Can I Not Register For Selective Service

Registering for the Selective Service

Themes/Topics: Law & Policy

Geography: National

Audience: Undocumented Youth

What is the Selective Service and practice I demand to register?

The Selective Service System (SSS) allows the federal regime to keep a list of all men or people assigned male at birth (AMAB) who would be bachelor to serve equally soldiers in the U.Southward. Armed Forces in the event that a mandatory draft became necessary. According to federal police, all men permanently living in the U.Southward., regardless of clearing status, between the ages of 18 and 26, must register for the Selective Service and should register within 30 days of their 18th birthday. A Social Security Number is non required to annals.

Preview of Selective Service registration form

It is of import to register for the Selective Service even if you are undocumented considering information technology could impact your hereafter application for citizenship. To acquire more nigh how and why failure to annals could negatively impact your citizenship application, come across this ILRC practice advisory.

Are there any risks in registering for Selective Service?

Registering for the SS does provide the federal government with your proper noun and accost, so the government can contact you in the event of a mandatory draft. However, at that place has non been any type of mandatory typhoon since the 1970s. This means that the SSS has never used those names to force people to fight with the U.S. Armed Forces. Still, all men or AMAB people within that historic period range are nonetheless required to register.

In regards to sharing someone's immigration status, the SSS states:

They have non now, nor in the past collected or shared whatsoever information which would indicate a man's immigration status, either documented or undocumented. The selective service organisation has no authority to collect such data, has no apply for it, and it is irrelevant to the registration requirement. Consequently, there is no immigration data to share with anyone.

How do I register?

Equally an undocumented male or AMAB person, you must register for Selective Service by mail. You lot should non endeavor to register online at the sss.gov website. Follow these steps instead:

Impress and fill out this printable postcard and mail it to the SSS. This postcard is available at your local U.S. Post Offices and at sss.gov. Exist sure to attach appropriate postage. When you mail the postcard, get a "proof of mailing" from the Postal service Office. That style, even if your menu gets lost or not properly added to the SSS, you tin can prove in a future citizenship application that you lot complied with the registration requirement. This will serve as proof that you sent in your Selective Service registration.

How long does the procedure take?

Selective Service registration processing takes one to ii months. It'south of import to begin the process as presently as possible after turning eighteen. Once you accept been successfully registered, the government will mail you lot a Selective Service Registration Card. If you practice not receive a card within that time frame, contact the SSS. Be certain to proceed a re-create of this card because y'all might be required to show it later.

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?

Y'all can verify that you successfully registered for the Selective Service past providing a copy of your Selective Service Registration Carte du jour.

If I annals for Selective Service, does that hateful I'one thousand eligible to serve in the U.Due south. Armed Forces?

The SSS does not determine whether a person is eligible to become a U.S. Military service member. Run into: usa.gov/join-military for details. By and large, merely U.S. Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (people with green cards) are allowed to serve in the U.Southward. military. In that location have been express exceptions to this rule, such as the MAVNI plan which is non currently agile. So even if there were a future draft from the SSS, there would have to be another change in law or policy to allow 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 you are a male or AMAB person who is 26 or older simply did not annals for the Selective Service, you are considered a "non-registrant." For more than information, go to sss.gov, select "Registration," then select " Men 26 and Older."

Registrants Under xviii

The SSS cannot accept a registration from anyone who is nether 18 years old. Therefore, students can wait until 30 days earlier their 18th birthday and mail in the Selective Service Registration Card.

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