All types of coverage certified by INPS are to be accepted at face value as being creditable; no attempt should be made to question whether a particular type of work was creditable at a particular time under the Italian system. Also, it is not necessary to examine INPS' certification to determine if all periods of coverage alleged on the application were included in the certification. INPS has agreed to certify coverage beginning January 1, 1937. If a certification shows a period of coverage which ends prior to that date, do not consider that period. If a period spans that date, use January 1, 1937 as the beginning date for that period and credit as many of the reported weeks of Italian coverage as possible up to the ending date of the period.

Italian periods of coverage are credited to the U.S. earnings record using the following criteria:

1. 1. 

   The number of weeks of coverage reported for each “From-To” period is divided by 13 (the number of weeks in a calendar quarter) to determine the number of QCs which may be credited in that period based on Italian coverage. Any remainder is considered one QC.

2. 2. 

   The Italian QCs derived in this manner are credited starting with the quarter in which the period begins and continuing consecutively until all QCs are credited. However, no QC is credited after the quarter in which the Italian period ends and no Italian QC is credited in any calendar quarter where a QC is already credited based on U.S. coverage.

3. 3. 

   When a U.S. QC is credited within a “From-To” period, Italian QCs are credited up to that quarter and begin again in the next available quarter. U.S. QCs between the beginning and ending dates of a period of Italian coverage may preclude the crediting of any or all Italian QCs during the period.

4. 4. 

   Where, after 1977, there are both U.S. and Italian QCs to be credited in the same year, the U.S. QCs are assigned using the flexible crediting provision of the 1977 amendments so as to permit the crediting of the maximum number of Italian QCs.

5. 5. 

   In cases where DIB insured status or currently insured status cannot be met by using the above method of crediting QCs, the Italian QCs are assigned using the alternate method described in GN 01706.030.

6. 6. 

   When insured status cannot be met by using the above methods of crediting QCs, the case must be reviewed according to the instructions in GN 01706.035.