I am a First Nations Canadian citizen with a US social security number from time spent in California many years ago. Do I qualify for US social security benefits. I am 66 yrs. Of age

Hi. You could only qualify for U.S. Social Security retirement benefits if you worked and paid U.S. Social Security taxes long enough to be insured for benefits. Normally, you need at least 40 quarters of coverage (QC), or roughly 10 years of Social Security covered work, to be insured. However, if you have at least 6 U.S. QCs you might qualify for a totalization benefit if you also worked and paid into the Canadian Pension Program long enough to be insured based on combined credits from the two countries (https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0201701125).

If you have fewer than 6 U.S. QCs, though, then the only way you could qualify for U.S. Social Security benefits is if you're eligible for auxiliary or survivor benefits based on the U.S. Social Security insured status of a spouse, former spouse, parent or deceased child.

Best, Jerry