Permanent Resident with BSN Degree joining Army/Navy/AF

[jomsRN]

Hi, I am currently a permanent resident and I was thinking about joining the military as a Registered Nurse. I currently have a bachelors degree in nursing and licensed in a few states here in the US. From what i heard, green card holders has no way of being an officer even with the bachelors degree. And being enlisted you cannot choose nursing as your first job unless you become a US citizen and go officer training to be a part of the nursing corps. So here are my questions:

1. What branch of the military would be best for a nurse?

2. If I join now as enlisted, how long will it take to get my citizenship. To go for officer training? According to an AF recruiter, after passing all requirements and swearing an oath, I can apply for my citizenship fast track and as soon as I finish boot camp ill be a citizen and go straight officer training. Was that a lie?

3. Wouldn't it really matter even if I have a bachelors degree just because im not a citizen yet? And that I can't be an officer?

Please help me decide what to do. I really wanted to join the service as a military nurse ..

Thank you I will highly alyppreciate all responses.

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

If you really want to be a nurse in the military, you need to get your citizenship worked out and then join as an officer, not go enlisted and try to work your way up. The nurse corps is pretty full right now and you've got a better chance of getting in if you go at it directly. The enlisted route will probably get you tangled in technicalities, delays and probably deployments before you can get to where you want to be.

[jomsRN]

If you really want to be a nurse in the military, you need to get your citizenship worked out and then join as an officer, not go enlisted and try to work your way up. The nurse corps is pretty full right now and you've got a better chance of getting in if you go at it directly. The enlisted route will probably get you tangled in technicalities, delays and probably deployments before you can get to where you want to be.

So it's not advisable to join military as enlister? Coz im 2.5years away from citizenship. But I wanted to start already. Wont they reconsider ranking after I get my citizenship while on service? What other options do I have? Thank you

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

If you want to be a nurse in the military, no, I wouldn't recommend you join as an enlistee. I know a young man who came in enlisted, who has a bachelor's degree who is now a citizen and he's still enlisted, struggling to get to the officer's side of the house despite his degree. If that's what you want to do, then go for it, but if you want to be a nurse, you'll be wise to wait.