November 1, 2006
OTTAWA-The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, announced today that the Agreements on Social Security between Canada and the Republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will enter into force on November 1, 2006.
The Agreements apply to Canada's Old Age Security program and the Canada Pension Plan, and to the comparable respective pension programs of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
The Agreements on Social Security between Canada and the Republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania ensure that Canadian workers can continue contributing to the Canada Pension Plan if their employer sends them to work temporarily in one of those countries. In this way, their Canada Pension Plan protection will not be interrupted. The Agreements also ensure that Canadian workers will not have to contribute to the pension programs of Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania while they are working in those countries. In addition, when a person does not meet the minimum eligibility conditions to qualify for a benefit, these Agreements allow people to use periods of social security coverage in Canada and in those countries to qualify for benefits from Canada, from Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania, or from both countries.
"International agreements such as these are increasingly important as global economics and greater international cooperation create more mobility and migration between countries," said Minister Finley.
Canada now has social security agreements with 50 countries, 48 of which are in force.
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For more information (media only):
Media Relations OfficeHuman Resources and Social Development Canada819-994-5559
Web site: www.hrsdc.gc.ca
Backgrounder
Canada concludes international social security agreements in order to coordinate its Old Age Security program and Canada Pension Plan with comparable programs in other countries that provide old age, retirement, disability, and survivor benefits.
These agreements have the following objectives:
to permit continuity of social security coverage when a person is working temporarily in the other country, and prevent situations where a person would have to contribute to both countries' social security programs for the same work; and
to make it easier to become eligible for benefits by adding together periods of social security coverage under the programs of both countries.
Canada now has concluded 50 international social security agreements. To date, agreements are in force with the following 48 countries:
Antigua and BarbudaAustraliaAustriaBarbadosBelgiumChileCroatiaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDominicaEstoniaFinlandFranceGermanyGreece
GrenadaHungaryIcelandIrelandIsraelItalyJamaicaJersey/GuernseyKoreaLatviaLithuaniaLuxembourgMaltaMexicoNetherlandsNew ZealandNorway
PhilippinesPortugalSt. Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSlovak RepublicSloveniaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandTrinidad and TobagoTurkeyUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguay
Before an agreement can come into force, both countries must obtain legislative approval. Agreements have also been signed with Japan and Morocco, but are not yet in force.
