Yes. Lawful permanent residents (green card holders) are eligible to enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces. Some branches also have special programs for certain non-citizens with critical skills.

No. You must wait until you receive your physical green card. Asylum status alone — whether pending or granted — does not make you eligible to enlist. Only lawful permanent residents (green card holders) or U.S. citizens can join.

Expedited U.S. citizenship Guaranteed paycheck and benefits Free or low-cost healthcare Education and housing assistance Career training and job skills Retirement savings and pensions

Yes. US service members can apply for expedited U.S. citizenship through military service under special immigration laws.

Yes. Military service provides benefits for spouses and children, such as healthcare (TRICARE), housing allowances, educational support (GI Bill), and access to military installations.

No. Some jobs (especially those involving national security) are restricted to U.S. citizens. Green card holders will have a more limited list of available jobs.

It depends on whether you join full-time or part-time. If you join full-time active duty, you typically work 5 days a week (just like a civilian full-time job) and your initial service commitment is usually 4 to 6 years after training. If you join the Reserves or National Guard, you usually serve only 2 days a month (for monthly drill weekends) and 14 days a year (for annual training), and your contract is typically 6 years part-time.

The minimum ASVAB score depends on the branch you are applying for. Generally: Army: Minimum AFQT score of 31 Navy: Minimum AFQT score of 31 Marine Corps: Minimum AFQT score of 31 Air Force: Minimum AFQT score of 36 Coast Guard: Minimum AFQT score of 36 (AFQT stands for Armed Forces Qualification Test, a part of the ASVAB.) Note: Higher scores open up more job options. Some jobs require much higher scores.