Selective Service Registeration Question

[Canadianmade 1]

Hey Vj members, I have a question to ask you all. I just found out this morning by bumping into a thread in here, that if you are between the ages of 18, but not yet 26 you have to register for Selective Service, is this true? I am 26yrs old, and I filed for my AOS in Oct 27 2008, so I was already 26, so do I have to register with selective service? I adjusted through a visitor visa, and I recently got my SSN, EAD and temp drivers license, so what do I do? My interview is next week Tuesday, and I heard that if you dont register, you will not be eligible to apply for citizenship, financial aid and all other types of government privilages.

Thank you guys in advance.

[JeremyR 8]

I believe that if the resident since date on your GC is on or after your 26th birthday, then no you do not. If it's before then yes you do. Obviously yours will be dated after your 26th so no worries.

[jhunjhun 7]

Hey Vj members, I have a question to ask you all. I just found out this morning by bumping into a thread in here, that if you are between the ages of 18, but not yet 26 you have to register for Selective Service, is this true? I am 26yrs old, and I filed for my AOS in Oct 27 2008, so I was already 26, so do I have to register with selective service? I adjusted through a visitor visa, and I recently got my SSN, EAD and temp drivers license, so what do I do? My interview is next week Tuesday, and I heard that if you dont register, you will not be eligible to apply for citizenship, financial aid and all other types of government privilages.

Thank you guys in advance.

Hello my friend.....two weeks ago I received a letter from SSS stating that I was registered to their system......I believe, USCIS transfered our information to SSS if they believe that the person is between the age of 18 to 25.....

"If you are a male at least 18 years old, but not yet 26 years old, and required according to the Military Selective Service Act to register with the Selective Service System, USCIS will help you register.

When your signed application is filed and accepted by USCIS, we will transmit to the Selective Service System your name, current address, Social Security number, date of birth, and the date you filed the application. This action will enable the Selective Service System to record your registration as of the filing date of your application.

Hope that helps my friend!

Edited January 27, 2009 by jhunjhun

[Canadianmade 1]

I believe that if the resident since date on your GC is on or after your 26th birthday, then no you do not. If it's before then yes you do. Obviously yours will be dated after your 26th so no worries.

Hey JeremyR thank you for the info my friend, I was abit nervous this morning finding out about select services, I had no clue.

[Canadianmade 1]

Hey Vj members, I have a question to ask you all. I just found out this morning by bumping into a thread in here, that if you are between the ages of 18, but not yet 26 you have to register for Selective Service, is this true? I am 26yrs old, and I filed for my AOS in Oct 27 2008, so I was already 26, so do I have to register with selective service? I adjusted through a visitor visa, and I recently got my SSN, EAD and temp drivers license, so what do I do? My interview is next week Tuesday, and I heard that if you dont register, you will not be eligible to apply for citizenship, financial aid and all other types of government privilages.

Thank you guys in advance.

Hello my friend.....two weeks ago I received a letter from SSS stating that I was registered to their system......I believe, USCIS transfered our information to SSS if they believe that the person is between the age of 18 to 25.....

"If you are a male at least 18 years old, but not yet 26 years old, and required according to the Military Selective Service Act to register with the Selective Service System, USCIS will help you register.

When your signed application is filed and accepted by USCIS, we will transmit to the Selective Service System your name, current address, Social Security number, date of birth, and the date you filed the application. This action will enable the Selective Service System to record your registration as of the filing date of your application.

Hope that helps my friend!

Hey jhunjhun how is it going? Thank you for the info and it sure does feel good to find out the info. I didnt get a letter from SSS so I guess I dont have to register with them, phew, I was nervous about it at first.

[payxibka 10,044]

I believe that if the resident since date on your GC is on or after your 26th birthday, then no you do not. If it's before then yes you do. Obviously yours will be dated after your 26th so no worries.

NO.... greencard is NOT the determinant factor but simply living in the US

From the Selective Service Website

ATTENTION, UNDOCUMENTED MALES

& IMMIGRANT SERVICING GROUPS!

If you are a man ages 18 through 25 and living in the U.S., then you must register with Selective Service. It’s the law. You can register at any U.S. Post Office and do not need a social security number. When you do obtain a social security number, let Selective Service know. Provide a copy of your new social security number card; being sure to include your complete name, date of birth, Selective Service registration number, and current mailing address; and mail to the Selective Service System, P.O. Box 94636, Palatine, IL 60094-4636.

[JeremyR 8]

NO.... greencard is NOT the determinant factor but simply living in the US

<sigh> Every time I think I have this straight in my head, someone comes along and says something different . The 'who must register' PDF document on their website says that "lawful non-immigrants on visas" are not required to register and that "permanent resident aliens" must if they're in the age range and male. Given that the OP came in on a tourist visa and filed AOS after their 26th birthday, surely they don't have to register?

Getting a straight answer on the matter of the SSS seems impossible - another thread I was reading yesterday mentioned that when someone phoned up the SSS helpline, even they couldn't give a straight answer as to exactly when they consider you to be 'resident'.

How is the quote about undocumented males relevant? How can you be undocumented if you entered with a visa (assuming no overstay, of course)?

[payxibka 10,044]

How is the quote about undocumented males relevant? How can you be undocumented if you entered with a visa (assuming no overstay, of course)?

the requirement for undocumented males is no different than documented... it is my read that if they require undocumented to register, they certainly will expect the same for documented..

If you have an unexpired I-94 you are exempt.....

Edited January 27, 2009 by payxibka

[KJC 1]

Today I received an email from someone with the SSS, here is part of it:

"...you were beyond 26 years of age when you first entered the U.S. as an "immigrant", even though you could not have registered, or if you just failed to register with the Selective Service System in compliance with Federal law, you will still need to obtain a Status Information Letter {http://www.sss.gov/instructions.html} to use to obtain any benefit or program connected to the registration requirement..."

Again, they don't really define what an "immigrant" is (GC and after, or does someone on an I-94 count?) so it still doesn't answer if my husband and others here should have registered before GC, however that seems to imply that even if we didn't need to we'll still need to get a letter from SSS to get citizenship, a government job, federal aid, et al.

I still haven't been able to call USCIS, but I'll let you all know what they say when I do. Again, the wording on the AOS seems like that totally covers SSS registration, but that wouldn't make sense if you're required to register before GC. Also all the explains of "lawful non immigrants" are temporary situations, but so much of this infomation contradicts itself.

[KJC 1]

Ok,

I have roughly this figured out. I spoke with someone from the SSS and while she wasn't sure, she believed that despite being on the I-94, once my husband and I were married that changed his status and that greencard has nothing to do with it. That is what the other guy told me too. Hopefully we'll be OK come citizenship time (see N-400 section G) with the status letter and an explanation of why we didn't register (didn't know and only had a month to figure it out before too late!). If marriage really does change your status you'd think there would be more information about it, I guess it all comes down to the definition of "lawful nonimmigrant".

I really thought it wasn't until after greencard, and http://www.visajourney.com/faq/k1k2visa-enter.html question 5.11 says that as well. I'm hoping that the approved-AOS SSS registration will come through in the next couple days, but maybe not because he is now 26. Or maybe the status letter will come back saying he didn't need to register after all.

Basically, from the mess I've been through in the last couple days and the extra work and stress we'll have to deal with when we apply for citizenship (or a government job, fed aid, etc) I'd definitely suggest applying for SSS registration if you're still 25. Less work to do, although who knows if it is actually correct or not.

[JeremyR 8]

Basically, from the mess I've been through in the last couple days and the extra work and stress we'll have to deal with when we apply for citizenship (or a government job, fed aid, etc) I'd definitely suggest applying for SSS registration if you're still 25. Less work to do, although who knows if it is actually correct or not.

Thanks for your hard work trying to clear this mess up!

Clearly the SSS need to respond to the inconsistencies between their rules and the reality of the immigration system, particularly the matter of when a K-1 becomes a resident...

Of course, all this would be moot if USCIS were doing their job and submitting registrations for AOS applicants on acceptance:

"When your signed [i-485] application is filed and accepted by USCIS, we will transmit to the Selective Service System your name, current address, Social Security number, date of birth, and the date you filed the application. This action will enable the Selective Service System to record your registration as of the filing date of your application."

But if they were doing that, we'd have all received the confirmation card in the mail, wouldn't we? I certainly didn't get one...

[KJC 1]

I don't know, I read the AOS as saying that they'd transfer the information to the SSS AFTER you're approved (edit: and who knows how long that take for them to do that), seeing how they say you need to do it on your own if you're not. But if if post-marriage K1s need to apply anyway, why do they even bother transfering files afterwards and instead put a sentence or two reminding you to apply? Especially if it is dangerously close to your 26th birthday.

Edited January 28, 2009 by KJC

[JeremyR 8]

I don't know, I read the AOS as saying that they'd transfer the information to the SSS AFTER you're approved (edit: and who knows how long that take for them to do that), seeing how they say you need to do it on your own if you're not.

USCIS uses the word "accepted" rather than "approved" (page 8 of the I-485 instructions) so it should be done as soon as they receive it and send out your NOA1.

[JeremyR 8]

Bump!

Ok, so here's what I've learned through trial and error. I decided just after my earlier posts in this thread to cover my backside and try and find out what I was supposed to do. I attempted to call them but after spending an hour on hold (at long distance rates ) I hung up. Next I tried to register myself on their website as soon as I got my SSN. My application was rejected because it said my SSN was "invalid". I assumed that meant because it was newly issued, the SSS couldn't be verified yet. The website instructed me to fill out a paper application and mail that, which I did. I did NOT receive anything back from Selective Service after doing that in late January. It says it can take 90 days to receive the card but I don't believe it would take that long.

My green card was approved on March 18th and this morning in the mail, low and behold there's a letter from the SSS thanking me for registering. The "Last Action Date" shown on the registration card is... yes, you guessed it, March 18th 2009. So yes USCIS do properly forward your details to the Selective Service System but only when you become a permanent resident. If USCIS think that's when registration is required, that's good enough for me

[jhunjhun 7]

Bump!

Ok, so here's what I've learned through trial and error. I decided just after my earlier posts in this thread to cover my backside and try and find out what I was supposed to do. I attempted to call them but after spending an hour on hold (at long distance rates ) I hung up. Next I tried to register myself on their website as soon as I got my SSN. My application was rejected because it said my SSN was "invalid". I assumed that meant because it was newly issued, the SSS couldn't be verified yet. The website instructed me to fill out a paper application and mail that, which I did. I did NOT receive anything back from Selective Service after doing that in late January. It says it can take 90 days to receive the card but I don't believe it would take that long.

My green card was approved on March 18th and this morning in the mail, low and behold there's a letter from the SSS thanking me for registering. The "Last Action Date" shown on the registration card is... yes, you guessed it, March 18th 2009. So yes USCIS do properly forward your details to the Selective Service System but only when you become a permanent resident. If USCIS think that's when registration is required, that's good enough for me

Very interesting.....hmmmm...... Anyways, my personal info has been forwarded by USCIS to SSS last year. I received a letter from SSS thanking me for registering and was dated on December 31, 2008. Note: "That time my application was still pending". When I got my SSN last month, I phoned them to update my profile and last week I received another letter from SSS thanking me for registering with my SSN with it.