BASIC (10-07)

A. Office of International Operations (OIO) (V22) involvement -- foreign claims and related issues

OIO has jurisdiction over all foreign residency RR disability claims and related issues when the claimant:

• Meets the time period and foreign residency criteria. (See Sending Cases to Office of Central Operations/Office of International Operations (OCO/OIO) - DI 11010.275 or Foreign Claims Development - GN 00904.200) and

• Has 120 months of creditable RR service (or 60 months of creditable RR service after December 31, 1995) under the Railroad Retirement Act; or

• Was awarded an annuity by the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) regardless of the amount of RR service.

OIO is responsible for RR claims filed under the International Social Security Agreements (totalization). See Sending Cases to Office of Central Operations/Office of International Operations (OCO/OIO) - DI 11010.275.

For instructions for processing Career RR cases, see Railroad Cases – DI 11050.000 and Processing Career Railroad Cases - DI 44001.000 .

B. GLPSC-DPB has jurisdiction -- RR claimant/annuitant moves to a foreign country for 6 months or more -- GLPSC-DPB (V32) processing incomplete

GLPSC-DPB permanently transfers jurisdiction of the case to OIO (V22) to complete the final development and case determination.

• OIO retains jurisdiction of the foreign claim/case during the period the claimant resides at a foreign address per Function of the Office of International Operations - GN 00904.202.

• When transferring case jurisdiction to OIO a complete foreign address for the claimant must be furnished, or the claim will be returned to the sending office.

• Transfer electronic cases to office code V22.

• Transfer paper cases to:

  Office of International Operations
  Claims Development Disability Module
  P.O. Box 17775
  Baltimore, MD 21235-7775

C. GLPSC-DPB has jurisdiction -- RR claimant/annuitant moves to a foreign country for less than 6 months

• If a RR claimant moves to a foreign country for less than 3 months, GLPSC-DPB holds the file for processing until the claimant returns to the U.S.

• If the RR claimant moves to a foreign country for 3 to 6 months, GLPSC-DPB retains jurisdiction, and if further medical development is necessary, GLPSC-DPB requests OIO to arrange for consultative examination(s) (CE), or develop the medical evidence of record (MER) from the foreign country.

• The DPB specialist sends the CE/MER request to:

  Office of International Operations
  Attention: Disability Examiner (DE)
  PO Box 17775
  Baltimore, Maryland 21235-7775