<p>I'll be 18 when I finish school in 2 years time. I'm doing the International Baccalaureate.
So, I planned ahead a little bit (and still am) on which universities I would like to visit (and what to major in, but I'm still working on that issue)... the USMA clearly came out on first place.</p>
<p>Now, I'm German. That isn't a bad thing, but since you have to be a US citizen to gain an admission, this may pose a problem.
How do I fix it? Do I apply for a greencard for the US? Or do I participate in the International Cadet Program of the USMA?</p>
<p>Next, I have to be sponsored by a governmental official. I presume that this means that I have to send a letter regarding my nomination to, for instance, a president of one of the states of Germany (sort of like the US governors)? Or a member of parliament? And what is an alternate nomination? I hear you can still gain entry to West Point with one...</p>
<p>Third, should I participate in the International Cadet Program, get an admission for West Point and graduate, I am to be enlist in my country's armed forces. In my case, the Bundeswehr. However, I want to be enlisted in the US Army, because I know that you can't join the US armed forces (is it Armed Forces or armed forces?) if you already served in another army. Is there any way in this case where I can avoid this being subscripted into the Bundeswehr? With or without giving up my German citizenship? And by the way, since only US citizens can become officers in the US military (which is logical)... Is a cadet counted as being in the Army when he/she is at West Point, meaning that the naturalization process will only take 3 years (not sure about this)? Or still 5?</p>
<p>Anyway, that's it for now. More to follow should I have any more questions.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance for answering my questions. :D</p>
<p>To apply to West Point from the US, you have to be a US citizen - a green card (permanant residence) is not sufficient. The process to become a citizen is a long one. One way to speed up the process is to enlist in the US army and apply for citizenship. Once you have citizenship you can seek admission to West Point.</p>
<p>It is my understanding that international cadets attend West Point by special agreement between the foreign government and the US military, with the understanding that the cadet is being trained to be an officer in the foreign country's army. I do not believe that foreign cadets can be commisioned into the US Army.</p>
<p>Citizenship timelines: I believe you have to have your green card for 5 years before you can apply for citizenship. Depending on the area you live it usually takes at least a year for citizenship to become final. If you do not yet have a green card, that process can take up to 18 months. The road to naturalisation is a long one...Contact your local BCIS office for more accurate advice.</p>
<p>These are great questions and they don't come up very often. I understand - but do not know for sure - that the International Cadet program is very small and that these are individuals sponsored by their own country. Their country also pays for them to attend WP, which makes it quite a commitment. By allowing the foreign students to attend WP than can return to their own countries with a strong background in leadership as well as a commitment to the ideals of duty and honor. </p>
<p>First, I would suggest contacting West Point Admissions to find out the exact criteria they use. </p>
<p>Second, as the opportunity to enter the International program is so limited, you may want to consider civilian U.S. colleges and entry into ROTC, if it is possible.</p>
<p>Third, if you are interested in serving in the U.S. Army, is there a way to begin the process towards citizenship. Would you immigrate? Is that even a possibility? </p>
<p>I understand that the Army has non-citizen soldiers. </p>
<p>I think you have a long haul ahead of you and wish you luck. West Point is the place to go for the real answers.</p>
<p>freedon: I wish we had as many Americans who sound as interested as you. Good luck in your effort. I suspect that the German Army has to sponsor you to be in the International Cadet program - so your first step might be to contact the Bundeswehr headquarters. You would probably have to serve your time in the Bundeswehr. My hope would be that by the time your serve your commitment, your country and ours will have repaired the damage done by Chancellor Schroeder and we will be close allies again. And Germany, recognizing the dangers in today's world, will give the Bundeswehr a more prominent role.</p>
<p>You could apply through the international student option...but in my case, I'm applying to the USNA without a citizenship yet. I just turned 18 last December and turned in all forms ASAP and notified the Congressional offices and USNA that I do not have a citizenship yet, but I'm a permanent resident who should be getting one definitely before the induction day. I think it definitely counted against me when 2 congressional sources called me and asked me about citizenship and I gave them the best answer I could, only to find rejection envelopes the VERY next day. I gave interviews and everything... It's definitely better to apply AS a citizen or else this issue can be a major pain.</p>
<p>I am currently a soldier deployed in Iraq. I applaud your desire serve. You mentioned that one cannot enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces after serving in a foreign military. This is untrue. I have served alongside veterans of the Korean, Romanian and British armies. I think that there are probably a few German veterans in our ranks as well. However, if your goal is to attend to West Point and be commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army, I think it is probably best for you to enlist first. There are a number of American bases in Germany with recruiting centers that will be able to answer your questions face-to-face.</p>
<p>If you decide instead to try and attend the USMA and be commissioned in the German Army, we will look forward to working with you as a future coalition partner. Working with foreign allies is one of the great blessings we are afforded as members of the U.S. Military.</p>