TN 7 (06-04)

A. Background

Canada's Income Security Programs office takes claims for benefits for persons who live in Canada, except Quebec Province. When a person filing for Canadian benefits indicates that he or she has U.S. coverage, this is considered a protective filing for U.S. benefits and is referred to the International Operations Section of Income Security Programs in Ottawa.

B. Process – Canada

When a person filing for Canadian benefits indicates that he or she has U.S. coverage or wants to file for U.S. benefits, the Canadian field office will complete an electronic (e-mail) template and forward this information to the International Operations Section in Ottawa.

The International Operations Section will mail a Canadian liaison form (CDN-USA 2, “Transmittal and Liaison Form”) to the servicing U.S. border office. The liaison form will include the worker's name (and claimant's name, if different), address, telephone number, U.S. and Canadian Social Security numbers, date of birth, protective date of application, Canadian coverage record and certification of any evidence submitted with the Canadian application.

C. Procedure – Designated border office

Upon receipt of the liaison form, the Claims Representative (CR) or higher should take the following actions:

1. Claimant Does Not Meet U.S. Age Requirement

If the claimant is not old enough to file for U.S. benefits, take the following actions:

• Prepare a 6-month close-out notice to close the protective writing (see GN 00204.012D.). Use the distributed online correspondence system (DPS) to prepare the notice and save it to the online retrieval system (ORS).

• Since the close-out notice solicits an application, call the applicant before mailing the notice to explain the minimum age of eligibility for U.S. benefits.

• FAX a copy of the close-out notice to the Office of International Operations' (OIO) “paperless” FAX number (410-597-1800) with the following special remarks on the FAX cover sheet:

  • “SSN: XXX-XX-XXXX

  • No Action Necessary – For Documentation Purposes Only –

  • Read to FIN FIN”

2. Claimant Meets U.S. Age Requirement

If the claimant is old enough to file for U.S. benefits, take the following actions:

• Contact the claimant directly and take an application for U.S. benefits on the modernized claims system (MCS) and complete any necessary development.

• Use the date of application shown on the CDN/USA 2 only if it results in an earlier month of entitlement and SSA records do not indicate a close-out notice was sent (see GN 01715.335C.1).

• Enter “CANAD” as the name of the country on the TOTALIZATION (TOTL) screen (see MSOM MCS 009.011 ).

• Accept the Canadian verification of title II eligibility factors unless a material discrepancy exists (GN 01702.210).

• Where a date of birth is established based on a certification by the Canadian office, use “Q” as the proof of age code.

• Accept photocopies of documents as valid if they have been certified as true and exact copies by the Canadian office.

• If the worker is not insured based only on U.S. quarters of coverage (QC's), process in accordance with steps 4 – 9 in GN 01715.325C.

NOTE: An indication on an SSA application that the worker has coverage in a foreign country normally constitutes a lead for foreign benefits. However, where the claim originated with the International Operations Section of Income Security Programs in Ottawa, assume the International Operations Section has already developed any possible eligibility for Canadian benefits. Do not secure a CDN-USA 1.

D. References

• Applications for U.S. benefits filed in foreign countries, GN 01702.300 – GN 01702.325

• Form CDN/USA-2, “Transmittal and Liaison Form,” GN 01716.235

• Material discrepancy, GN 01702.210

• Proof of age code, GN 00302.011

• Totalization (TOTL) screen, MSOM MCS 009.011