Who has to register with Selective Service?
All men between the ages of 18 through 25 physically present in the United States, with the exception of those on a temporary visa, must register for Selective Service. Applicants for Naturalization must demonstrate good moral character for at least the five years prior to the filing of the naturalization application. Failure to register for Selective Service may indicate a lack of good moral character and an application for Naturalization may be denied on that basis.

What is Selective Service?
Selective Service is not a draft for the military. Registration is the way our government keeps a list of names of men from which to draw in case of a national emergency requiring rapid expansion of our Armed Forces. If there were a draft, it would first need to be authorized by Congress and the President of the United States. Then there would be a lottery to determine the sequence for selecting registrants for examination and induction, beginning with men whose 20th birthday falls within the current calendar year. Each person would be then sent orders for examination to ensure physical and mental fitness for military service.

To register for Selective Service or check to see if you are already registered, please visit the links page in the JFCS New Americans Online Resource Library. To visit the library, click here.

Alternatively, you may either go to the U.S. Post Office and fill out a registration form or call 847/688-6888.