Military service in the U.S. military can offer citizenship applicants certain benefits not offered to other types of applicants.
The most important is that:
- You (and your children and spouse) may gain citizenship even if you don’t meet all of the general requirements
- You may not have to pay any application or biometric fees.
- You may go through the process faster than usual.
The requirements for citizenship through military may change depending on whether you served during a period of hostilities or during peacetime.
Citizenship Through Military Service in Hostilities
A service member of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and National Guard who served during a period of hostilities will have served during the following conflicts:
- World War I (April 6, 1917 – Nov. 11, 1918)
- World War II (Sept. 1, 1939 – Dec. 31, 1946)
- Korean War (June 25, 1950 – July 1, 1955)
- Vietnam (Feb. 28, 1961 – Oct. 15, 1978)
- Persian Gulf War (Aug. 2, 1990 – April 11, 1991)
- War on Terrorism (Sept. 11, 2001 – present)
If you served during one of those periods or are currently serving, in most cases, to gain citizenship you will have to show that:
- You have been a person of good moral character for at least 1 year before applying for citizenship.
- You can speak, read and write English.
- You have knowledge of U.S. government and history (civics), AND
- You are attached to the principles of the U.S. and are willing to take the U.S. Oath of Allegiance.
Military service members who served during periods of hostilities may not need to meet the general permanent residence requirements (how long you were a permanent resident) or the physical presence requirements (how much time you must have spent inside the U.S.).
Citizenship Through Military Service in Peacetime
If you served during peacetime in the U.S. (not a period of hostility), in most cases, to gain citizenship you will have to show that:
- You served for at least 1 year in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and National Guard.
- You were honorably discharged.
- You have been a person of good moral character for at least 5 years before applying for citizenship.
- You are a permanent resident at least by the time you take the citizenship exam.
- You can speak, read and write English.
- You have knowledge of U.S. government and history (civics), AND
- You are attached to the principles of the U.S. and are willing to take the U.S. Oath of Allegiance.
Also, in most cases, military service members who previously (more than 6 months ago) served during peacetime will need to meet the permanent residence and physical presence requirements, which are 5 years of permanent residence and 30 months of physical presence inside the U.S.
The US citizenship process is complex and filling out the forms on your own could lead to costly mistakes. Use our service to prepare your Form N-400 online.
