I have been a US permanent resident since 2008 and have been married to an American citizen since 2007. My spouse will be claiming his social security benefit when he turns 62 next year. I qualify for spousal benefit and may claim when I turn 62, a year after he claims. We moved to my country in 2013 and he prefers to stay there permanently. I divide my time between the US and the Philippines to comply with immigration guidelines for residents to be in the US for 6 months and 1 day in a 12 month period. As I get older, it will be increasingly difficult to travel every 6 months. At that point, I would be compelled to surrender my green card and join my husband permanently in the Philippines. Will my spousal benefit be sent to me in the Philippines considering I won’t be a resident anymore?
Hi,
Yes, you could continue receiving your spousal benefits even if you're no longer residing in the U.S. as long as you resided in the U.S. for at least five years while you were married to your husband (https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0302610025).
Best, Jerry