[mahyarm]

No you cannot, unless you have been paying into the system for 10 years. If you have, then you probably have a green card by then. If not, you should get one anyway since you've spent a decade of your life in the country that your pretty much american by that point. Legally and paying a lot of taxes.

You would never get medicare treatment as only an H1-B worker, since if your unemployed, you cannot stay in the country long enough to be able to use medicare benefits much.

So you effectively pay at %12 tax on your income that you will never see the benefits of unless you immigrate.

[daurnimator]

> No you cannot, unless you have been paying into the system for 10 years.

Ah yeah;

But IIRC, there are some reciprocating treaties that let me get my money out?

This mentions that for australians it is reduced to 18 months: https://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-department/international/in...