MILITARY ACCESSIONS VITAL TO NATIONAL INTEREST (MAVNI)

RECRUITMENT PILOT

The Secretary of Defense authorized the military services to recruit certain legal aliens whose skills are considered to be vital to the national interest.   Those holding critical skills – physicians, nurses, and certain experts in language with associated cultural backgrounds – would be eligible. To determine its value in enhancing military readiness, the limited pilot program will recruit up to 1,000 people, and will continue for a period of up to 12 months.

ELIGIBILITY 

1. The applicant must be in one of the following categories at time of enlistment 

a. asylee, refugee, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), or 

b. nonimmigrant categories E, F, H, I, J, K, L, M, O, P, Q, R, S, T, TC, TD, TN, U, or V

2. The applicant must have been in valid status in one of those categories
for at least two years immediately prior to the enlistment date, but it does not have to be the same category as the one held on the date of enlistment; and 

3. An applicant who may be eligible on the basis of a nonimmigrant category at time of enlistment (see 1b above) must not have had any single absence from the United States of more than 90 days during the two-year period immediately preceding the date of enlistment.

Health Care Professionals

• Applicants must fill medical specialties where the service has a shortfall

• Applicants must meet all qualification criteria required for their medical specialty, and the criteria for foreign-trained DoD medical personnel recruited under other authorities

• Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in English 

• Applicants must commit to at least 3 years of active duty, or six years in the Selected Reserve.

Enlisted Individuals with Special Language and Culture Backgrounds

• Applicants must possess specific language and culture capabilities in a language critical to DoD

• Applicants must demonstrate a language proficiency 

• Applicants must meet all existing enlistment eligibility criteria

• Applicants must enlist for at least 4 years of active duty

A. Citizenship Can Be Revoked If a MAVNI Enlistee Fails to Complete His or Her Enlistment.

MAVNI enlistees are not eligible for US citizenship under the regular naturalization statutes; because they do not have Lawful Permanent Residence (LPR) status, they are only eligible to apply for US citizenship under the wartime military naturalization statute.  This statute allows for revocation of US citizenship if the enlistee does not complete five years of honorable military service. ¹  Thus, MAVNI health care professionals who enlist for a three-year active duty term must also complete at least two years of honorable service in the Individual Ready Reserve, or they may face revocation of their citizenship. If a MAVNI enlistee fails to become a US citizen, or has his or her citizenship revoked, the immigration consequences could be very serious.  Answering detailed questions about the immigration consequences of an unfavorable military discharge is beyond the scope of this FAQ. If you are concerned about these issues, consult an experienced immigration attorney for details.

 **Benefits only for Amry Reserve(Selected Reserve), But The Reserve Option Is Only Open To Qualified Doctors Or Nurses, where you can continue your civilian job, college.....and have to attend Unit Training Assemblies (“drills”), which are typically held once each month and also expected to perform at least two weeks of Annual Training each year.