Who Is Not Required To Register For The Selective Service

Registering for the Selective Service

Themes/Topics: Law & Policy

Geography: National

Audition: Undocumented Youth

What is the Selective Service and practise I need to register?

The Selective Service System (SSS) allows the federal government to keep a list of all men or people assigned male at birth (AMAB) who would be bachelor to serve as soldiers in the U.S. Armed Forces in the result that a mandatory draft became necessary. Co-ordinate to federal police force, all men permanently living in the U.South., regardless of immigration status, between the ages of 18 and 26, must annals for the Selective Service and should annals within 30 days of their 18th birthday. A Social Security Number is not required to annals.

Preview of Selective Service registration form

Information technology is of import to register for the Selective Service fifty-fifty if you lot are undocumented because it could affect your future application for citizenship. To learn more about how and why failure to annals could negatively bear upon your citizenship application, encounter this ILRC practise advisory.

Are there any risks in registering for Selective Service?

Registering for the SS does provide the federal government with your proper noun and address, so the regime can contact yous in the effect of a mandatory draft. However, there has not been any type of mandatory draft since the 1970s. This ways that the SSS has never used those names to force people to fight with the U.S. Armed Forces. Notwithstanding, all men or AMAB people within that age range are still required to register.

In regards to sharing someone's clearing condition, the SSS states:

They accept not now, nor in the past collected or shared any information which would indicate a man'southward immigration status, either documented or undocumented. The selective service system has no authority to collect such data, has no use for information technology, and it is irrelevant to the registration requirement. Consequently, there is no immigration data to share with anyone.

How do I register?

Every bit an undocumented male or AMAB person, yous must register for Selective Service by mail. You should non endeavour to register online at the sss.gov website. Follow these steps instead:

Impress and fill out this printable postcard and mail information technology to the SSS. This postcard is bachelor at your local U.S. Post Offices and at sss.gov. Be sure to adhere appropriate postage. When you postal service the postcard, go a "proof of mailing" from the Post Office. That way, even if your carte du jour gets lost or non properly added to the SSS, you can prove in a future citizenship awarding that you complied with the registration requirement. This will serve equally proof that you lot sent in your Selective Service registration.

How long does the process take?

Selective Service registration processing takes 1 to ii months. It'south important to begin the process equally shortly every bit possible after turning eighteen. Once you take been successfully registered, the government will post you a Selective Service Registration Card. If you practice non receive a card within that time frame, contact the SSS. Exist sure to keep a re-create of this bill of fare because you might be required to prove it afterwards.

Sample image showing registration acknowledgement of Selective Service registration. — Sample of Selective Service registration acknowledgement letter of the alphabet.

How do I provide proof that I registered for Selective Service?

You can verify that you successfully registered for the Selective Service by providing a copy of your Selective Service Registration Card.

If I register for Selective Service, does that mean I'm eligible to serve in the U.Due south. Armed Forces?

The SSS does not make up one's mind whether a person is eligible to become a U.Due south. Armed Forces service fellow member. See: u.s.a..gov/join-armed services for details. Generally, only U.S. Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (people with light-green cards) are allowed to serve in the U.South. military. In that location have been limited exceptions to this rule, such as the MAVNI programme which is not currently agile. So even if there were a futurity draft from the SSS, there would have to be some other change in constabulary or policy to let undocumented people to serve.

Registrants 26 and Older

The SSS cannot accept a registration from anyone who has already reached their 26th birthday. Therefore, if y'all are a male or AMAB person who is 26 or older simply did not register for the Selective Service, you are considered a "not-registrant." For more information, go to sss.gov, select "Registration," so select " Men 26 and Older."

Registrants Under xviii

The SSS cannot accept a registration from anyone who is under xviii years erstwhile. Therefore, students tin can wait until 30 days before their 18th birthday and mail in the Selective Service Registration Carte.

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