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Original poster

Catch 22 situation for ds (UK citizen) who yearns to join the US military

28 replies

mumblechum1 · 15/11/2011 17:39

Will try to keep this brief. DS is in 6th form and his plan for a long time has been to do a degree (prob. politics) here, then try to join the military in the US.

Problem is, he can't join without at least a green card, then he'd have to apply for citizenship.

But he can't get a green card without being offered a job, and the Army don't sponsor overseas applicants' GC applications.

He really has his heart set on this. Notwithstanding the fact that I'm not crazy about him being in any sort of Army, nor being thousands of miles away, this is his dream and he's getting really down about the stone wall he keeps hitting when he goes into the logistics of it.

I've suggested he gets a civilian job in the States, but according to the immigaration website, you have to be some sort of superhero/massively talented/superskilled person, which he isn't and won't be. He'll just have a BA and little or no work experience.

Any ideas, anyone?

OP posts:
MogandMe · 15/11/2011 17:41

Why not join the Brittish army?

wahwahwah · 15/11/2011 17:42

Why the US miliatary in particular? Sorry, not very helpful.

Original poster
mumblechum1 · 15/11/2011 17:45

Because he loves the States. He went by himself when he was 15, met up with his friend, went wild camping in the Rockies miles away from anyone & spent another couple of weeks in the midwest.

He's also been with us this year to California for a month, and is saving to go to NY, Washington & Philly in the week before the election. He's just interested in all things American, loves the lifestyle, the people (has a few US friends here), his degree will include a year in a US university (will include American studies).

Basically the grass is greener in America.

British Army would be plan B.

OP posts:
wahwahwah · 15/11/2011 17:50

Hmmmm. The miliatary is a big step though, not the same as being on holiday!

So is he in love with the miliatary or emigrating to the US? My sister did the same (well, not joining the miliatary) when she was fresh out of university ('land of opportunity' and all that) and did come to regret it, when it was too late (husband and 3 teenage kids to consider), and is very homesick. Its a bloody long way to come back and expensive too, so we only used to see her every 5 years!

wahwahwah · 15/11/2011 17:53

Hang one, here's something from a forum

"Yep, I have know many in the last 19 1/2 years. Next to Canadians and Mexicans, they are probably the largest group. You must have a green card and be able to past a security clearance. Then go to a recruiter or check below. Once you get in, you can get US citizenship almost right away if you have at least 3 years of residency especially if you are deployed . I know this because I work as a JAG paralegal in the Army.
Source(s):
www.goarmy.com/flindex.jsp"

He will need to give up UK citizenship.

HerRoyalNotness · 15/11/2011 18:00

While he is there studying, or even prior, he should enter the Green Card Lottery. Random I know. A school friend in NZ did this about 4years ago, and got one. I was astounded and thought this must be very rare. However a chap I work with now who is Canadian but studied in the US, said in his experience, it is very common to win a green card in this lottery. Worth a shot if he is truly set on doing this.

wahwahwah · 15/11/2011 18:02

Are you Irish by any chance? Better odds....

natation · 15/11/2011 18:04

I must say it doesn't really seem very logical - as US military service persons often end up in the UK or Europe or Afghanistan, same places as UK service persons, may spend very long periods outside the US.

MindtheGappp · 15/11/2011 18:04

I think you can join the military as a permanent resident (you have to sign up for Selective Service, as a young male).

But this is far from having been on holiday in the US. Real life is completely different.

Sidge · 15/11/2011 18:14

If he joins the US Army he wouldn't actually spend much time on US soil!

They tend to do a lot of deployments, long ones back-to-back AFAIK.

What about joining the British Army, then look at a transfer to the Canadian forces? Not quite the US but a bit closer if he wants to go travelling there. Or stay in the British Army and spend most of his salary and leave allowance travelling to the US?

I knew quite a few RN guys (and girls) that managed to do lots of Adventure Training overseas including USA and Canada.

ImpYCelyn · 15/11/2011 18:27

Is he an army cadet at all? Does he have any experience of what life in the army will be like?

I find it strange that he'd want to risk his life fighting the wars of another nation. And renounce his own nationality to be able to do it.

Is it because he wants US citizenship at the end of it? There are other ways to get it.

Or is it because he has some sort if idealised view of the American military vs the British Army?

I don't mean to be negative, I just wonder why he wants to do it.

Ponders · 15/11/2011 18:32

He's just interested in all things American, loves the lifestyle, the people (has a few US friends here)

I'm not at all sure he'd love the lifestyle in the military - there or here

\link{http://www.army.mod.uk/join/20080.aspx\Maybe he should try the TA here first}

MogandMe · 15/11/2011 18:40

Agree they have increasingly long tours - ie a year to our 6 months in Afghanistan.

We have a lot of American's over here at our military camp working with the british army - could he not do the reverse.

Must agree that if he's there for the army he won't spend a lot of the time enjoying the american way of life - just the military way of life and thats a whole different ball game.

Original poster
mumblechum1 · 15/11/2011 18:45

Thanks so much for all replies. The plan (I'm sure I never had a plan when I was 17!) is to

  1. Get a degree
  1. Join the US Army for about 5 years
  1. Stay in the US long term doing something vaguely similar/police? or go somewhere else or stay in the UK.

He does have cadet experience.

He's travelled extensively already and I'd be surprised if he stays in the UK for his whole life. His main objective in life is not to have a nine to five job behind a desk, he wants to get out and do something interesting. Both his dad and I have desk jobs and although he's too polite to say so, I know he pities us our grey existence Grin

OP posts:
ImpYCelyn · 15/11/2011 18:51

According to some US army FAQs I just found, he could never be an officer as a non-citizen. So if he wants to do that he'll need citizenship as well as a green card. I think he'd have to live in the US for 3 years to be able to do that.

Also, minimum service is 8 years. Does he know it's so long.

tadjennyp · 15/11/2011 18:52

I don't think British people can enter the green card lottery, iirc. I think the best bet would be to look at the US Army websites and see if he can speak to a recruiter. They are always advertising over here (am in the States) so may be open to recruiting overseas people. If he spends all his summers over there, he might meet someone and get married. Grin I know quite a few people here who have done that!

ImpYCelyn · 15/11/2011 18:54

"Examine the job descriptions. Non-U.S. citizens are restricted to jobs which do not require security clearances. These include such diverse positions as band member, diver, armor crewman, firefighter, machinist, journalist and mechanic."

Ponders · 15/11/2011 18:56

he'll have to marry in then Grin

my kids have friends who did degrees at US universities (sports) & at least one now has an American wife

Original poster
mumblechum1 · 15/11/2011 19:30

I did say that to him, he'll hopefully have a year in Georgia in which to fall in love!

OP posts:
NatashaBee · 16/11/2011 18:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pimmsgalore · 22/11/2011 14:01

If he joins the British army then he can transfer to the US army (know this is still true as they offered to transfer DH last year). BUT he needs to bear in mind to become an officer he will have to take citizenship once he has transferred, he will be deployed very quickly, their deployments are a minimum of 8 months with the usual length being 12 months (plus about 4 weeks either side of travel and decompression). The other thing to remember is they are highly suspicious of anyone who is not american and as such he will subjected to higher security scrutiny than others

mockingjay · 26/11/2011 22:04

In response to something higher up the thread: he might not have to give up British citizenship - the law on this changed recently, and the US don't automatically require you to give up other citizenships now (at least for certain countries, not sure about Britain in particular).

JustRedbin · 26/11/2011 22:11

Get him to talk to the US embassy.

mathanxiety · 26/11/2011 22:18

Don't know if they accept foreign cadets in West Point, but if they do he could apply and get a degree plus a commission. You'd have to research it though.

Or could he go to college in the US and do ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) which means a commission upon graduation and four years of active duty afterwards. Again, I don't know if they accept non-citizens in the ROTC.

Shanghaidiva · 27/11/2011 02:46

My brother is in the US airforce (we both have dual nationality) and agree with the comments above:
tours are longer - DB has done 2 in Middle East - one for 6 months and one for a year. During the year tour he was allowed two weeks of leave to see his family. He was lucky to be on an exhange programme with Australia or he would have been deployed to the Middle East for the third time in 4 years.
My brother did not have to give up his UK citizenship, but they wanted him to send back his UK passport to the embassy - he is still a UK citizen, but the airforce was a little twitchy about him having 2 passports.
Security clearance may be tighter - DB has top secret clearance (he works in intelligence) and he has to provide details of my passport, my family, address etc. I live in PR China and this result in extra form filling.
When you are based in the US you don't necessarily get to see the greatest parts of the country - DB was in Arizona and Texas and surrounded by nothing (except high security prisons in Texas).

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