Topic: Retirement · Part 3 of 13 · 🟡 Intermediate

In one sentence

This post explains how the years you live in Canada decide whether you get Old Age Security, and how much.

Words to know

• OAS (Old Age Security): a monthly government pension for people 65 and older. It is based on where you lived, not where you worked.
• Residence: the years you actually lived in Canada after age 18.
• Full and partial pension: a full OAS pension needs 40 years of residence. With fewer years, you get a part of it.
• Recovery tax (clawback): if your income is high, you pay back some or all of your OAS.
• Social security agreement: a deal between Canada and another country that can help you qualify for pensions.

Step 1: Check the basic rules

To get OAS while living in Canada, you must:

• Be 65 or older.
• Be a Canadian citizen or a legal resident when your application is approved.
• Have lived in Canada for at least 10 years since age 18.

Your OAS does not depend on your job or your CPP. Only your years of residence matter for the amount.

Step 2: Count your years: full or partial

If you lived in Canada for 40 years or more after age 18, you can get the full pension. If you lived here for less than 40 years, you may get a partial pension. You get 1/40 of the full amount for each full year you lived in Canada after 18.

Many newcomers arrive as adults, so a partial pension is common. You can delay OAS up to age 70. Each month you wait raises your payment by 0.6%, up to 36% at 70. If you are close to another year of residence, ask Service Canada before you apply.

Step 3: Know the 20-year rule for living abroad

If you plan to live outside Canada in retirement, the rules are stricter. To keep getting OAS outside Canada for more than 6 months, you need one of these:

• At least 20 years of residence in Canada after age 18, or
• At least 20 years in total, when you add your time in Canada and in a country that has a social security agreement with Canada.

Without this, your OAS and GIS may stop if you are outside Canada for more than 6 months. See Retiring back in your home country.

Step 4: See if a social security agreement helps

Canada has social security agreements with many countries. If you lived or worked in one of them, those years may help you meet the 10-year or 20-year minimum. The details, including how the amount is worked out, are in Counting pension years from your home country.

Step 5: Know the 2026 amounts and the clawback

Here are the current numbers. OAS amounts are updated every 3 months. Checked October 2026.

OAS figure	Amount
Maximum monthly OAS, age 65 to 74 (Oct to Dec 2026)	$762.50
Maximum monthly OAS, age 75 and over (Oct to Dec 2026)	$838.75
Maximum monthly OAS if you start at 70 (Oct to Dec 2026)	$1,037.00
Recovery tax starts: net income above (2026 income year)	$95,323
OAS fully paid back: net income of (2026, age 65 to 74)	$155,320
OAS fully paid back: net income of (2026, age 75 and over)	$161,320

At 75, OAS goes up by 10% automatically. That is why the 75+ amount is higher. For the recovery tax, you repay 15% of your net income above the threshold. Repayments for 2026 income are taken from July 2027 to June 2028. If your income is low, you may also get the GIS. See Applying for OAS and GIS.

Example

Say you move to Canada at 45 and live here until you turn 65. That is 65 − 45 = 20 years. Your OAS is 20/40, or half the full amount. Using the October to December 2026 amount: $762.50 × 20 ÷ 40 = $381.25 a month.

With only 10 years: $762.50 × 10 ÷ 40 = about $190.63 a month.

Clawback example: your 2026 net income is $105,323. That is $105,323 − $95,323 = $10,000 above the threshold. You repay 15%: $10,000 × 0.15 = $1,500 for the year.

Common mistakes

• Thinking every senior in Canada gets the full OAS. It depends on your years here.
• Moving abroad without checking the 20-year rule.
• Forgetting that years in an agreement country may help you qualify.
• Not keeping proof of your arrival date, like your permanent resident documents and old passports.

✅ My checklist

☐ I counted my years in Canada since age 18
☐ I know if I will get a full or partial OAS
☐ I checked the 20-year rule in case I move abroad
☐ I listed countries where I lived or worked
☐ I keep proof of my arrival date in a safe place

Next in this topic → Counting pension years from your home country (social security agreements)

Back to the topic → Retirement

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There are no affiliate or referral links in this post. This is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice; everyone’s situation is different. Figures were checked in October 2026 and can change.

Sources: Canada.ca: OAS eligibility · Canada.ca: OAS benefit amount · Canada.ca: Receiving OAS outside Canada · Canada.ca: When to start OAS · Canada.ca: OAS recovery tax · ESDC: Maximum benefit amounts, October to December 2026