A New Set of Documents, "How lucky are WE?"

Here is a mistake I hope I can help someone avoid. If you are moving to CR and you are not yet on SS but expect to once down there, just be advised that you will not be able to file for residency until you have all or your documents, including the letter from Social Security stating your monthly income. Oh and by the way, you must be 62 for one whole month before you can receive benefits.

What this means is if you are born in the middle of the month like me, you have to wait the whole next month and the you will be paid on the 3rd Wednesday of the following month. Although I am 62 in October I will not get my first check until Dec 15. At this point you can go to the US Embassy and get you SS letter to complete your documents!!!! So, if you get your documents too early (Like ME) they expire before you can even file.

Here is what the SS says:

""We pay benefits in the month following the month they are due. For example, if you turn 62 on July 15, your first month of entitlement is August, and you would receive your first check in September. However, if your birthday is May 1st, then your first month of entitlement is May and you would receive your first check in June.""

How come no one mentioned this anywhere before?? It would have been really helpful!!

So guess what we get to do all over again???? Yep get our darn ol documents again and go through the process of getting them certified. Am glad I found this out now before taking them to the Costa Rican Embassy for authentication. That would have been a waste of $320, not including all the other costs.

Why did this happen you might ask?? Well I was going off the assumption that I would be able to collect my SS letter on November 14 which would have given us more than enough time on our documents we have now. If one government doesn't get you the other one will. Gota love em.

Practice, practice, practice!!!! Isn't that what makes things perfect!! Now that we have practiced, I just hope we can make things perfect.