ROTC with a Green Card...

[Michael_T]

Hello... I have a friend who is currently not a US Citizen, but a Resident with a Green-Card, and they were curious if they can participate in ROTC in Fall 2022, this would be without a Scholarship, but rather as an elective.

From the information I found out, I was able to deduce that any person is able to participate in ROTC for the first two years as an elective, but in order to earn a contract/commission, a requirement is that they must be a US Citizen.

I found this on the internet, obviously I can't trust much online, so I decided you ask some people here.

ROTC is a four year program with the first two years being open enrollment without service obligation. To enter into the third and fourth year, you must contract into the program and incur a service obligation as a commissioned officer upon completion. To be a commissioned officer, you must be a US citizen. Also, as a note the first two years can be made up by attending summer training.

 

[jaglvr]

I would think they can participate as a regular elective course those first 2 years. Anyone can choose the class. Best to ask the university they plan on attending directly though.

 

[Montana State Army ROTC]

Correct. ROTC programs follow title 9 which forbids asking citizenship status. However, why lead on a program if you know you cant contract and continue on?

 

[nuensis]

Correct. ROTC programs follow title 9 which forbids asking citizenship status. However, why lead on a program if you know you cant contract and continue on?

Maybe looking at expedited naturalization via military service?

I can't remember if NROTC MIDN are USNR like Academy MIDN are USN, but I don't think taking ROTC classes will count for that.

 

[GWU PNS (emeritus)]

NROTC MIDN are part of the Individual Ready Reserve. They begin that status when they sign the DD-4 usually on their first day of orientation at their unit. If a university allows credit for Naval Science classes, then anyone at the university can potentially register for them. The road block would be the need to have a security clearance, and not being a US citizen would be a show stopper.

 

[Montana State Army ROTC]

Maybe looking at expedited naturalization via military service?

Not as an officer

 

[nuensis]

Not as an officer

Using a year of ROTC as justification for naturalization.

 

[Michael_T]

Correct. ROTC programs follow title 9 which forbids asking citizenship status. However, why lead on a program if you know you cant contract and continue on?

So assuming before the two years are over, by the time they are in their junior year, they plan to have their citizenship by the end of this year. Hence, will they be able to contract as a "naturalized-citizen"

 

[GWU PNS (emeritus)]

Obtaining US citizenship can be a very bureaucratic process with unanticipated delays, especially with COVID affecting how many people are actually in their normal office spaces rather than doing work from home. So, I think it will be hard to predict how long finalizing your citizenship might take.

With that aside, once US citizenship is granted, you would still have to complete the paperwork for a security clearance. Depending on the country of origin, this can take significant research by the personnel teams who review security backgrounds. NATO countries move a bit faster, and Canada is actually pretty streamlined, but other countries will take a long time.

If serving in the military is truly a goal, my recommendation would be to enlist, and then shift to a commissioning program once citizenship is granted. But a recruiting office has more up to date information than what I think you can find through these forums.

The link below isn't official by any means, but it does a decent job of describing the process for legal permanent residents in the US.

Navy Non Citizen Jobs

The United States Navy accepts candidates who are legal permanent residents. This means that people who have a Green Card are eligible to apply for enlistment. Once enlisted in the U.S. Navy, you could be eligible to apply for citizenship after one year or more of military service.

work.chron.com

 

[Michael_T]

Obtaining US citizenship can be a very bureaucratic process with unanticipated delays, especially with COVID affecting how many people are actually in their normal office spaces rather than doing work from home. So, I think it will be hard to predict how long finalizing your citizenship might take.

With that aside, once US citizenship is granted, you would still have to complete the paperwork for a security clearance. Depending on the country of origin, this can take significant research by the personnel teams who review security backgrounds. NATO countries move a bit faster, and Canada is actually pretty streamlined, but other countries will take a long time.

If serving in the military is truly a goal, my recommendation would be to enlist, and then shift to a commissioning program once citizenship is granted. But a recruiting office has more up to date information than what I think you can find through these forums.

The link below isn't official by any means, but it does a decent job of describing the process for legal permanent residents in the US.

Navy Non Citizen Jobs

The United States Navy accepts candidates who are legal permanent residents. This means that people who have a Green Card are eligible to apply for enlistment. Once enlisted in the U.S. Navy, you could be eligible to apply for citizenship after one year or more of military service.

work.chron.com

Italy is the country of origin

 

[Abacab]

If "they" are curious enough to see if "they" can participate in an ROTC program, then "they" can do their own homeowork. Really @MichaelT2022, your lack of self discipline is unsettling with constant OP's on every topic imaginable. I don't understand how you can expect someone else to continuously give you advice and yet, with every new day comes a new direction, a new thought, a new post, and a new question. Now you are asking questions for others when you don't even have your own house in order. Longtime seasoned respondents to SAF, after giving good advice that was not taken have told you to get off this forum, buckle down on your studies and stick to a step by step plan, and at this point I would say... ANY plan. Make it your New Year's resolution. You will be much better off and the time you will save can be used to improve your grades. That, more than anything else, will help get you where you want to go. Good Luck.