Apply For U.S. Social Security While Living In Los

[Dillpickles98]

So Nowhereman60, if I change my email account info on my backup computer, reflecting a U.S. mailing address it is then still possible? I'm on my own network, but have free wifi condo furnished. I'll give it shot once the sun moves off the balocny so I can sit outside & play with it.

Thanks again flying, the citizen thing is off the table as we won't ever be back long enough, & doubtful the wife would want to go the trouble since our lives are here. Without me there would be no thoughts of ever returning for any reason.

[Dillpickles98]

Hi Capthaddock, citizenship, dual citizenship, or any variation is off the table. The main concern was being able to travel to the U.S. for short visits should the need arise. She has no family there, & I have very little left. She would not even attempt to navigate travel alone if further than to see family members here, with no other reason to go anywhere else.

I will be looking into to ten yr tourist visa with a call first to HLS on Monday, & see if I can find anything on it at the embassy website.

If we had met back in my expat working days then of course we would have gone another route much like you & other wives who became citizens. It was a bit of a hassel when we stopped over in Taipei for a while with her Thai passport reflecting her maiden name. But the bucket list is done no desire to go anywhere, except to scout other locals to maybe move to within LOS.

DP98

[welbymd]

OP.

Do you have a VPN (virtual private network) account?

You may be able to set up a VPN in the States ($10-15 a month) and this will allow you to a secure IP address inside the States.

You might be able to get the paperwork you need like this.

I use my VPN when traveling around the world to have secure access when in places like China, where lots of stuff is blocked.

Worth a try.

Any reason why he couldn't guys?

[thaihome]

I have a bit of experienec with ACH transfers I was doing it before the wife came over, BKK Bank New York is the clearing house for all Thai banks. Anyone having set it up knows, most U.S. banks have a third party which sets it up. You have to prove you have control of the other account, by 2 trail depoists which have to match your responce to those amounts. The problem here in lies with the trial being made in Thai Baht & given only one attempt to get it right or you start again from scratch. The trail deposit though usually $0.16 to $0.85 comes out in fractions of baht. The safest thing is to use the bank's currency exchange rate for the day of the deposit then round it to the nearest whole penny. You are given three days to complete the process.

The easiest way to get the USD amounts of the trial transfers is call up Bangkok Bank (Bualuang Phone - 1333 or (66) 0-2645-5555) and one of the very nice English speaking operators will give you the exact USD amount when you explain what you want.

All this is well explained on their website. They also explain how to have SS or other direct deposits made into your Bangkok Bank account.

http://www.bangkokba...ct_deposit.aspx

TH

Edited March 30, 2012 by thaihome

[Dillpickles98]

Hi welbymd, thanks for the tip, I will be meeting some pretty tech heavy guys tonight will bring up the point & let all know what I find. Just fired off & email visa svc dept. on the ten yr tourist visa, though not as important as the soc.sec. at the moment while I have the attention working on that too.

DP98

[thaihome]

.... Just fired off & email visa svc dept. on the ten yr tourist visa, though not as important as the soc.sec. at the moment while I have the attention working on that too.

Don't expect a reply from the Visa section. They are notorius for not replying. I think the main reason is that everything you need to know is on the website and they just get tired of saying it over and over.

TH

[JSixpack]

The form needed is downloadable from this post in this thread where it's all been discussed before:

You can verify w/ the embassy in Manila.

[Dillpickles98]

Thanks Jsixpack, Ok so now have my b-cert, passport & soc sec card copies, DD214's, the 6 page form completed with a few blank spaces as not sure what to put in them, & notes for earnings since I retired.

I think I'm set, & will make the appointment at the embassy Monday in hope I can hand this stuff over, & be done. If anyone comes up with something else I need do or take with me, let me know. I'll be going to the thread mentioned to see what else I can gather.

DP98

[Dillpickles98]

Hey thread followers here's the latest news with this quest. Kept the appointment at embassy, as you know you need & appointment for anything. But that was the not the case today, a sign said check-in at window #3. Spoke of what my business is & was given a one page form requiring only basic info. I asked would she be needing the 6 page application along with the required doc's. She said no, she would take the appt & do whatever along with the form she had me complete.

She said I would get a phone call interview in about a month. At that time they would tell me what the proceedure is from there. So I guess that's where I stand, in the dark until some one calls.

DP98

[Dillpickles98]

On the other subject of my wife's returning to the U.S. got to speak with someone in Homeland Security. In order to apply for a tourist visa she must surrender her Green Card, which does not guarantee she would be approved for a tourist visa. The 10 yr thing spoke of is a thing of the past. When approved they are good for a yr. there is no emergency expedited procedure.

With verifiable proof of a reason for being out of the U.S. more then 6 mos. her Green Card could be reinstated.

DP98

[flying]

On the other subject of my wife's returning to the U.S. got to speak with someone in Homeland Security. In order to apply for a tourist visa she must surrender her Green Card, which does not guarantee she would be approved for a tourist visa. The 10 yr thing spoke of is a thing of the past. When approved they are good for a yr. there is no emergency expedited procedure.

With verifiable proof of a reason for being out of the U.S. more then 6 mos. her Green Card could be reinstated.

DP98

That is interesting news DP & basically as I have read regarding surrendering the green card,

The posts I have read all said if done in good faith they had gotten visa's

After all they have already checked her out thoroughly when she applied for a green card.

I had not heard the 10yr is now obsolete.

If they allow it I guess it would be nice to reinstate the green card & file the I-131 ?

Not sure due to the amount of time you folks have been gone.

But you could claim honestly that you folks did not know about this form till now.

Good Luck

Edited April 2, 2012 by flying

[Dillpickles98]

On the other subject of my wife's returning to the U.S. got to speak with someone in Homeland Security. In order to apply for a tourist visa she must surrender her Green Card, which does not guarantee she would be approved for a tourist visa. The 10 yr thing spoke of is a thing of the past. When approved they are good for a yr. there is no emergency expedited procedure.

With verifiable proof of a reason for being out of the U.S. more then 6 mos. her Green Card could be reinstated.

DP98

That is interesting news DP & basically as I have read regarding surrendering the green card,

The posts I have read all said if done in good faith they had gotten visa's

After all they have already checked her out thoroughly when she applied for a green card.

I had not heard the 10yr is now obsolete.

If they allow it I guess it would be nice to reinstate the green card & file the I-131 ?

Not sure due to the amount of time you folks have been gone.

But you could claim honestly that you folks did not know about this form till now.

Good Luck

Logic would point that way, but I was told in no uncertain terms it could happen. The terminology used in the way a visa is denied, is "Your petitions does not meet the minimum requirements" Helping others it, is what I saw. No explaination of what those coditoins are or any remedy to correct them You start again from go. Looking at it from all angles if possible that would the route those in our situation would take. Trading a Green Card which is useless, for a 10 yrs tourist, makes sense to me. We have been gone 1 yr 10 mos. 7 days, we were there 4 yrs 8 mos & 10 days.

Yes using I-131 is the next step.

Talked to my buddy in Manila, he will be checking the sec. soc dept. His thinking is I may able do business with them & leave out the embassy here, also said there is a bereavement visa possible but takes 10 days to get.

[chiang mai]

Talked to my buddy in Manila, he will be checking the sec. soc dept. His thinking is I may able do business with them & leave out the embassy here,

"If you are refering to the US SSC Pension, that has to be applied for via the US Embassy in Manilla". !!

[Dillpickles98]

It's been a while, a little recap on this thread; Chased my ass around trying to apply for U.S. Social Security. Started in April, with emails, calls & even a trip to the U.S. Embassy, called & emailed the U.S. Embassy in Manila which handles Soc. Sec. for expats living in Asia. I was given a cursory form, & told to wait 6-8 mos. to hear from them.

In mid Oct. I cruised by the soc. sec. website. It is once again available to apply on-line & virtually hassle free. I applied on-line, they will no doubt want some further info than provided, & request a contact phone #. When I needed to make changes to the application already filed I was able to reach them by Skype in PA. & make the necessary changes, however you must call between the hrs. they are open Eastern Std. Time.

When they couldn't reach me by phone, they emailed me. I completed there request, signed, scanned & returned their doc's email. In less than 10 days I received a letter stating what my benefit allowance would be & how I wished to receive it.

They will deposit it in any foreign bank, except in those countries listed on the website. The account must be direct deposit only, with no on-line banking or ATM services. Accessing the account can only be done in person at the bank of choice. I opened such an account with Bangkok Bank, as a secondary account, sent them the bank info & received my first check in less then 3 wks.

However there are ACH fee's charged by Bangkok Bank, which are determined by the amount received. In mos. to come I will change this to direct deposit in my U.S. bank to avoid the fee's since I am forever tied to my U.S. bank by reason my retirement will only deposit to a U.S. bank.

Having dealt with govt services, I was very much surprised by their efficiency, I could only wish that our govt worked on all levels as well.

Hope this helps for anyone coming up on soc. sec. age or wishing to start receiveing their benefits.

DP98