U.S. immigrants are required by law to register with the Selective Service System.
NOTE: Registering with Selective Service is not signing up for the Armed Services. The Selective Service System is not part of the Department of Defense.
Immigrant Men Are Required to Register
With very few exceptions, all immigrant males between ages 18 and 25 are required by law to register with the Selective Service System (SSS) within 30 days of arriving in the United States. This includes naturalized citizens, parolees, undocumented immigrants, legal permanent residents, asylum seekers, refugees, and all males with visas more than 30 days expired.
Non-Immigrant Foreigners
Non-immigrant men living in the United States on a valid visa are not required to register for as long as they remain on a valid visa up until they turn 26. If you have received a letter from us requesting that you register, please send us copies of supporting documentation to show you are exempt.
Men 26+
Once a man turns 26, he is no longer able to register with the Selective Service System. If you entered the U.S. prior to turning 26, but are now 26 or older, and have not registered, learn more here.
Men 31+
Immigrant men who are 31 or older who are seeking naturalization and who did not register are no longer required to provide a “status information letter” or documentation of their status from Selective Service. If asked for a status information letter, you may print a form letter concerning their request for a letter for use with USCIS.
Registering Without a Social Security Number
If you do not have a social security number, you can visit your local post office to pick up a form or download it here. Please mail your form to:
Selective Service System
P.O. Box 94739
Palatine, IL 60094-4739
Updating Your Information
To correct or provide your social security number or update other personal information, please call us at 847-688-6888 for assistance.
You are required to notify us of an address change within 10 days of moving, up until January 1st of the year you turn 26 years old. Men are no longer required to notify Selective Service of address changes once they are 26 years old or older.
Undocumented Immigrants
We do not now, or in the past, collect or share any information which would indicate a man’s immigration status, either documented or undocumented. Selective Service has no authority to collect such information, has no use for it, and it is irrelevant to the registration requirement. Consequently, there is no immigration data to share with anyone.
