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Dear All, How is everyone doing? Please forgive me for being away for so long. I'm still busy building my American life. The question for today is how to have an official statement to prove to China government that I'm still alive? This is the second year for me to claim pension from China. But they ask me to prove once a year that I'm alive in America. Who, please, give me a link of China embassy? Thank you very much for taking the time to read my question. Best Wishes, Catherine

My wife is itching to start working after being holed up with the baby for quite some time. We were thinking about her going back to get an associates degree or some sort of certificate like IT. And then literally the next day her friend who works at a Chinese restaurant calls to tell her that her restaurant is looking to hire someone - apparently she averages close to $25/hour (!) per week with cash tips, scheduling is flexible (weekend-only work possible for example), and the clientele is generally easy to work with, mostly college students. At this point we're thinking she can just work part-time for 40 quarters so she's eligible for some social security and medicare, and then call it a day. My salary more than covers our living expenses, so whatever she makes we'd basically throw at our mortgage. Also my wife will turn 40 this year, so whatever further education she decides to pursue, well, there's not a ton of time for a large ROI. I know there have been a few job threads over the years here, but I'm curious how you all have handled this issue.

if i pass away, and she still not us citizen, would she get my social security benefit?

Hi, Just got back from a month over in Chengdu. Main topic by the entire family and especially the wife was that they wanted me to retire early (will be 62 next year in May) and live in China for an undetermined amount of time. My wife's parents are 87 and 78 and not in perfect health so us being there to care for them in these latter years is important. OK with me but was just wondering what stipulations the US Government makes for doing such a thing and still receive SS benefits. Do we have to retain an address here in the States? We plan on just traveling for a few months each year back here and live in Chengdu the remaining time. I'll leave the question at that. I went on ssa.com but to me it's confusing so was thinking maybe someone else has gone through this and could offer some suggestions. THANKS!

My wife went to China to sign up for retirement and now needs yearly check in. We have language issues so God bless the rest of you who do. I am not exctally sure what she expects me to do. When I teLl her I am not sure what to do she screams, "you are my husband, you need to helpa me!" I know I have read where others have wives here who do the same thing. She is from Guanzhou (?) Providence. I told her I was going to ask another lady but she told me she lives in another part of China and could not help me. I am always told who not to talk to so I am guessing she does not want the lady to know. I also ask if any one of her family knows someone who knows English I could call and ask what she needs and I get a no. Or if her sister who collects her check could find out what she needs. Supposeably the money goes to her sister but it all sounds suspicious to me. I think this is normal for people to check in every year but any help I could get I would appreaciate. The Google translate I get she shows me on her phone say the Chinese consolate which I will call today but I doubt that will help her. We live in TN and I am going to call the one in New York but I doubt that will work. I asked her if she needs to go to China but she screams no.

Hi all. Hope everyone is doing well. My wife and I are beginning our research on options for bringing her parents to the US. They are both over 65 and we are trying to learn what assistance, if any, they would be able to receive once they are here such as assisted living, health insurance options....etc. as they would like to have some independence of their own. Can someone who has experienced a similar situation share what you did or point us to existing posts on this topic. Any assistance or input would be greatly appreciated Thanks all! :-)

Hi, Don't know if this is where such a question should be posted but here goes. Will be retiring in a couple years and the plan is to live in China for the most part. When I get really old to just live there. Was wondering if anyone has information about health/medical insurance while living there. I'm assuming insurance you have here in the States will not do any good in China. Medicare? AARP? Any info would be greatly appreciated! Just want to make sure I have coverage. Wife's insurance there I don't think will cover me. But as I said, any help or thoughts would be great. THANKS and have a great day! Marc

Is anyone familiar with Chinese retirement income? For example, the Chinese have a similar system as US Social Security. When a Chinese citizen retires they receive a monthly pension payment. However, when a Chinese citizen chooses to become a US citizen they must surrender their Chinese citizenship because China does not allow dual citizenship. If the Chinese citizen becomes a US citizen do they lose their right to collect their Chinese retirement pension?

Hi, anyone know exactly about how to retire in China if you are a woman at 50? Is it necessary that you retire exactly at your birthday? Can you apply to retire several months later? My wife is extremely money concerned as some of you can relate with and I understand she would get more money if she went exactly on her birthday or a few days later. But does anyone know if there is a expiration date if she went later in the year? And I am guessing she would get minimum retirement. Anyone have a ballpark figure on that? I know of another women collecting retirement so I guess they get someone to sign their check (not able to ask her at this time). Here I think it is legal for people to retire and live somewhere else. Just curious and she wants to go around two major holidays which I think why the cost is so high on initial searches.

Ran across this story this evening as my wife is getting ready to take the N-400 plunge. Good news, this was one of several aspects she was concerned with. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2015-08/27/content_21720157.htm Chinese retirees living in the United States are now eligible to receive a pension back in China. The policy now allows Chinese retirees who have obtained a US green card to be covered under the Chinese pension plan. Chang Kai, a labor expert with Renmin University, says the policy decision is mostly about fairness. "The pension benefits depends on one's contribution payments made during their working life. It will continue to exist wherever you are. It's a kind of debt obligation the government has that will never change, even if one's citizenship changes." People in China usually begin to receive their pensions a month after finalizing their retirement. However, many retirees living abroad just give up trying to claim the money because of the difficulty in contacting the right department to get the payments made. At the same time, many are unaware or concerned they'll be rejected if applying for the benefits abroad. However, Guan Xinping with Nankai University says there is no reason to be concerned. "You can claim your pension, no matter where you live or which citizenship you hold. As long as you paid your pension fees before retirement, you will receive it. It's a rule in the country's pension system." Guan Xinping notes this is a common practice throughout the world. "Many countries, especially member states of the European Union, have signed agreements to ensure retirees who had worked in different countries receive their pensions through a single account." The Chinese applicants abroad need to file the proper documents, including a qualification review form. They also have to submit both the original and a copy of their passport and a certificate of legal residence in the country. The form is available at Chinese embassies or consulates. Guan Xinping says making this option available has made things much easier for people living abroad. "It's much easier for applicants to contact the closest Chinese embassy or consulate than it is to return to China to complete the application." It's estimated more than 2-million Chinese immigrants are living in the United States. Latest surveys show the number of Chinese retirees opting to live in the US is continuing to rise.

My wife's family has property in China which is in my wife's name and my wife's family is paying in on her national health insurance which I think in another 10 years she'll be "vested". If she becomes a US citizen will that cause complications with either her family's property and/or her health insurance? She has a 10 year green card which she's into now for 3 years. Thank you, Haoran.

I hear ya Andrew, and Credzba's thoughts. I've read of and seen th e photos of a few get togethers the California guys had with their wives same with the Texas guys. Never seen one on the right coast...lol Anytime I go anywhere here I think of who I'd like to meet that lives in that city. Like Sam, I'd love to meet Sam and his wife in or near NYC (now Feathers lives there too) for a few laughs. Now if we went to Niagra Falls I'd like to meet Dan and his wife (I can sale NYC easily enough to momma-san but I haven't figured out a way to explain to her about driving a few hours to watch water fall over a cliff, much less get a hotel room and stick around.....although in the coming years that will work out where we'll most likely take the hike up there.) I'm open (and hopefully can talk momma-san into it too) for anything in the DC/Baltimore/Northern VA area, but with older, frail in-laws most of our traveling is stuck going to China. Hopeful, when PreZiDent Zhang is in university in 2015 we are going ot be more open to travel when he is in school. I really want ot make another trip in a September back to Vegas...got lots of friends from an indistry I used ot be heavily involved in and they have a convention there in September, as well I have some friends I met during the visa journey that would come out from their left coast states for a pow-wow in sin city. All in time, I guess. We really can't even justify going back down to Australia or New Zealand until the boy is in school, as the summer vacations are all to China to see ma and ba. Another idea I really see as important inside this thread is the tought of what happens to our familys if and when we should pass on to the big party up yonder??? With bobby's untimely passin' it REALLY struck a never with me, and my family was years away from even coming here. It has been on my mind, and back a long time now. I am finally lining up everything I can to make things easy for my mail order bride and son. We went ot the SSA office today on some matters with my son recieving some of my SSDI benefits....it looks like he can get half of them up until he's 18....I never knew this until I read about it on a veterans website. I asked hte lady questions about me passing aaway and what my wife could expect, or need to do. I'm in hte process of chasing down answers for SSA information on this, as well as VA information....it is VERY COMPLICATED to say the least. Even the SS women I talked ot today couldn't give me many answers about a spouse with a greencard. We have an appointment on the 31st of Jan about our son's benefits from my SSDI AND to get down to the bottom line about Wenyan's benefits should I pass away. This is highly critical stuff to me and in the next two months I'm getting the answers and will have EVERYTHING written down for Wenyan....procedures to do in what order, who to call, and their phone numbers, etc etc etc etc. Nothing is straightforward, no one person seems to have a direct answer, even for their own agency. Does anyone here have anything like that? Does your Chinese wife have a clue what to do? Bobby truly put the fear of God in me for my family's well being should I do like him and pass away suddenly. Candle sprung up out of the blackhole for a place to help others get their familys over here. Yes, most folks dump Candle when their women or men get here, maybe come back for a brief time to ask questions about removal of conditions or citizenship. Well Mr. what if your butt drops before your wife becomes a citizen or whatever? My wife has told me of 3 or 4 women she has seen on 101 whose husbands died and they are scared to death with no clue of what to do. Unless I get myself banned, or Candle moves into another direction, I plan on sticking around and helping others, and laughing with friends or soon to be friends. It seems like a good bunch of us are in their 50's and 60's here, and believe it or not, folks even younger die too. Usually quickly. Everybody got their family set up if it happens to you? I wonder what Bobby would tell us if he could step back and talk to us? Am I the only one with no knowledge , and no plan? I don't know...Carl, do you think it is much trouble to maybe put in a sub-forum (Dead Candle or Lights Out or something) tied in with another forum that would address this issue? Maybe it's not such a hot idea and everybody is set anyhow??? I just know that Bobby's passing woke me up, and since I am in the middle of putting together a kitchen sink for Wenyan to do....maybe I am too high on my horse by suggesting it. At any rate, I need answers NOW and I need specific answers for a wife and son with greencards...and I AM in the process of hanging out with my local SSA office as well as the VA and getting them for us. Be happy to help any others once I get definate answers, forum or not. Only problem is boys, once yore dead, you ain't gonna be able to ask me or anyone else....OPPPS Know wudda mean? As you can see, I'm just starting to get some answers and put together a procedures list for Wenyan, it's complicated as hell to me, and lots of stuff for Wenyan to do should I kick the piss pot for the last time. Something I have found and what was told to Wenyan by a Chinese man who had immigrated to America but was sitting next to Wenyan in the waiting room as we waited for her physical. He told Wenyan..... "American people have many benefits, but most of them don't know what all they have, nor are they even aware of most of them." I would have denied that until the day I died but I found out I fit into that observation like a finger in a soft leather glove. By my own ignorance of the SS code and the VA code I have found personally that that is one of the truest things I ever heard. Good luck yawl. Don't bring your beloved family here and leave them in a world of hurt if your number gits punched out of the blue. tsap seui Old dawg must learn new tricks

My wife has been here in the States for quite a few years. Before she came here, she had contributed to the Chinese security system for a few of years. She has a green card now, but she hasn't contributed anything to her Chinese social security account since she arrived here 6 years ago. Now she wants to make up and makes a lump sum contribution, because she would be eligible to receive Chinese social security payments at the age of 50. The current monthly contribution is 400 RMB, but the benefit is about 1,000 RMB a month when she starts receiving benefits. Is this worth it? Does your wife (spouse) continue to contribute to her SS account in China? I think this may make sense if you or your wife plan to spend some retirement time in China. Any thoughts or experience would be appreciated.

In one of the citizenship posts, I found this list from Don. Also, if you search online you can find "Green card holders only get half of the benefits" on many non-government immigration sites. I called the Social Security office, and they did not say anything about green card holders only getting half their benefit. I ran the social security payments abroad tool http://www.ssa.gov/i..._outsideUS.html It said nothing about half payments. I checked the social security nonresident alien tax screening tool (25.8%) http://www.ssa.gov/i...l/AlienTax.html While I see this 1/2 social security benefits on many immigration pages, I couldn't find it on any government pages. Anyone able to point me to the US government saying that green card holders only get half their benefit if retiring overseas? http://immigration.about.com/od/whybecomea...0CitizenBen.htm The only pain as others have said is having to renew visit visa.

Hi, I'm about to apply for my wife's green card later this month and the one sticking point in our application is my ability to support her financially. While my income is low (I was a student up until this point), I do have some liquid assets that barely push me over the $55K USD barrier. A few questions: 1) I've sold all of my stock and am combining all of my funds into one bank account. From here, I will get an official bank statement showing my assets. Does this sound like a sound idea? 2) Would retirement plans also be considered liquid assets for the asset test? If so, this would give me some additional leverage. 3) Can I point out my pre-China salary as a benchmark for what I anticipate I will receive once I return to the USA to add an extra layer of safety? This was well over the $18K wage limit and, I assume should help with my argument of being able to support my wife. Thanks

I wonder if the US government is as watchful of the pennies as China? ...no I don't really wonder about that... Since she's only been back in the USA since May, I was a little surprised that she's already be asked to prove she is alive to prevent her retirement from being cut off. Not really a big deal...I'll just take a picture of her with a copy of the New York Times and send it to them. ...actually, they want a few notarized documents for now, but every 4 years she must present herself to the embassy or a consulate office. ...I'd bet we pay pensions to dogs in the USA.

Not sure where to put this one or if anyone else has had this come up. If my wife lives out her life in America as a permanent residence or becomes a citizen can she still get China Social Security for the years she worked in China. She is a little worried now that she can't collect the money when she reaches the retired age. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

I make well over the federal poverty guidelines.... about $80,000 a year in salary, plus a potentially sizeable year-end bonus (no luck in 2009). I live in the Midwest, so this is a pretty respectable amount here. Do I need to list other assets on my 134 form, such as my home, etc? It's worth about 200k, and I owe about 125k on the mortgage. I also have retirement accounts, etc, although I'm only 32. I've heard people say that you shouldn't include other stuff if you make well over the poverty guidelines, to forget about the other stuff, but there's also people in RobertH's thread in results saying that anything under $100k could still be questionable!

hello, have a question, we are in the last stages and will have interview next month, I-134 was completed showing myself working full time, however i have been offered a retirement and have taken this. should i fill out a new form showing adjustment of income? Also the 3 pay check stubs will be changed, pention is only given 1 time a month. How do you think i should handle this with this process? Thanks

Can I adopt my wife's son with the purpose of obtaining his citizenship earlier? Another question..... My wife and I have been married since 4-29-2003, and she has been in this country since 6-2004. However she didnt receive her Green Card until 7-2007. How long before she can apply for her citizenship? Will my wife lose her Chinese retirement money if she gains a US Citizenship? Is there a way to get both? Thanks for any help, Patrick & Li

My wife told me she read somewhere that b4 she leaves to the US she is required to remove her name from the hukou book. Is that true? Anyone know anything about this?

I recently asked ssa.gov, on line, how long a spouse must be married to become eligible for a spouse's benefit if the husband was eligible and already drawing a benefit. The answer, once converted, became a word.doc in size 10 font 3 pages long. Here's a summary. "If one member of the couple earned low wages or failed to earn enough Social Security credits to be insured for benefits (i.e., 40 credits or 10 years of work in employment covered by Social Security), that member may be eligible to receive benefits as a spouse. The receipt of spouse’s benefits by a husband or wife does not reduce the benefit of the primary wage earner. Generally, a spouse must be married to the worker for one year (or nine months if a widow or widower) before he or she can get benefits on the primary wage earner’s record. Your current spouse cannot receive spouse’s benefits until you file for retirement benefits. If you don’t have a child in your care, you must be age 62 or older to get benefits when your spouse becomes disabled or retired. A spouse receives one-half of the retired worker’s full benefit unless the spouse begins collecting benefits before full retirement age (FRA). In that case, the amount of the spouse’s benefit is permanently reduced by a percentage based on the number of months before he/she reaches full retirement age." By the way, it's my understanding that a spouse who is eligible for SS benefits also becomes eligible for Medicare. Without ever having worked.

My SO currently owns her own apartment in China. If/when we get married and she lives in the USA as a foreign national, I assume she can still own her apartment. If I am wrong, please let me know. But what happens in a few years down the road she decides to become an American Citizen. If she does would she be allowed to continue to own her own apartment or would she have to sell it??? Any thoughts or insights???