The agreements eliminate dual social security coverage and taxation, the situation that occurs when a person from one country works in another country and is required to pay social security taxes to both countries for the same earnings. The agreements include rules that assign a worker’s coverage to one country’s system or the other (but not both).

Totalization benefit provisions help eliminate situations where workers fail to qualify for social security benefits because they have divided their careers between the United States and a foreign country. Under an agreement, workers may qualify for partial U.S. or foreign benefits, called Totalization benefits, based on credits in both countries.

The agreements exempt certain beneficiaries from suspension of benefit payments under the alien nonpayment provisions of section 202(t) of the Social Security Act.

Administrative assistance provisions in each agreement provide that the Social Security Administration and the social security agency of the other country will assist each other in administering the agreement. In general, this assistance involves taking benefit applications on behalf of the other country and exchanging claims-related information and evidence. (The individual agreement subchapters explain what types of assistance will be given under each agreement.)

Each agreement provides that an application for benefits from one country may be filed with the agency of the other country. Similarly, an appeal of one country’s decision on a claim may be filed with the other country.