Military members and their families
Service in the U.S. armed forces opens routes that are closed to everyone else: naturalisation after one year of peacetime service or immediately during a designated period of hostilities, with no filing fee; parole in place for immediate relatives who entered without inspection; and posthumous citizenship for those who die of service-connected injuries.
Para quién es. Current and former members of the U.S. armed forces, their spouses, parents and children, and the survivors of those who died in service.
Los formularios, en orden
- 1
Naturalise under INA 328 or 329
- 2
Request military parole in place for an immediate relative who entered without inspection
Parole in place cures the entry problem and can make adjustment of status possible.
- 3
Adjust status as the parolee relative
- 4
Apply for deferred action if parole in place is not the right fit
- 5
Seek posthumous citizenship for a service member who died of service-connected injury
Dónde suele fallar
- Parole in place is discretionary and has been granted less freely since 2025.
- A service member who naturalises under INA 329 can lose citizenship if separated other than honourably within five years.
- The military fee exemption for Form N-600 applies only to the service member, not to their children.
- Veterans who were removed before naturalising face a much harder route back.
Qué cambió en 2025 y 2026
- Parole in place processing lengthened from 4.5 months in FY 2025 to 12.5 months in FY 2026.
- Form N-426 has a 03/13/26 edition.
- Deferred action for military family members remains available but discretionary grants have narrowed.