Since World War I, alien military service members and certain veterans who have served honorably in the U.S. armed forces may qualify for naturalization with some statutory exemptions to the general requirements in recognition of their important sacrifices and commitment to the security of the United States.
Today the USCIS has provided the following updated guidance on military naturalization:
- “Honorable” and “General-Under Honorable Conditions” are the only two
accepted discharge characterizations to determine if an alien qualifies as having served
under “honorable conditions.” - An “Uncharacterized” discharge on a DD Form 214 will be considered a separation under “honorable conditions” only if the separation occurred before August 1, 2024. After that date, it will not be considered honorable.
- Change of “characterization of discharge” possible in certain circumstances. Identifies that aliens who separated or were discharged from the military under less than honorable conditions for reasons like failure to comply with COVID vaccination requirements may request a change in the “characterization of their discharge” with the U.S. Department of War and that USCIS will rely on submitted official discharge documents for former service members to determine if they served honorably and were separated under honorable conditions.
- Entry to the US required for naturalization interviews. Provides that former alien service members of the U.S. armed forces who reside overseas must seek a visa or parole to enter the United States for a naturalization interview. This is because the USCIS will no longer coordinate with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to have USCIS officers conduct a naturalization interview and oath ceremony of certain alien veterans at a port of entry.
Links with further information
https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-updates-guidance-on-military-naturalization