You can earn 4 quarters per year. You need 40 quarters or 10 years paying into Social Security to qualify for a retirement benefit. The ten years don't have to be consecutive. If you only worked 10 years your Social Security check will be very small… | The Medicare Family

If you DO NOT have 40 quarters / ten years of having paid into Social Security via FICA payroll taxes, you may still qualify as a spouse or ex-spouse. But if your marriage didn't last ten years, or you are not currently married, you’ll need to earn the rest of your work quarters to qualify for Social Security | The Medicare Family