Selective Services

[lapayasa]

OK, so my dh and I was filling out his N-400 and it asked about him signing up for the selective services. He never did. And we were never told. SO what do we do now?? Anyone know.. Please help:please::confused1:

[aleful]

Lapayasa,
At What Age Did He Get His Gc?

[IBMMuseum]

Lapayasa,
At What Age Did He Get His Gc?

Yes, age is going to come into play here - whether he is still below age 26, or over 31 (five years after he would fully age out of the requirement to register). A timeline of when he entered the U.S. between 18 and 26 would be a good place to start. Unfortunately it won't depend on any immigration status - even EWI males between 18 and 26 are required to register.

[kitkat1]

How old was he when he became an LPR? He would have received notices indicating he had to register.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=fe17e6b0eb13d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCR D&vgnextchannel=4f719c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1 RCRD

Responsibilities:

You are required to obey all of the laws of the United States, the States, and localities. You are required to file your income tax returns and report you income to the US Internal Revenue Service and State IRS. You are expected to support the democratic form of government and cannot attempt to change the government through illegal means. If you are a male, age 18 through 25, you are required to register with the Selective Service.

http://amherenow.com/faq.htm

If I didn’t register for the Selective Service, am I still eligible to apply for citizenship?

All males living in the United States between the ages of 18-26 years old are required to register with the Selective Service (military service), even if undocumented or out of status at that time. A male who did not register with the Selective Service who is still between the ages of 18-26years old must register in order to be eligible for citizenship. A male who is between the ages of 26-31 and did not register with the Selective Service may be denied citizenship if he received reminder notices to register for the Selective Service and disregarded the notices. If he did not register fo rthe Selective Service because he did not know that he was required to, he may still be able to become a citizen if he can explain to INS why he did not register. A male who is over the age of 31 year sold and did not register for the Selective Service should be able to become an American citizen if he meets all of the other requirements.

More Q&A here:

http://www.immigrationlinks.com/discus/messages/7/628.html?WednesdayJune1620040233pm

[lapayasa]

He entered in the us 1995
married in 2001
applied and got green card and ss# in 8/2001
485a interview June of 2002

He is now 29.

[kitkat1]

That was 5 years ago -- he WAS between 18 and 25 and was required to register. Read the other post - he'll have to prove that he did not disregard the notices or something to that extent. Probably want to consult with a qualified attorney - could get very sticky.

[lapayasa]

I talk to attorney she told me I have to write a letter stating INS never told us to apply. Also she said that we should still try to apply now even though he is too old.

[kitkat1]

There would be no point in attempting to register now -- it's no longer required. Again, read the information posted. It explains what he needs to prove in regard to receipt of notices. Be careful - information regarding the requirement IS provided to all immigrants. He won't simply be able to say he wasn't told -- they would have sent notices, etc.

[IBMMuseum]

There would be no point in attempting to register now -- it's no longer required. Again, read the information posted. It explains what he needs to prove in regard to receipt of notices. Be careful - information regarding the requirement IS provided to all immigrants. He won't simply be able to say he wasn't told -- they would have sent notices, etc.

I am totally with you here KK, it´s going to come down to two more years of waiting until he is 31 years old...

[amberlynncampbell]

If your husband was 18-25 when he was in the US, regardless of his legal status (illegal immigrants are required to register as well) then he had to register. Here is a little snippet below that would tell you the only time he would NOT have to register.

"If you are an immigrant male (documented or undocumented) living in the United States, age 18 through 25, you are required to register. Non-immigrant males living in the United States on a valid visa are NOT required to register."

If he was supposed to register and failed to register, and is 26, he can be denied citizenship. After the 26th birthday, they are no longer allowed to register.

Go to this site, to see if you can do anything about him not registering.
https://www.sss.gov/FSmen.htm

[lapayasa]

But that is they thing we were NEVER told to sign him up for the selective services. Even in the 485a interview we were never told. And nothing was ever recived. We did move but my mom still lives at the old address. The attorney told me to write a letter and attached with the n-400 explaining why he never signed up. Would it be easier to wait until after he turns 31.:bang:

[demoniaco27]

ok, this is the deal(personal experience)......i came to US on 1998, age 24.....never knew about selective service until i was trying to get in to school, they asked me for my registration, at that time i had no idea what was the selective service....I WAS NEVER TOLD BY A FAMILY MENBER EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 30 YEARS OR BY ANY KIND OF GOVERMENT BRANCH , the best part for your knowledge ( they do not required to do so).i was never told by immigration at the time i filed for permanent resident or the social security.....i got stuck when i applied for citizenship as they requested why i did not register.......THIS IS WHAT I DID......i wrote to the selective service explaining my situation some days later i got a response from a big boss there. he explained to me that in fact i was required to do and i didnt, but that by law no goverment agency can denied me a right or privilege just because i did not register that it was within this agency to analize why i did not register and then take a desition about the facts that i could present. i could not find the letter because he even wrote the law number with appendix and everything and what the law state... ON MY INTERVIEW DAY FOR CITIZENSHIP ... i presented this letter to the interviewer when he asked........some minutes later i was an american citizen . MY CONCLUTION IS THAT THE INTERVIEWER SAW MY INTEREST TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM AND THAT I GOT A RESPONSE FROM THE BIGGEST PERSON FROM THE SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM A GENERAL THAT I CAN NOT REMENBER THE NAME....... so my best advice is to write to the selective service explaining your situation and i hope you get the same letter.keep it and then show it at the time of your interview as well a good explanation why you did not register, i hope this will help you

[lgatica06]

Okay so my husband got a form from Selective Services that had all his info on it and all it said was do nothing if everything is correct. I thought it was junk and threw it away. The thing is he didn't fill anything out. Would an approved I-130 automatically get him registered. We didn't know that even EWI males were required to register and never did it. Maybe we should fill out the form at the post office and really register him. If he is already registered won't they send something telling us that?

[IBMMuseum]

Okay so my husband got a form from Selective Services that had all his info on it and all it said was do nothing if everything is correct. I thought it was junk and threw it away. The thing is he didn't fill anything out. Would an approved I-130 automatically get him registered. We didn't know that even EWI males were required to register and never did it. Maybe we should fill out the form at the post office and really register him. If he is already registered won't they send something telling us that?

Kind of a Catch-22: With a SS# you can look it up online to see if it was registered for the Selective Service. Another Catch-22: Many times a young male registering to vote is automatically registered with the Selective Service. If the information looked correct that is probably good, just more helpful to have the information at hand when needed later.

[kitkat1]

Filing an I-130 doesn't register someone - it only provides someone with the priviledge of interviewing for a visa.

I'm surprised to hear so many people say they did not know about this. Information is normally provided to new residents. Forms are sent from selective services. I hear radio announcements regarding the requirement ALL the time. There are notices in the newspaper occasionally.

[demoniaco27]

dont be surprise kitkat, i never received a single clue about selective service i never heard about it on the radio or tv and when i got my permanent resident card not a single sentence mentioned it not even on the applicaton but not only me i know at least four people in my area that are actually facing the same problem but when i knew about it, it was to late........nobody but nobody alerted me about this...i was really mad at that time including my own family they have been living here for 32 years not one of them told me about it.....how can i know what to do about the laws of this country if you have no guidance and just arrived..........BUT AS THE LAW SAYS.......THAT IS NOT EXCUSE

[kitkat1]

I guess I just find it pretty hard to believe a new resident didn't at least read about it -- it's one of the 4 responsibilities of US residents and it's spelled out in the "Now that you are a permanent resident" document provided to all new residents.

[mymexicanman]

WHAT is selective service ????? sorry but I just dont get it.... someone pls explain

[kitkat1]

http://www.sss.gov/FSwho.htm

Key Information

WHO MUST REGISTER
Almost all male U.S. citizens, and male aliens living in the U.S., who are 18 through 25, are required to register with Selective Service. It's important to know that even though he is registered, a man will not automatically be inducted into the military. In a crisis requiring a draft, men would be called in sequence determined by random lottery number and year of birth. Then, they would be examined for mental, physical and moral fitness by the military before being deferred or exempted from military service or inducted into the Armed Forces.

[demoniaco27]

i will try to find the paper were the permanent resident card was attached to see if i misread that part

[lgatica06]

My hubby is not a resident yet and we have not had our interview, so how selective services has his info is beyond me. He never registered.

[kitkat1]

It doesn't only apply to residents. They could have his info from a number of ways i.e. Drivers License

Some non-citizens are required to register. Others are not. Noncitizens who are not required to register with Selective Service include men who are in the U.S. on student or visitor visas, and men who are part of a diplomatic or trade mission and their families. Almost all other male noncitizens are required to register, including illegal aliens, legal permanent residents, and refugees. The general rule is that if a male noncitizen takes up residency in the U.S. before his 26th birthday, he must register with Selective Service.

[ratito921]

I never knew anything about the selective service until my friend asked me about it. Now it's too late for hubby to register because we just found out about it a few months back and now he's aged out. I hope we don't have problems when it comes time for him to gain citizenship. I mean we really didn't know and I never even thought twice about it.

[kitkat1]

My assumption is they are mostly concerned about people who did not register once they became legal permanent residents -- because those people are told. For someone who was previously illegal and did not register at that time, who is later applying for citizenship, I can't imagine it's a serious issue.

[ratito921]

My assumption is they are mostly concerned about people who did not register once they became legal permanent residents -- because those people are told. For someone who was previously illegal and did not register at that time, who is later applying for citizenship, I can't imagine it's a serious issue.

well that's a relief...thanks for the info. I know hubby never knew anything about it. i don't think illegals would think to register for selective services considering they were here illegally. I dunno :blush:

[kitkat1]

Although I did read something on their site that the information is never provided to DHS or ICE or anything like that.

[ratito921]

Although I did read something on their site that the information is never provided to DHS or ICE or anything like that.

interesting i think i remember reading that somewhere too I guess they do what they want.

[demoniaco27]

i wonder what will be the point for and illegal alien to register with the selective service??????...ok....you register then what????..are you sent to a war??? if there is any???.......from this point of view the only right that an illegal has is to die for this country....you spent 2 years abroad...how will you get paid???...will the same goverment pay and illegal alien?????.......you are lucky enought, and dont get killed.....how will you entered us againg been illegal???....all this is very confussing..perhaps the military have their own rules i know they are a goverment appart .....or by any special rule they can give you your permanent resident , i know that happens with citizenship

[ratito921]

i wonder what will be the point for and illegal alien to register with the selective service??????...ok....you register then what????..are you sent to a war??? if there is any???.......from this point of view the only right that an illegal has is to die for this country....you spent 2 years abroad...how will you get paid???...will the same goverment pay and illegal alien?????.......you are lucky enought, and dont get killed.....how will you entered us againg been illegal???....all this is very confussing..perhaps the military have their own rules i know they are a goverment appart .....or by any special rule they can give you your permanent resident , i know that happens with citizenship

those are all very good questions

[hilarya]

would it be best to write the letter stating that you didn't know about the requirement and advising that my hubby's gc was issues after he had already turned 26, and it wasn't until then that we found out about the requirement.

[jsierra1982]

don't you just love how they capture and deport illegal aliens, but supposedly they have to sign up to get shipped to war? so they have no rights but they have obligations? give them some rights in return for registering for selective service.

my husband was granted his residency on 9/4 of this year and turned 26 on 10/12...and we STILL had to register. i'm actually kind of concerned because we didn't get a confirmation card...

[tropical88]

Hubby is 24 so he will (God-willing) have a GC by the time he is 26, so should he register now or wait until he has the GC?

[MendozaQH]

I thought all people who enter as a resident 18-25 were automatically registered upon entry.......I think Laurel stated that in a chat.

[iagarcia2004]

Hubby is 24 so he will (God-willing) have a GC by the time he is 26, so should he register now or wait until he has the GC?

He should register now because to show good citizenship when he fills out his N400 he will need show he was registered for Selective Service even though he was not a legal resident.

[jsierra1982]

I thought all people who enter as a resident 18-25 were automatically registered upon entry.......I think Laurel stated that in a chat.

my husband was not entered automatically, nor was someone else i had this conversation with--i think it might have been salsa.

[MendozaQH]

my husband was not entered automatically, nor was someone else i had this conversation with--i think it might have been salsa.

How can you tell if they have been automatically registered? Not that it matters for my husband since he entered when he was almost 27, but just curious.

[hilarya]

my hubs turned 27 the same day we got gc. i don't know what to do. do i send a letter saying that we didn't know?

[MendozaQH]

my hubs turned 27 the same day we got gc. i don't know what to do. do i send a letter saying that we didn't know?

You know, it is not really that big of a problem....... so my husband was almost 27 when he entered the US as a resident. the earliest he could apply for citizenship is at the age of 30. The N-400 are taking forever, isn't there like a 18 month delay or something?, so by the time they get to my husband's interview, he will probably be 31, so that is sufficient time to have lapsed for the "5 year good resident" requirement. You should be fine too hilary, if you get the interview sooner, you may just have to wait an extra year, possibly.....

[jsierra1982]

How can you tell if they have been automatically registered? Not that it matters for my husband since he entered when he was almost 27, but just curious.

well you get a card in the mail saying you have been registered once you are registered, no matter how you get registered--the card is an official document and you're supposed to keep it forever. we definitely didn't get one (and we sent in a registration card later anyway) and i guess whoever else has been admitted as a resident can tell you if they got a registration card also.

[R&E]

My husband EWI in Jan 2000 at age 23
Received his K-3 Visa in Nov 2007 at age 31
Received his Green Card in Sept 2008 at age 31
He Turned 32 Last Friday 10/24.
He never signed up for selective services so are we ok?
From what I have read he is aged out Correct?
It will be September 2011 before he can apply for citizenship and he will be 34 getting ready to turn 35. Will he have to also prove he knew nothing about it? I'm alot confused on this.

[hilarya]

You know, it is not really that big of a problem....... so my husband was almost 27 when he entered the US as a resident. the earliest he could apply for citizenship is at the age of 30. The N-400 are taking forever, isn't there like a 18 month delay or something?, so by the time they get to my husband's interview, he will probably be 31, so that is sufficient time to have lapsed for the "5 year good resident" requirement. You should be fine too hilary, if you get the interview sooner, you may just have to wait an extra year, possibly.....

thanks :)

[gatita]

Hubby is 24 so he will (God-willing) have a GC by the time he is 26, so should he register now or wait until he has the GC?

Just go down to you local post office. Ask for a registration card, fill it out, and send it in. As of last spring, you couldn't do it on the web site without a ss number. We did it last spring, got the confirmation, and no one came knocking, so I think you will be fine.