Public Law (P.L.) 104-193, “Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996” (Welfare Reform) and P.L. 104-208, “Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996” (Immigration Reform) both provide that no monthly Title II benefits may be paid to any alien in the United States (U.S.) for any month during which the alien is not lawfully present, as determined by the Attorney General. Therefore, in order to permit payment of TII benefits to an alien in the U.S., the alien must be lawfully present in the U.S. for the entire calendar month. Both laws only affect claimsfiled on or after December 1, 1996. These laws do not affect beneficiaries whose claims were filed prior to December 1, 1996; these instructions do not apply to them.

The Welfare Reform and Immigration Reform Acts did not amend section 202 (t) of the Social Security Act and do not effect payments made outside the U.S.; but they do have an effect on the alien nonpayment provision concerning payments made under Section 202 (t) (1) of the Act on the basis of establishing lawful presence in the U.S. See (RS 02610.020) - Establishing Absence and Presence in the United States (U.S.).

Section 202(t) provides, in general, that no benefit may be paid to a non-U.S. citizen or national for any month after the 6th consecutive calendar month they have been outside the U.S.

Under section 202(t) (1) (B), we do not consider a person to be “outside the U.S.” until the individual has been outside the U.S. for 30 consecutive days. Therefore, if a person returns to the U.S. for any part of one day before the expiration of the 30-day period, they may indefinitely delay the running of the 6-month period.

An alien must be lawfully present in the U.S. to receive benefits. No monthly benefits are payable to any alien in the U.S. for any full calendar month during which the alien is not lawfully present. See (RS 00204.030) - Lawful Presence for an Entire Month – Beneficiary is Outside the U.S.

1. 1. 

   B is entitled to benefits effective with December 2006. B lives in Mexico and does not meet the 5 year residency requirement.

   B must return to the U.S. for 1 full calendar month and be lawfully present in the U.S. in order to be paid benefits while outside the U.S.

   B obtains the form I-94 from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and enters the U.S. on March 5, 2007. and returns to Mexico on May 2, 2007.

   Benefits can be paid to B for the first full calendar month they were lawfully present in the U.S., April 2007 under the Title 2 Welfare Reform Provisions. They are considered to be outside the U.S. the month after they leave on May 2, 2007. The 6 month period of absence would be June 2007 through November 2007.

   B's benefits are paid from April through November 2007. The benefits are placed in alien suspense (SJ) effective December 2007 unless B:

   • •

     Reenters the U.S. one day every 30 days, or

   • •

     Reenters the U.S. as lawfully present for 30 consecutive days before the end of the 6 month period of absence from the U.S. The six month period ends on November 30, 2007.

2. 2. 

   B re-entered the U.S. for a 1 day visit on May 26, 2007. They visit the Field Office (FO).

   Since B was lawfully present in the U.S. throughout the month of April 2007, they do not have to submit proof of lawful presence in the U.S. for the 1 day visit.

   In June 2007, B becomes ill and cannot make the 1 day visit to the FO in June, 2007. Since B has been outside the U.S. for over 30 consecutive days the 6 month period of absence begins in June 2007, the first full month after they left the U.S. on May 26, 2007.

   Unless B returns to the U.S. and establishes lawful presence for 30 consecutive calendar days before the end of the 6 month period (November 30, 2007), the benefits will be placed in alien suspense (SJ) effective December, 2007. They will need to provide proof of lawful presence in the U.S. for the 30 consecutive days in order to break the six month period of absence prior to November 30, 2007.