Not a US citizen, still a Marine?

[Mwbk]

Hi there, my name is Mitchell. I am a 17 year old Highschool Grad. an i want to ask some questions to some Marine's.

Please forgive me if i started this topic in the wrong section.

As i said, i am a 17 year old Highschool Grad. born and raised in Holland. Nor do i feel Dutch or call this place ''Home''. I have had hopes to get far away from this country as possible since age 14. I have many reasons for that but thats a whole different story.

I graduated from my highschool in Holland on a good/high level (In Holland they have a different education system than USA so i don't know the exact levels.) + i am a certified car-mechanic. But deu to the recession etc. it was impossible for me to find a job in that section. So i went back to school for a year to get an even higher diploma. Then i started to look in as working for the Dutch Airforce as a F16 mechanic.

I applied, they tested me, i came up 1 point short. so i applied for a resit (My english is ok but i dont know the exact word for ''resit''?). So i did a ''resit'' and i passed. Then they told me the section i was applying(F16) for was full, so was the Helicopter section. All they had left over was Avionics (Electrics, aerodynamics). I am not certified for avionics nor does it seem the right job for me. And now i have 1 option left, and that is wait 2 years for the next time they are open for applies. yeah i could get a job for those 2 years and hope that i would fit in next time. but there is still a chance that i would have to wait ANOTHER 2 years.

That + me wanting to get the hell outoff this country. Is the reason i might want to join the US Marine's. Now here comes my question; Is it possible for a Non US citizen to apply for the Marine corps and eventually become a citizen of the United States of America?

Much respect all the way form this part of the world, Mitchell.

[Phantom Blooper]

Enlistment into the U.S. Marine Corps, or any branch of the U.S. military, by citizens of countries other than the United States is limited to those foreign nationals who are legally residing in the United States and possess an Immigration and Naturalization Service Alien Registration Card (INS Form I-151/551 — commonly known as a "Green Card"). Applicants must be between 17 and 35; meet the mental, moral, and physical standards for enlistment; and must speak, read and write English fluently.


Note: The U.S. military branches cannot assist foreign nationals in obtaining admittance into the United States. Questions concerning immigration to the United States should be asked of the U.S. Embassy. Only after immigration procedures are completed and an applicant is legally residing in the United States may an application for enlistment be accepted.

Furthermore, in order to be commissioned an officer in the U.S. Navy, one must be a native-born or naturalized United States citizen.

The U.S. government agency which is responsible for immigration and naturalization is the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. Their web site is at http://uscis.gov/graphics/index.htm


*** You may also want check with a recruiter on this site to see if your education is satisfactory for enlistment.

The are few recruiters here....

GyC

SaltyFungus

Do a search in the member list at the top of the home page and the then PM them with your question.

[tdrt]

I served with a couple non-US citizen Marines so it is possible. Just follow SSgt Blooper's advice. Let us know what happens.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

As SSgt B said.... The first hurdle is immigration. Once you do that, then you can work on attempting to enlist.

[Zulu 36]

Also, if you are interested in aviation fields, many of those require security clearances and you cannot get one unless you are a US citizen. However, there are other MOS choices available that do not require a security clearance that you can serve in while you work toward citizenship. Service in the US military will put you on a faster track toward citizenship.