Your U.S. Social Security eligibility generally depends on U.S. covered work and credits. Taiwan is not on SSA’s current list of totalization agreements, so don’t assume Taiwan coverage can fill a U.S. credit shortfall.
U.S. covered work
Watch your U.S. earnings record while you are earning it
You earn Social Security credits from covered U.S. work, subject to annual rules. Review your earnings record periodically and hold on to your Forms W-2 and identifying documents.
A temporary assignment, your visa status or a payroll arrangement can create specialized coverage questions. The pay statement should show Social Security and Medicare withholding when applicable — but SSA and tax rules, not the pay stub, determine coverage. The bigger cross-border question is whether your two work histories can ever combine.
No current totalization agreement
Why your Taiwan service cannot be assumed to combine with U.S. credits
SSA publishes the countries with U.S. Social Security agreements, and Taiwan is not on the current status list. Without an applicable agreement, don’t assume Taiwan coverage can be totalized with U.S. credits — or that dual social-insurance coverage is automatically prevented.
None of this decides your Taiwan labor pension, national pension or other Taiwan benefits. Get Taiwan-specific advice for those programs, and keep both systems visible in one retirement map.
Retirement map
Coordinate the claim with where you will actually live
A future move to Taiwan can affect communication, identity verification, bank access and tax withholding. Before you move, confirm whether U.S. benefits can be paid to your future residence and what documentation is required.
Don’t base retirement solely on an online Social Security estimate. Combine verified benefits with your TSMC 401(k), Taiwan accounts, savings and health coverage — treating this overview as preparation, not as individualized advice, because current plan documents control the TSMC pieces and each administrator confirms its own.
Frequently asked questions
Questions employees ask next
Does the United States have a Social Security agreement with Taiwan?
Not currently — Taiwan is not on SSA’s list of countries with a totalization agreement as of this review.
Can Taiwan work credits qualify me for U.S. Social Security?
Don’t assume so. Without an applicable totalization agreement, U.S. eligibility generally depends on U.S. covered work and credits.
Can I receive U.S. Social Security while living in Taiwan?
Payment rules depend on citizenship, residence and benefit type. Confirm your case with SSA before you move.
Primary sources
What this guide is based on
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