Department of Defense is recruiting individuals vital to the national interest who are in nonimmigrant status
Apparently due to a shortage of skilled medical and language professionals in the armed forces, the Department of Defense ("DoD"), is recruiting individuals who have critical skills to the military. The critical skills include: doctors, nurses, and "certain experts in language with associated cultural backgrounds." They have identified 35 languages which are considered "vital to the DoD." The Department of Defense is running this program for a year and hopes to recruit 1000 people.
In order to be eligible for the program, an applicant must:
1. Be in one of the following categories at the time of enlistment:
a. refugee, asylee, Temporary Protected Status ("TPS") or
b. in one of the nonimmigrant categoreis: E, F, H, I, J, K, L, M, O, P, Q, R, S, T, TC, TD,
TN, U, or V.
2. Have been in one of the above categories for two years prior to the enlistment but does not
need to be in the same category in the present time;
3. Not have had a single absence from the U.S. more than 90 days during the two years
prior to the enlistment date.
There are additional requirements specific to health care professionals and people with language abilities. For more information on this pilot program, you may read the Department of Defense Fact Sheet.
The DOD notes that members of the Armed Forces are eligible for expedited citizenship under a July 2002 Executive Order. Thus, the possibility of citizenship is the carrot which the DOD is using with the hope that it will lure foreign nationals to the armed services.
