The Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest Program, or “MAVNI,” is a program that authorizes various branches of the military to recruit individuals with legal immigration status. Such individuals must possess skills considered to be “vital to the national interest” or otherwise critical to the military. MAVNI expressly provides eligibility for certain health care professionals in areas where the military has a need for more recruits and individuals with special language and cultural backgrounds.
The MAVNI program was initially created in 2008 and could accept a maximum of 1,000 recruits. In 2012 the program was revised and the cap was raised to 1,500 recruits. Now, the program will be increased to accommodate 3,000 recruits in 2015 and 5,000 recruits in 2016. DACA recipients are explicitly deemed eligible to apply.
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, non-citizens who serve honorably in the United States military on or after September 11, 2001 during periods of hostilities are eligible to immediately file for citizenship. Non-citizens who serve honorably in the U.S. military in times of peace may qualify for United States citizenship after serving honorably in the armed forces for at least one year while having lawful permanent resident status.