Social security agreements
If you lived and worked in Canada and another country, and do not meet the contribution or residency requirements, a social security agreement may help you qualify.
What is a social security agreement?
A social security agreement is an agreement between Canada and another country that coordinates similar pension programs. They help people who have lived or worked in more than one country avoid losing pensions and benefits because their residence and contributions are split between systems.
An agreement may help you qualify in one or both countries by:
- Combining your contributions or residence in each country to meet the minimum requirements for eligibility
- Reducing or eliminating restrictions on receiving pension payments abroad
An agreement does not increase your payment amount – it only helps determine eligibility. Your payments will be based on your contributions or residence in each country.
How social security agreements affect eligibility
- Pensions and benefits from Canada: An agreement may help you qualify by using pension contributions or periods of foreign residence, but it will not increase your payment
- Pensions and benefits from another country: An agreement may help you qualify by recognizing your CPP contributions or periods of Canadian residency (requirements vary by country)
Example: Using foreign residence to qualify for OAS
Thomas, age 65, lived in both Austria and Canada. He lived in Canada for 16 years after turning age 18, then moved back to Austria to care for his aging parents.
Normally you need 20 years of residence in Canada to get Old Age Security while living outside Canada. Since Canada has a social security agreement with Austria, Thomas can count his adult years in Austria toward the 20-year rule. This means he qualifies for Old Age Security even though he only lived in Canada for 16 years.
Social Security Agreements helped Thomas qualify, but his payment amount is still based only on his 16 years in Canada.
Example: Using foreign contributions to qualify for CPP pensions and benefits
Liam was born in Ireland and worked there for 15 years. He moved to Canada at age 35 and worked here for 5 years before he died at age 41. For Liam's spouse and child to be eligible for CPP death and survivor benefits, Liam needed to have contributed to the CPP for at least 8 years - since his contributory period from age 18 to 41 was 24 years, and he had to contribute for at least one-third of that time.
Normally, his survivors would not be entitled to death and survivor benefits because Liam only contributed 5 years. Since Canada has a social security agreement with Ireland, his periods of contributions to the Irish pension program can be considered periods of contribution to the CPP to meet his 8-year requirement. Since Liam's spouse and child meet the other eligibility requirements, they will be entitled to CPP death and survivor benefits.
Social Security Agreements helped Liam's spouse and child to qualify, but the payment amounts will be based only on the actual contributions Liam made to the CPP.
Example: Using Canadian residence and/or CPP contributions to qualify for foreign pensions
Christine lived in Winnipeg until age 30, then worked in Barbados for 7 years before returning to Canada. She qualifies for CPP based on her contributions alone.
Normally, she would not qualify for a Barbadian old age pension because she did not contribute long enough to their system. Since Canada has a social security agreement with Barbados, Christine can combine her CPP contributions with her Barbadian contributions to meet the minimum requirement for the Barbadian old age pension.
Social security agreements helped Christine qualify, but her Barbadian pension amount is still based on Barbadian requirements.
Find countries that have social security agreements with Canada
Search by geographic region to find which countries have social security agreements with Canada and next steps on how to apply.
Americas and Caribbean
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Asia, including Middle East
Europe
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Oceania
If you lived or worked in a country that does not have an agreement with Canada
A social security agreement is not required to apply for pensions or benefits. If you lived or worked in a country that does not have an agreement with Canada, you may still qualify for Canadian or foreign pensions and benefits based on your contributions or periods of residence in each country.
Even if you are not sure if you qualify, we encourage you to apply.
Next steps:
- Apply for your Canadian public pensions - we will review your situation and determine if you qualify
- Apply for any foreign pensions you may be eligible for through the other country's government - each country has its own rules, and we will determine if you qualify
Contact us
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