U.S. Offers Citizenship in Return for Military Service

The pilot program will allow immigrants with temporary visas to earn permanent citizenship. This will be conditionally granted after completion of an English exam, oath of allegiance to the country and a number of years in the military.

The United States Armed Forces declared the launch of a new trial program that will allow immigrants with temporary visas to shorten the road to long-awaited citizenship. Immigrants who join the armed forces will be able to gain citizenship within six months of their enlistment. The U.S. military had only allowed recruitment of permanent residents up until now; however, this new program will grant an opportunity for immigrants whom have been in the United States for a minimum of two years.

The economic crisis has caused many Americans, especially those from poverty stricken states, to reconsider pursuing a career in the military. Although the number of recruits has risen in the past few months, the new members don’t necessarily constitute what is considered a “high-tech” military. Last year, only 82 percent out of 80,000 new recruits possessed matriculation certificates, and 18 percent enlisted despite medical problems and past criminal records.

The U.S. Armed Forces has been considering the possibility of recruiting immigrants with temporary visas for the past few years. Research centers estimate there are about 57,000 immigrants staying in the U.S. today whom do not hold “green cards” and are within recruitment age. If 10 percent of them enlist into the military, the annual recruitment quota will be filled.

Both sides are said to gain from this new arrangement: at times when even American citizens experience difficulty finding jobs, the recruited immigrants will enjoy a steady salary, an opportunity to acquire a profession and significant benefits that include college scholarships and health care coverage. The military, on the other hand, is hoping to recruit young people with special talents, who are essential to the new framework of military doctrine, which calls for close cooperation with populations in foreign countries.

Immigrant recruits may supply the military with manpower that can spare the expenses related to foreign language and cultural education. The military is hoping the new program will offer an incentive to student immigrants, especially nurses, doctors and linguists, but also for native speakers of one of the 53 “strategic languages,” which include Arabic, Russian, Chinese and Kurdish.

An Egyptian physician who recently joined the U.S. military is teaching Arabic to American soldiers once a week, and told “Haaretz” that for him it is a worthwhile arrangement that does not require any special effort on his part.

Receiving citizenship, however, is also contingent on successfully passing an English exam and taking an oath of allegiance to the United States.

In addition, the immigrants will not be able to receive their citizenship and leave the country immediately thereafter. Linguists will be required to serve four years, while doctors and nurses must complete three years in regular army service, or six years in reserve. Those who do not complete their required service will have their citizenship revoked.

– 57,000 immigrants of recruitment age live in the U.S. today.

– 92,000 immigrants without American citizenship currently serve in the U.S. armed forces.

– 8,000 permanent residents enlist in the military every year.

– 1,000 immigrants will be enlisted during the first year of the trial program.

– 41,000 immigrants will be enlisted every year, within the long-term goals of the trial program.