Permeant Resident - Over 40 Years

[Jredman1972]

Hello there,

I have a question about my mother's permeant resident status. My mother is 72 years old she has been a Permenant resident of the United States for about 40 years. She was married to my late father who died in 2011, she recieves his military pay (He was in the Air Force for 23 years), she also recieves his Social Security and his Veterans Disability pay every month since 2011.

My mother has decided to retire in the country of Colombia she has aquired a visa to stay in Colombia on a pension visa. One question I have can she lose my late father's benefits (His pay) if she no longer returns to the United States ? She never became citizen of the United States and at her age now she has no interest in doing so anymore. We have been told that she can not lose my late father's pay due it being a right of her's to have since she was married to my father.



Thanks

[Mike E]

See https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10137.pdf

Once she loses her LPR status for being outside the U.S. too long, she will have more trouble collecting her benefits.

Naturalze