There is evidence that individuals who moved to the Soviet Union and were not Soviet citizens were required, or asked, to give up their citizenship in other countries.

Absent information to the contrary, SSA assumes that an individual born in Russia (formerly, the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic) is a Russian citizen.

Proof of current citizenship must be secured for any individual who:

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  moved to the Soviet Union before January 1992, and

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  claims to be a United States (U.S.) citizen (or national), or a citizen of a country other than Russia, and would meet an exception to the alien nonpayment provisions of the law based on that citizenship.

If the beneficiary is deceased and citizenship is material to the payment of the lump sum death benefit or the underpayment, the evidence must show that the deceased beneficiary retained that citizenship until their death, or if it was lost, when it was lost.

An Optional Form-180 (formerly FS-192), Report of the Death of an American Citizen Abroad, is evidence that the deceased was a U.S. citizen at the time of death.

Proof of current citizenship is any of the following issued by the country of citizenship or one of its diplomatic offices:

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  a passport issued after December 1991;

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  a statement, or finding, of citizenship issued by an appropriate authority (i.e., a consular official or other official as shown in RS 02640.060) after December 1991;

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  a Foreign Service Post (FSP) statement showing that the beneficiary is registered as a citizen of that country at the FSP;

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  evidence showing the beneficiary traveled outside the former Soviet Union after December 1991 on a passport issued by that country (including one issued before January 1992).

Resume benefits effective the month the evidence of current citizenship was issued and refer to Office of International Operations (OIO), all cases in which a beneficiary:

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  renounced their former citizenship to become a Russian/Soviet citizen;

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  has regained their former citizenship; and

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  is due, based on this citizenship, benefits for months before the month in which the documentation of current/renewed citizenship was issued.