How to Join the US Army as a Non-Citizen

How to Join the US Army as a Non-Citizen

It may surprise you to learn that many non-citizens of America, people who were born and lived in foreign countries, actually serve in the US Military. Applying for the army is a big decision, but it is not a decision that limits you to only joining in the country that you have grown up in. Whilst join the army as a non-citizen may not be the easiest of processes, it's definitely possible if it's something that you are considering. So in this OneHowTo article, we're going to tell you how to join the US army as a non-citizen!

Steps to follow:
1

To apply for the US army, you will need to be a permanent resident living in the United States and that includes having a legal green card. A green card is issued when you apply for permanent residency in America and gives you permission to live and work in the country. This excludes those who only have tourist and student visas, both of these are not sufficient documents when applying for the army.

2

If you do not yet bad a green card, you will need to provide proof that you have applied for legal residence status. This can include a receipt or letter from the U.S citizenship offices.

3

One of the main things you will need to join the army - and not just the US army? High standards of physical fitness!

You will need to make sure that you are fit and healthy enough to pass the military training that is required to joint the army are also certain qualifications and levels of education that you are expected to have when applying for a position in the military.

4

You can then apply to join the enlisted ranks of the US army. You will only be eligible to begin military training once your permanent residency has been accepted and you have legal status to live and work in the US if you haven't already. Your residency must be valid for the full term of your army enlistment.

You may want to consider applying for permanent citizenship in the United States if you plan to reenlist into the army.

5

When considering joining the US Army, it's worth remembering that as a non-citizen, you will be restricted to certain duties within the regiment, and that positions such as commissioned officers and some occupations that require security clearances will be off limits to you.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Join the US Army as a Non-Citizen, we recommend you visit our Employment category.