U.S. and Australia: Social Security Agreement

What it covers

In force: Oct 1, 2002

For Australia, the agreement covers the Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contributions employers must make to retirement plans for their employees. The Australian social security benefits it covers include the age pension, the disability support pension for the severely disabled, pensions payable to surviving spouses, and carer payments.

How the U.S. counts Australia credits

Applies to every U.S. agreement.

• SSA says that to have your Australia credits counted for a U.S. benefit you must have at least 6 U.S. credits (generally one and one-half years of work).
• If you already have enough U.S. credits for a benefit, the U.S. cannot count the foreign credits.
• If you are short, you may qualify for a partial U.S. benefit based on both countries' credits.
• In 2026, one U.S. credit takes $1,890 of covered earnings, up to 4 credits a year (SSA's pamphlet prints an older 2022 amount).

Australia's side

Unless you are in Australia, you must have at least 12 months of residence in Australia, at least six months of which must have been continuous, before the two countries' credits can be added together for an Australian benefit.

Ages, payments and forms

• Australian "credits" for the U.S. count are your periods of residence in Australia between age 16 and retirement age during which you were covered under the SG program or were employed or self-employed.
• Australia's age pension normally requires at least 10 years of residence between age 16 and retirement age, including a continuous period of at least five years (pamphlet figures as of 2002).
• If you are outside Australia and your Australian benefit becomes payable because of the agreement, it may be paid at a proportional rate if you have fewer than 25 years of Australian working-life residence. It may also be reduced if your income or assets exceed Australian limits.
• Benefits that arise from SG contributions are not covered by the agreement's benefit provisions.

Where to start

• You can apply in one country and ask that it count as a claim in the other. Each country processes the claim under its own laws, counts credits from the other country when appropriate, and tells you its decision.
• In the United States: visit or write any U.S. Social Security office, or call 1-800-772-1213 (8 a.m. to 7 p.m., business days; TTY 1-800-325-0778).
• If you live in Australia: contact any Centrelink Customer Service Centre, or visit or write the Federal Benefits Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines (1201 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita, Manila 0930).

What this page cannot tell you

• Whether your own record will qualify. Only SSA and the other country can decide that.
• Current ages and amounts. SSA's pamphlets show a 2022 credit amount and some older age tables, so confirm numbers with SSA or the other country.
• Anything not stated on SSA's page for this country.