Infosheet on the Agreement on Social Security between Canada and St. Kitts and Nevis
Qualifying for Canadian and St. Kitts and Nevis benefits
- Catalogue number STK1-08-03E
- Printable version in PDF format (49 kb, 2 pages). To download and print PDF files, you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
The Agreement
Qualifying for a Canadian benefit
Qualifying for a St. Kitts and Nevis benefit
Payment of your benefits
For more information
How to apply for benefits
The Agreement
The Agreement on Social Security between Canada and St. Kitts and Nevis came into force on January 1, 1994.
The Agreement may help you qualify for Canadian and St. Kitts and Nevis old age and disability benefits if you contributed to both the Canada Pension Plan and the pension program of St. Kitts and Nevis, or if you resided in Canada and in St. Kitts and Nevis since February 1, 1978.
The Agreement may also help you qualify for Canadian and St. Kitts and Nevis survivor benefits if you are the widow, widower or child of a person who contributed to the pension programs of the two countries.
Social security legislation and agreements are complex. This sheet contains only general information and may not describe all the provisions that apply to your situation.
Qualifying for a Canadian benefit
The Canadian pension programs included in the Agreement are the Canada Pension Plan and the Old Age Security program.
Under the Canada Pension Plan, you can receive a benefit when you retire or if you become disabled. The Plan may also pay benefits to your survivors after you die. To qualify for a benefit, you normally must have contributed to the Plan for a minimum period.
If you do not qualify for a Canada Pension Plan benefit, Canada will consider periods credited under the pension program of St. Kitts and Nevis as periods of contribution to the Canada Pension Plan.
The Old Age Security program covers most persons who live or have lived in Canada. The pension is payable at the age of 65 to persons who meet certain residence conditions. To qualify for a Canadian Old Age Security pension in Canada, you normally must have lived in this country for at least 10 years after the age of 18. You normally need 20 years of residence in Canada after the same age to receive an Old Age Security pension outside Canada.
What happens if you do not qualify for a Canadian Old Age Security pension because you have not lived in Canada for the minimum number of years? Under the Agreement, Canada will consider periods during which you resided in St. Kitts and Nevis after the age of 18 and since February 1, 1978, or periods credited under the Social Security Scheme of St. Kitts and Nevis since the same date, as periods of residence in Canada.
Qualifying for a St. Kitts and Nevis benefit
The St. Kitts and Nevis pension program is similar to the Canada Pension Plan and covers most employed and self-employed persons in St. Kitts and Nevis.
To qualify for a benefit under the St. Kitts and Nevis pension program, you normally must have contributed to the program for a minimum number of weeks. For example, to qualify for a St. Kitts and Nevis old age benefit, you normally must have paid or been credited with contributions to the program for at least 500 weeks.
If you have not contributed to the program for the minimum period, you may not qualify for a St. Kitts and Nevis benefit. However, under the Agreement, St. Kitts and Nevis will consider periods of contribution to the Canada Pension Plan since February 1, 1978, and periods of residence in Canada after the age of 18 since that same date as credited periods under the pension program of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Payment of your benefits
You may qualify for a Canadian or St. Kitts and Nevis benefit, or both. Under the Agreement, each country will pay a benefit based solely on your periods of contribution or periods of residence under its pension program.
For more information
You can find more information on the Social Security Agreement between Canada and St. Kitts and Nevis on the St. Kitts and Nevis International Benefits page.
How to apply for benefits
If you want to apply for a Canadian or St. Kitts and Nevis benefit under the Agreement, or if you have questions, please call or write us.
From Canada or the United States, you can contact us, free of charge, at:
- 1 800 277-9914
- 1 800 255-4786 (TTY)
From other countries, please call:
- 1 613 957-1954
You can also write to us at:
- Income Security Programs
Human Resources Development Canada
Ottawa, ON K1A 0L4
CANADA
- Fax: 1 613 952-8901
