Old Age Security

Are You Eligible?

Eligibility for Old Age Security (OAS) benefits is based on your age and the number of years you lived in Canada since the age of 18.??

Your employment history is not a factor. You can receive the OAS even if you have never worked or are still working.?

Are you currently living in Canada??

To qualify for OAS, you must:?

• be 65 years old or older?

• be a Canadian citizen or a legal resident at the time we approve your OAS?pension application?

• have lived in Canada for at least 10?years since the age of 18?

Are you currently living outside Canada?

To qualify for OAS, you must:?

• be 65 years old or older?

• have been a Canadian citizen or a legal resident of Canada on the day before you left Canada?

• have lived in Canada for at least 20?years since the age of 18?

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Are you a Canadian who has lived outside Canada??

If you worked outside Canada for a Canadian employer, you may be able to have your time working abroad counted as residence in Canada.?

To qualify this time working abroad as residence in Canada, you must have either:?

• returned to Canada within 6?months of ending employment, or?

• turned 65?years old while still employed and maintained residence in Canada during your time outside Canada.?

Under certain conditions, spouses, common-law partners, dependents, and Canadians working abroad for international organizations may also count time spent abroad as residence in Canada.?

If you were not working for a Canadian employer abroad, you may still qualify for the Old Age Security pension if:?

• you lived in one of the countries Canada has established a social security agreement with, or?

• you contributed to the social security system of one of the countries with which Canada has established a social security agreement.?

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For more information about eligibility or to estimate your monthly OAS payment, use the Old Age Security Benefits Estimator.