Citizenship via the military

[bobbyboarder 0]

Sorry if im beating a dead horse and this has been discussed but, I moved to the US about a year and a half ago from England and joined the U.S Marine Corps, Im now 2 weeks away from my one year mark of service and im about to apply for citizenship and I was wondering if anyone else here had obtained their citizenship via the U.S military and would mind sharing their experience?

[eau_xplain 2]

There's a member named Completely who has. Perhaps you can look up his posts as he had shared his experience already.

[Completely 3]

Hi.. I am a civilian working for the military, I applied citizenship through Article 319b of INA. Below is the article that will apply to your situation. Search also the forum, there is someone who did get naturalize through military service.

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http://www.visapro.com/Immigration-News/?a=870&z=21

U.S. Citizenship through Military Service

Members and certain veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces are eligible to apply for United States citizenship under special provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). In addition, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have streamlined the application and naturalization process for military personnel and those who recently discharged. Generally, the qualifying service for the U.S. Citizenship is in one of the following branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, certain reserve components of the National Guard and the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve.

Qualifications

As per USCIS to qualify for the U.S. Citizenship, a member of the U.S. Armed Forces must meet certain requirements. This includes demonstrating:

Good moral character;

Knowledge of the English language;

Knowledge of U.S. government and history (civics); and

Attachment to the United States by taking an Oath of Allegiance to the U.S. Constitution.

The members of the U.S. Armed Forces who qualify and meet all the requirements for the U.S. Citizenship are exempted from other naturalization requirements, including residency and physical presence in the United States. These exceptions are listed in Sections 328 and 329 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

All aspects of the naturalization process, including applications, interviews and ceremonies are available overseas to members of the U.S. Armed Forces.

An individual who obtains U.S. citizenship through his or her military service and separates from the military under “other than honorable conditions” before completing five years of honorable service may have his or her citizenship revoked.

Service in Peacetime

Section 328 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) applies to all members of the U.S. Armed Forces or those already discharged from service, to apply for the U.S. Citizenship. An individual may qualify for naturalization if he or she has:

Served honorably for at least one year.

Obtained lawful permanent resident status.

Filed an application while still in the service or within six months of separation.

[MariaEric 0]

Actually, you did not have to wait a year and could have applied right out of bootcamp because of:

Expedited Naturalization Executive Order

On July 3, 2002, President Bush signed the “Expedited Naturalization Executive Order” calling for the expedited naturalization of foreign nationals/ non-citizens serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces during the War on Terrorism. The Executive Order allows active duty personnel serving on or after September 11, 2001 to immediately file for citizenship. Normally, a military service member would have to complete one-year of honorable service before qualifying to file for citizenship. Section 329 of the Immigration and Nationality Act authorizes the President to waive this requirement during periods of military hostilities.

Maria (active duty) submitted her package and within 12 days is already fingerprinted. Next stop is the interview.

Edited December 27, 2008 by MariaEric