Citizenship Through Military Service for Beneficiaries of DACA
Author: Citizenship Attorney Alena Shautsova
The law allows permanent residents to receive citizenship after a person has been in “green card holder” status for 3 or 5 years depending on how the person acquired the residency: through marriage with the USC or some other way.
Usually, a person has to become a permanent resident first, otherwise he/she cannot apply for naturalization.
However, the law provides a very narrow exception to this general rule: citizenship through military service. If allowed to participate in the program, the person can bypass the “green card” process and receive citizenship via expedited way.
Please see: Did You Know: The US Government Is Offering An Expedited Path For Citizenship
For the first time, the program — known as Military Accessions in the National Interest, or MAVNI — will be open to immigrants who have never had a visa if they came to the U.S. with their parents before age 16. More specifically, they must be approved under a 2012 Obama administration policy known as Deferred Action for Child Arrivals, or DACA. The program is capped to 1500 persons per year.
To request an info package visit: MAVNI program.