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Army withholds honorable service certification (required for naturalization) from soldiers who have not yet completed Initial Entry Training

  1. Original Date Announced

    August 17, 2017

    Noncitizens in the Army Reserve may no longer naturalize under INA § 329 until after they complete Initial Entry Training.

    [ID #608]

    Department of Army Memorandum: Certification of Honorable Service Pursuant to 8 USC 1440
  2. Effective Date

    August 17, 2017
  3. Subsequent Trump and Court Action(s)

    • August 25, 2020

      Samma v. DOD

      Summary judgment in Samma v. DOD case held DOD's Minimum Service Requirement for certification of N-426's is unlawful. DOD's N-426 policy had superseded the August 2017 memo re Initial Entry Training requirement for reservists.

      **Litigation is listed for informational purposes and is not comprehensive. For the current status of legal challenges, check other sources.**

      View Document

Current Status

Not in effect

Original Trump Policy Status

Trump Administration Action: Change in Practice
Subject Matter: Citizenship
Agencies Affected: DOD

Pre Trump-Era Policies

To provide information, corrections, or feedback, please email IPTP.feedback@gmail.com

To provide information, corrections, or feedback, please email IPTP.feedback@gmail.com