian/Quebec employer U.S.
For the Canadian/Quebec government
Write to the appropriate Canadian address on page
12 for further information.
You are self-employed and you:
Reside in the United States U.S.
Reside in Canada/Quebec Canada/Quebec
If this table does not seem to describe your situation and you are:
Working in the United States
Write to the U.S. address on page 12 for
further information.
Working in Canada/Quebec
Write to the appropriate Canadian address on page
12 for further information.
NOTE: As the table indicates, a U.S. worker employed in Canada can be covered by U.S. Social
Security only if he or she works for a U.S. employer. A U.S. employer includes a corporation
organized under the laws of the United States or any state, a partnership if at least two thirds of
the partners are U.S. residents, a person who is a resident of the United States or a trust if all the
trustees are U.S. residents. The term also includes a foreign afliate of a U.S. employer if the U.S.
employer has entered into an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under section
3121(l) of the Internal Revenue Code to pay Social Security taxes for U.S. citizens and residents
employed by the afliate.
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Certicate of coverage
A certicate of coverage issued by one country
serves as proof of exemption from Social
Security taxes on the same earnings in the other
country. Generally, you will need a certicate
only if you will be working in the other country
for more than 183 days in a calendar year. If
you will be in the other country for 183 days or
less, a certicate will not be needed unless the
other country requests that you get one.
Certicates for employees
To establish an exemption from compulsory
coverage and taxes under the Canadian
system, your employer must request a
certicate of coverage (form USA/CAN 101
or USA/QUE 101) from the United States at
this address:
Social Security Administration
Ofce of International Programs
P.O. Box 17741
Baltimore, MD 21235-7741
USA
If preferred, the request may be sent by FAX to
(410) 966-1861. Please note this FAX number
should only be used to request certicates
of coverage.
No special form is required to request a
certicate but the request must be in writing and
provide the following information:
• Full name of worker;
• Date and place of birth;
• Citizenship;
• Country of worker’s permanent residence;
• U.S. Social Security number;
• Date of hire;
• Country of hire;
• Name and address of the employer in the
U.S. and Canada; and
• Date of transfer and anticipated date
of return.
In addition, your employer must indicate if
you remain an employee of the U.S. company
while working in Canada or if you become an
employee of the U.S. company’s afliate in
Canada. If you become an employee of an
afliate, your employer must indicate if the U.S.
company has an agreement with the IRS under
section 3121(l) of the Internal Revenue Code to
pay U.S. Social Security taxes for U.S. citizens
and residents employed by the afliate and, if
yes, the effective date of the agreement.
Your employer can also request a certicate
of U.S. coverage for you over the Internet
using a special online request form available
at www.socialsecurity.gov/coc. Only an
employer can use the online form to request a
certicate of coverage. A self-employed person
must submit a request by mail or fax.
To establish your exemption from coverage
under the U.S. Social Security system, your
employer in Canada must request a certicate
of coverage from Canada as follows:
• If your work will remain covered by the
Canada Pension Plan, request a certicate
(form CPT56A) from:
CPP/EI Rulings Department
Ottawa Tax Services Ofce
Canada Revenue Agency Section
333 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario
CANADA K1A 0L9
• If your work will remain covered by the
Quebec Pension Plan, request a certicate
(form QUE/USA 101) from:
Bureau des ententes de sécurité sociale
Régie des rentes du Québec
1055, René-Lévesque Est, 13e étage
Montréal, Québec
CANADA H2L 4S5
The same information required for a certicate
of coverage from the United States is needed
to get a certicate from Canada or Quebec
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except that you must show your Canadian social
insurance number rather than your U.S. Social
Security number.
Certicates for self-employed people
If you are self-employed and would normally
have to pay Social Security taxes to both the
U.S. and Canadian systems, you can establish
your exemption from one of the taxes.
• If you reside in the United States, write to the
Social Security Administration at the address
on page 4; or fax to (410) 966-1861; or
• If you reside in Canada, write to the
appropriate Canadian address on page 4.
Be sure to provide the following information in
your letter:
• Full name;
• Date and place of birth;
• Citizenship;
• Country of permanent residence;
• U.S. and/or Canadian Social
Security number;
• Nature of self-employment activity;
• Dates the activity was or will be
performed; and
• Name and address of your trade or business
in both countries.
Eective date of coverage exemption
The certicate of coverage you receive from
one country will show the effective date of your
exemption from paying Social Security taxes in
the other country. Generally, this will be the date
you began working in the other country.
Certicates of coverage issued by either the
Department of National Revenue in Ottawa or
the Bureau des ententes de sécurité sociale in
Montreal should be retained by the employer
in the United States in case of an audit by the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS). No copies
should be sent to IRS unless specically
requested by IRS. However, a self-employed
person must attach a photocopy of the
certicate to his or her income tax return each
year as proof of the U.S. exemption.
Copies of certicates of coverage issued by
the United States will be provided for both the
employee and the employer. It will be their
responsibility to present the certicate to the
Canadian or Quebec authorities when requested
to do so. To avoid any difculties, your employer
(or you, if you are self-employed) should request
a certicate as early as possible, preferably
before your work in the other country begins.
If you or your employer request a certicate of
coverage, you should read the Privacy Act and
Paperwork Reduction Act statements at the end
of this booklet.
Monthly benets
The following table shows the various types of
Social Security benets payable under the U.S.
and Canadian Social Security systems and
briey describes the eligibility requirements that
normally apply for each type of benet. If you
do not meet the normal requirements for these
benets, the agreement may help you to qualify
(see pages 9-11).
This table is only a general guide. You can
get more specic information about U.S.
benets at any U.S. Social Security ofce or by
calling our toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213
or by visiting Social Security’s website at
www.socialsecurity.gov. You can get more
detailed information about the Canadian system
by writing to the appropriate Canadian address
on page 4 or by visiting the Department of
Human Resources at www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/
isp/common/home.shtml or the Régie des
rentes de Québec at www.rrq.gouv.qc.ca/en.
Under U.S. Social Security, you may earn up to
four credits each year depending on the amount
of your covered earnings. The amount needed
to earn a work credit goes up slightly each
year. For more information, ask for How You
Earn Credits (Publication No. 05-10072). Under
the Canadian system, credits are measured in
years. To simplify the information in the table,
U.S. requirements are also shown in years
of credits.
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We should point out that Canada provides
old-age, disability and survivors benets
through two different programs. The Old-Age
Security (OAS) program pays a at-rate benet
to people age 65 or older based on periods of
residence in Canada.
The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and the
Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) pay retirement,
disability and survivors pensions based on a
worker’s earnings and total years of coverage
beginning January 1, 1966 (when CPP and
QPP started).
Social Security System
Type of
benet
United States Canada
Old-Age Security (OAS)
Canada Pension
Plan (CPP)
Quebec Pension
Plan (QPP)
Retirement or old-age
Full benet at
full retirement
age.* Reduced
benet as early
as age 62.
Required work
credits range
from 1 ½ to 10
years (10 years
if age 62 in 1991
or later).
An Old-Age Security pension
is paid to anyone in Canada
who is at least age 65 and has
been a resident of Canada
for at least 10 years after age
18. This benet is payable
outside Canada for only six
months following the month of
departure from Canada unless
the person has at least 20
years of Canadian residence
after age 18. No work credits
are required.
A supplementary benet
called Guaranteed Income
Supplement (GIS) is paid
to OAS beneciaries living
in Canada who have little
or no income beyond the
OAS benet. GIS is payable
outside Canada for only six
months following the month of
departure from Canada.
Worker can
get full pension
at age 65 or
reduced pension
as early as age
60. Only one
contribution (one
year coverage)
required.
Same as CPP.
Disability
Under full
retirement age*
can get benet
if unable to do
any substantial
gainful work for
at least a year.1
½ to 10 years
credit required,
depending on
age at date of
onset. Some
recent credits
also needed
unless worker
is blind.
No provision. Worker under
65 must have
a physical or
mental disability
which prevents
any substantial
gainful work and
will be of long and
indenite duration
or result in death.
Worker must have
contributions in
four of the last
six years.
Denition of disability
same as CPP.
Worker must have
contributions in:
• half the years in the
contributory period with
a two-year minimum; or
• Five years of the
last 10 years in the
contributory period; or
• Two years of the last
three years in the
contributory period,
or two years if the
contributory period is
two years.
*The full retirement age is 66 for people born in 1943-1954 and will gradually increase to age 67 for people
born in 1960 or later.
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Social Security System
Type of
benet
United States Canada
Old-Age Security
(OAS)
Canada Pension
Plan (CPP)
Quebec Pension
Plan (QPP)
Family benets to dependents of retired or disabled people
Spouse
Full benet at full
retirement age* or
at any age if caring
for worker’s entitled
child under age 16
(or disabled before
age 22). Reduced
benets as early as
age 62 if not caring
for a child.
An allowance is paid to
the spouse or commonlaw
partner (whether of the
same or different sex
who have lived together
for at least one year) of
an OAS pensioner when
the couple has little or
no income. The spouse
or common-law partner
must be age 60-64 and
the OAS beneciary must
also be receiving GIS.
The allowance is payable
outside Canada for only
six months following
the month of departure
from Canada.
No provision for
benets. However,
under certain
conditions, retirement
pensions can be
shared by married
spouses if they are not
legally separated.
Same as CPP.
Divorced spouse
Full benet at full
retirement age.*
Reduced benet
as early as age 62.
Must be unmarried
and have been
married to worker for
at least 10 years.
No provision. No provision for
benets. However,
total earnings credited
to the couple during
the marriage (while
they lived together)
may be split equally
upon a divorce or
legal annulment that
occurred after 1977.
No provision for
benets. Provision
on earnings splitting
similar to CPP.
Children
If unmarried, up to
age 18 (age 19 if
in an elementary or
secondary school
full time) or any age
if disabled before
age 22.
No provision. No provision for
children of retired
worker. Children of
disabled worker up to
age 18 (or age 25 if in
school full time).
No provision for
children of retired
worker. Children of
disabled worker up
to age 18 (or age 25
if in school full time
and worker died or
became disabled
prior to 1/1/94).
*The full retirement age is 66 for people born in 1943-1954 and will gradually increase to age 67 for people
born in 1960 or later.
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Social Security System
Type of
benet
United States Canada
Old-Age Security
(OAS)
Canada Pension Plan
(CPP)
Quebec Pension
Plan (QPP)
Survivors benets — widow or widower
Full benet at full
retirement age* or
at any age if caring
for the deceased’s
entitled child under
age 16 (or disabled
before age 22).
Reduced benet as
early as age 60 (or
age 50 if disabled)
if not caring for
child. Benets may
be continued if
remarriage occurs
after age 60 (or age
50 if disabled).
An allowance
is payable to
widowed spouses
or common-law
partners (whether
of the same or
different sex) age
60-64 with little or
no income. The
common- law partner
must have lived with
the deceased for
at least one year.
The allowance is
payable outside
Canada for only six
months following the
month of departure
from Canada.
Age 35 or older, or under
age 35 if disabled or
maintaining dependent child
of the deceased spouse or
common-law partner (whether
of the same or different sex).
In addition, a same-sex
common-law partner can
qualify for benet only if the
worker’s death occurred on
or after 1/1/98. The deceased
worker must have credit for
at least one third of the years
in the contributory period for
a minimum of three years
up to a maximum of 10
years. Remarriage will not
affect entitlement.
Same as CPP,
except no age
requirement.
Divorced
widow(er)
Same as widow or
widower if marriage
lasted at least
10 years.
No provision. No provision. However, see
note under divorced spouse.
No provision.
However, see
note under
divorced spouse.
Surviving
children
Same as for
children of retired or
disabled worker.
No provision. Same as children of disabled
worker. Same contributory
requirements as for
widow/ widower.
Same as children
of disabled worker.
Same contributory
requirements as for
widow/ widower.
Lump-sum
death benet
A one-time payment
not to exceed $255
payable on the death
of an insured worker.
No provision. Same minimum contributory
requirements as for other
survivors benets. One-
time payment equal to six
times the monthly retirement
pension of the deceased
worker to a maximum of
CDN $2,500.
Same minimum
contributory
requirements as
for other survivors
benets. One-
time payment of
CDN $2,500.
*The full retirement age for survivors is age 66 for people born in 1945-1956 and will gradually increase to
age 67 for people born in 1962 or later.
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How benets can be paid
If you have Social Security credits in both the
United States and Canada, you may be eligible
for benets from one or both countries. If you
meet all the basic requirements under one
country’s system, you will get a regular benet
from that country. If you do not meet the basic
requirements, the agreement may help you
qualify for a benet as explained below.
• Benets from the United States — If you do
not have enough work credits under the U.S.
system to qualify for regular benets, you
may be able to qualify for a partial benet
from the United States based on both U.S.
and Canadian (CPP/QPP) credits. However,
to be eligible to have your Canadian credits
counted, you must have earned at least six
work credits (generally 1½ years of work)
under the U.S. system. If you already have
enough work credits under the U.S. system
to qualify for a benet, the United States
cannot count your Canadian credits.
• Benets from Canada — Canada provides
retirement, disability and survivors benets
through two separate programs.
1. Old-Age Security (OAS) Program — To
get OAS benets, you must be age 65 or
older and must have been a resident of
Canada for at least 10 years after age 18
(or 20 years after age 18 to have benets
paid outside Canada).
Under the agreement, Canada will
consider your U.S. Social Security credits
earned after 1951 and after age 18, along
with periods of residence in Canada after
1951 and after age 18, to meet the OAS
residence requirements. However, to be
eligible to have your U.S. credits counted,
you must have resided in Canada for at
least one year after 1951 and after age 18.
2. Canada Pension Plan and Quebec
Pension Plan — The Canada Pension
Plan (CPP) and the Quebec Pension
Plan (QPP) pay retirement, disability and
survivors pensions based on your covered
work performed on or after January 1,
1966 (when CPP and QPP started), and
the amount of your earnings. The CPP
operates throughout Canada, except in the
Province of Quebec. Both plans require a
minimum qualify for benets. People who
have contributed to both CPP and QPP
receive one benet based on their total
contributions to both plans.
Under the agreement, U.S. Social Security
credits completed after 1965 may be
considered along with CPP or QPP work
credits, if necessary, to meet the minimum
requirements for CPP or QPP disability
or survivors benets. However, to be
eligible to have your U.S. credits counted,
you must have earned at least one year
of credit under the CPP or QPP. It is not
necessary to consider U.S. Social Security
credits in determining eligibility for CPP
or QPP retirement benets since anyone
who has made at least one contribution
to either plan can qualify for a retirement
benet at age 65 or a reduced retirement
benet as early as age 60.
How credits get counted
You do not have to do anything to have your
credits in one country counted by the other
country. If we need to count your credits under
the Canadian system to help you qualify for a
U.S. benet, we will get a copy of your Canadian
record directly from Canada when you apply for
benets. If Canadian ofcials need to count your
U.S. credits to help you qualify for a Canadian
benet, they will get a copy of your U.S. record
directly from the Social Security Administration
when you apply for the Canadian benet.
Although each country may count your credits
in the other country, your credits are not actually
transferred from one country to the other. They
remain on your record in the country where you
earned them and can also be used to qualify for
benets there.
Computation of U.S. benet under the
agreement
When a U.S. benet becomes payable as a
result of counting both U.S. and Canadian
Social Security credits, an initial benet is
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Agreement Between The United States And Canada
determined based on your U.S. earnings as if
your entire career had been completed under
the U.S. system. This initial benet is then
reduced to reect the fact that Canadian credits
helped to make the benet payable. The amount
of the reduction will depend on the number of
U.S. credits: the more U.S. credits, the smaller
the reduction; and the fewer U.S. credits, the
larger the reduction.
A CPP/QPP pension may aect
your U.S. benet
If you qualify for Social Security benets from
the United States and a CPP/QPP pension from
Canada, and you did not need the agreement to
qualify for the U.S. benet, the amount of your
U.S. benet may be reduced. This is a result
of a provision in U.S. law that can affect the
way your benet is gured if you also receive
a pension based on work that was not covered
by U.S. Social Security. Receipt of a Canadian
Old-Age Security pension, which is based on
residence in Canada, will not affect the way your
U.S. benet is gured. For more information,
call our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, and
ask for the publication, Windfall Elimination
Provision (Publication No. 05-10045). If you
are outside the United States, you may write
to us at the address on the inside cover. This
publication is also available on our website at
www.socialsecurity.gov.
What you need to know
about Medicare
Medicare is the U.S. national health insurance
program for people age 65 or older or who are
disabled. Medicare has four parts:
• Hospital insurance (Part A) helps pay
for inpatient hospital care and certain
follow-up services.
• Medical insurance (Part B) helps pay for
doctors’ services, outpatient hospital care
and other medical services.
• Medicare Advantage plans (Part C) are
available in many areas. People with
Medicare Parts A and B can choose to
receive all of their health care services
through a provider organization under Part C.
• Prescription drug coverage (Part D) helps
pay for medications doctors prescribe for
medical treatment.
You are eligible for free hospital insurance at
age 65 if you have worked long enough under
U.S. Social Security to qualify for a retirement
benet. People born in 1929 or later need 40
credits (about 10 years of covered work) to
qualify for retirement benets.
Although the agreement between the United
States and Canada and the understanding
between the United States and Quebec allows
the Social Security Administration to count your
CPP or QPP credits to help you qualify for U.S.
retirement, disability or survivors benets, the
agreement does not cover Medicare benets.
As a result, we cannot count your credits in
Canada or Quebec to establish entitlement to
free Medicare hospital insurance.
For more information about Medicare, ask for
Medicare (Publication No. 05-10043) or
visit Medicare’s website at www.medicare.gov.
Claims for benets
• If you live in the United States and wish to
apply for U.S. or Canadian benets:
• Visit or write any U.S. Social Security
ofce; or
• Phone our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213,
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. any business day. People
who are deaf or hard of hearing may call our
toll-free TTY number, 1-800-325-0778.
You can apply for Canadian benets (OAS,
CPP or QPP) at any U.S. Social Security ofce
by completing application form CDN-USA 1
(for OAS and CPP benets) or QUE/USA-1 (for
QPP benets).
If you live in Canada and wish to apply for
U.S. benets:
• Visit or write any U.S. Social Security ofce
located along the U.S.-Canadian border; or
• Contact any Canadian or Quebec Social
Security ofce.
11
(over)
Agreement Between The United States And Canada
If you live in Canada and wish to apply for
Canadian or Quebec benets, contact any
Canadian or Quebec Social Security ofce.
You can apply with one country and ask to
have your application considered as a claim for
benets from the other country. In that case,
your application will be sent to the other country.
Each country will process the claim under its
own laws — counting credits from the other
country when appropriate — and notify you
of its decision.
If you have not applied for benets before, you
may need to provide certain information and
documents when you apply. These include the
worker’s U.S. and Canadian Social Security
numbers, proof of age for all claimants,
evidence of the worker’s U.S. earnings in the
past 24 months and information about the
worker’s coverage under the Canadian system.
You may wish to call the Social Security
ofce before you go there to see if any other
information is needed.
Payment of benets
Each country pays its own benet. U.S.
payments are made by the U.S. Department of
Treasury each month and cover benets for the
preceding month. Benets under Canada’s OAS
and CPP systems and Quebec’s QPP system
are paid near the end of each month and
represent payment for that month.
Absence from U.S. territory
Normally, people who are not U.S. citizens
may receive U.S. Social Security benets while
outside the United States only if they meet
certain requirements. Under the agreement,
however, you may receive benets as long
as you reside in Canada, regardless of your
nationality. If you are not a U.S. or Canadian
citizen and live in another country, you may not
be able to receive benets. The restrictions on
U.S. benets are explained in the publication,
Your Payments While You Are Outside The
United States (Publication No. 05-10137). This
publication is also available on our website at
www.socialsecurity.gov.
Appeals
If you disagree with the decision made on your
claim for benets under the agreement, contact
any U.S. or Canadian Social Security ofce. The
staff there can tell you what you need to do to
appeal the decision.
The appropriate Canadian Social Security
authorities (i.e., OAS, CPP or QPP) will review
your appeal if it affects your rights under the
Canadian system, while U.S. Social Security
authorities will review your appeal if it affects
your rights under the U.S. system. Since each
country’s decisions are made independently
of the other, a decision by one country on a
particular issue may not always conform with
the decision made by the other country on the
same issue.
Authority to collect information
for a certicate of coverage
(see pages 4-5)
Privacy Act
The Privacy Act requires us to notify you that
we are authorized to collect this information by
section 233 of the Social Security Act. While it is
not mandatory for you to furnish the information
to the Social Security Administration, a
certicate of coverage cannot be issued unless
a request has been received. The information is
needed to enable Social Security to determine
if work should be covered only under the U.S.
Social Security system in accordance with an
international agreement. Without the certicate,
work may be subject to taxation under both the
U.S. and the foreign Social Security systems.
Paperwork Reduction Act Notice
This information collection meets the
clearance requirements of 44 U.S.C. section
3507, as amended by section 2 of the
PaperworkReduction Act of 1995. You are not
required to answer these questions unless
we display a valid Ofce of Management and
Budget control number. We estimate that
it will take you about 30 minutes to readthe
12
instructions, gather the necessary facts,
and write down the information to request a
certicate of coverage.
Contacting Social Security
Visit our website
The most convenient way to conduct Social
Security business from anywhere at any time,
is to visit www.socialsecurity.gov. There,
you can:
• Apply for retirement, disability, and
Medicare benets;
• Find copies of our publications;
• Get answers to frequently asked
questions; and
• So much more!
Call us
If you don’t have access to the internet, we
offer many automated services by telephone,
24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you’re in the
United States, call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213
or at our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778, if you’re
deaf or hard of hearing.
If you need to speak to a person, we can answer
your calls from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through
Friday. We ask for your patience during busy
periods since you may experience a higher than
usual rate of busy signals and longer hold times
to speak to us. We look forward to serving you.
For more information
To le a claim for U.S. or Canadian benets
under the agreement, follow the instructions on
pages 10-11.
If you live outside the United States, write to:
Social Security Administration
OIO — Totalization
P.O. Box 17769
Baltimore, MD 21235-7769
USA
For more information about the Old-Age
Security program or the Canada Pension Plan,
contact any ofce of the Department of Human
Resources Development, Income Security
Programs or write to:
International Operations
Income Security Programs
Human Resources and Social Development
Ottawa, Ontario
CANADA K1A 0L4
For more information about the Quebec Pension
Plan, contact any ofce of the Régie des rentes
de Québec or write to:
Régie des rentes du Québec
Case Postale 5200
Québec City, Québec
CANADA G1K 7S9
If you do not wish to le a claim for benets
but would like more information about the
agreement, write to:
Social Security Administration
Ofce of International Programs
P.O. Box 17741
Baltimore, MD 21235-7741
USA
For additional information visit our website:
www.socialsecurity.gov/international
Social Security Administration
Publication No. 05-10198
August 2017
Agreement Between The United States And Canada
Produced and published at U.S. taxpayer expense