Is the Greencard enough for a NROTC scholarship?

[Brett327]

Absolutely. The USCIS website mentioned that military service makes it much easier to get citizenship.

If you finish your degree and enlist in the Marine Corps, once you receive your citizenship you could go to OCS.

Or, as previously mentioned, get involved in some of the other programs. If BDCP on the Navy side meets the requirements for expedited citizenship (since you're essentially enlisted while going to college), perhaps some of the Marine programs offer a similar angle to exploit. I'd talk with a competent Marine OSO about your particulars.

Brett

 

[alanbrit]

Absolutely. The USCIS website mentioned that military service makes it much easier to get citizenship.

If you finish your degree and enlist in the Marine Corps, once you receive your citizenship you could go to OCS.

..and this can be *guaranteed* ? as in writing? that after I go through enlisted bootcamp.....and recieve citizenship, I can go straight to OCS? That sounds alright .... plus I heard lower ranked marines like you better if you go through enlisted , Either way, I just want to make sure that this is a possible solution...

Thanks for the help guys, appreciate it!

 

[statesman]

I wont say its guaranteed... Im just relaying whats on the web site. You should probably talk to the US Immigration office about the process.

Brett makes a good point regarding BDCP. The Marine Corps has a program called PLC (Platoon Leaders Course) that is similar to BDCP

 

[Brett327]

..and this can be *guaranteed* ? as in writing? that after I go through enlisted bootcamp.....and recieve citizenship, I can go straight to OCS?

Don't misunderstand. What you've described is not at all how things work. Even once you're enlisted, citizenship takes time. Nothing is automatic and nothing is guaranteed. You need to talk with an OSO tomorrow.

Brett

 

[BigRed389]

If you're still in college and you already meet residency requirements, why don't you just apply for citizenship now?

It'll take 1.5-2 years tops, and then you can apply for BDCP, PLC, or OCS.

You'll be missing out on a lot of pre-commissioning cash, but if you just want to be an officer that seems like the fastest option. Especially considering what people on this board have said about the wait times if you enlist first.

 

[RockyMtnNFO]

Or, as previously mentioned, get involved in some of the other programs. If BDCP on the Navy side meets the requirements for expedited citizenship (since you're essentially enlisted while going to college), perhaps some of the Marine programs offer a similar angle to exploit. I'd talk with a competent Marine OSO about your particulars.

Brett

Unfortunatley, that will not work. BDCP is not, in itself, a commissioning program, but it is a program that leads to commissioning so one must be a US citizen to apply to the program.

You can't exploit that angle.

R/

Steve

 

[Brett327]

Unfortunatley, that will not work. BDCP is not, in itself, a commissioning program, but it is a program that leads to commissioning so one must be a US citizen to apply to the program.

You can't exploit that angle.

R/

Steve

I guess he's fvcked then. He'll just have to do it the old fashioned way.

Brett

 

[alanbrit]

If you're still in college and you already meet residency requirements, why don't you just apply for citizenship now?

It'll take 1.5-2 years tops, and then you can apply for BDCP, PLC, or OCS.

You'll be missing out on a lot of pre-commissioning cash, but if you just want to be an officer that seems like the fastest option. Especially considering what people on this board have said about the wait times if you enlist first.

See, after you apply there is no guarantee that anyone would get their citizenship in a set amount of time (ie: 1.5-2yrs or even 2-5yrs)..bureaucracy

I know some people who immigrated here 10+ years ago and still don't even have their permanent residence (green card)..Ive been here like 6+ years and I just got mine....I know I am qualified to go enlisted....which is no problem as long as I have a good chance of going to OCS/TBS within a few years at the most...

Right now..based on all the input from this thread, I am thinking about

Spend a year or three finishing off my degree ---> Enlist (if I still don't have my citizenship) ----> [After I get citizenship] --> Apply for OCS

Does this sound like a good plan ?

Also, Is OCS going to be a little easier after regular bootcamp? harder? what's the difference? I heard that enlisted bootcamp is a hardcore-mental-game....

Thanks for any help

 

[BigRed389]

See, after you apply there is no guarantee that anyone would get their citizenship in a set amount of time (ie: 1.5-2yrs or even 2-5yrs)..bureaucracy

I know some people who immigrated here 10+ years ago and still don't even have their permanent residence (green card)..Ive been here like 6+ years and I just got mine....I know I am qualified to go enlisted....which is no problem as long as I have a good chance of going to OCS/TBS within a few years at the most...

Right now..based on all the input from this thread, I am thinking about

Spend a year or three finishing off my degree ---> Enlist (if I still don't have my citizenship) ----> [After I get citizenship] --> Apply for OCS

Does this sound like a good plan ?

Also, Is OCS going to be a little easier after regular bootcamp? harder? what's the difference? I heard that enlisted bootcamp is a hardcore-mental-game....

Thanks for any help

Took me 1.5 years, and I applied out of the VERY busy NYC offices as soon as I turned 18.
My brother's took just under a year when he applied, as an enlisted Marine. Not a huge difference.

Also worked at my local Congressman's office for a year, high Hispanic population, we looked over a lot of applications as people would come for help. Pre and post 9/11, never saw anything take over 2 years, assuming they had no issues in their background.

Green cards are tougher to get, as it makes you a permanent resident in this country...citizenship is like what you get after your "probationary citizenship" as a green card holder goes well for long enough.

Assuming you don't have any skeletons in your closet. Anything over 2.5-3 years is extreme...even for INS/BCIS or whatever the hell they're called now.

Btw, this assumes you meet the residency requirement of being in-country as a green card holder for X years before applying...although for issues where you need to "wait" before meeting a time requirement I seem to recall them letting you apply a certain time before you would actually fulfill the time requirement.

 

[alanbrit]

Took me 1.5 years, and I applied out of the VERY busy NYC offices as soon as I turned 18.
My brother's took just under a year when he applied, as an enlisted Marine. Not a huge difference.

Also worked at my local Congressman's office for a year, high Hispanic population, we looked over a lot of applications as people would come for help. Pre and post 9/11, never saw anything take over 2 years, assuming they had no issues in their background.

Green cards are tougher to get, as it makes you a permanent resident in this country...citizenship is like what you get after your "probationary citizenship" as a green card holder goes well for long enough.

Assuming you don't have any skeletons in your closet. Anything over 2.5-3 years is extreme...even for INS/BCIS or whatever the hell they're called now.

Btw, this assumes you meet the residency requirement of being in-country as a green card holder for X years before applying...although for issues where you need to "wait" before meeting a time requirement I seem to recall them letting you apply a certain time before you would actually fulfill the time requirement.

Hmm. Interesting...I am going to do that then,..after college at least..Would it take long for me to go from Bootcamp to ----> OCS even after having citizenship? or do I have to serve like 4 years enlisted before I try for OCS..I'd hate to do that.

Thanks for the help