The United States Army announced today (9/27/12) that it is reopening the Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest (MAVNI) program. Normally, only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) may serve in the U.S. armed forces. However, under the MAVNI program, certain non-citizen, non-LPR aliens with critical language or medical/health care skills may join up. The MAVNI program allows participants to bypass the green card process and receive expedited United States citizenship. The army’s goal is to have all MAVNI participants be fully naturalized U.S. citizens before completion of their 10-week basic training.
Here are the general requirements:
1. Individuals must be in one of the following categories at the time of their enlistment:
· Non-Immigrant Visas: E, F, H, I, J, K, L, M, O, P, Q, R, S, T, TC, TD, TN, U OR V
· Asylee, refugee, or Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
2. They must be legally present in the U.S. for a minimum of 2 years without a single extended absence of over 90 days.
3. Must meet certain army criteria to include:
· Minimum of a high school diploma
· Qualifying scores on the Armed Forces Qualification Test and Native Language Tests.
· Must not require a conduct waiver
Qualifying aliens with critical language and cultural skills may enlist in the army. Those interested in the MAVNI language program should visit www.goarmy.com/info/mavni for more information on the specific language skills the army is looking for.
Qualifying aliens with specialized medical/health care skills who are licensed to practice in the United States may be recruited into the United States Army Officer Corps. Those interested in the MAVNI Health Care Professionals program should visit www.goarmy.com/infoavni/healthcare to learn more about the medical specialties the army is recruiting.
