NATS Act

To establish a naturalization office at every initial military training site. 1. Short Title This Act may be cited as the Naturalization At Training Sites Act of 2017 NATS Act 2. Establishment and Use of Naturalization Offices at Initial Military Training Sites (a) Definitions In this Act, the term Secretary concerned (b) In general Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard, shall establish a naturalization office at each initial military training site of the Armed Forces under the jurisdiction of the respective Secretary. (c) Outreach In coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, each Secretary concerned shall, to the maximum extent practicable— (1) identify each member of the Armed Forces overseen by such Secretary who is not a citizen of the United States; (2) inform each noncitizen member of the Armed Forces overseen by such Secretary about— (A) the existence of a naturalization office at each initial military training site; (B) the continuous availability of each naturalization office throughout the career of a member of the Armed Forces to— (i) evaluate the extent to which a noncitizen member of the Armed Forces is eligible to become a naturalized citizen; and (ii) assess the suitability for citizenship of a noncitizen member of the Armed Forces; (C) each potential pathway to citizenship; (D) each service a naturalization office provides; (E) the required length of service to obtain citizenship during— (i) peacetime; and (ii) a period of hostility; and (F) the application process for citizenship, including— (i) details of the application process; (ii) required application materials; (iii) requirements for a naturalization interview; and (iv) any other information required to become a citizen under the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1101 (d) Timing Each Secretary concerned shall complete the notifications required under subsection (c)— (1) during every stage of basic training; (2) during training for any military occupational specialty; (3) at each school of professional military education; (4) upon each transfer of a duty station; and (5) at any other time determined appropriate by the Secretary concerned. (e) Trained personnel (1) Availability Each Secretary concerned shall retain trained personnel at a naturalization office at every initial military training site to provide appropriate services to every member of the Armed Forces who is not a citizen of the United States. (2) Training All personnel retained under paragraph (1) shall be familiar with— (A) the special provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1101 (B) the application process for naturalization and associated application materials; and (C) the naturalization process administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. (f) Assignment preference The Secretary concerned, to the extent practicable, shall assign each new member of the Armed Forces who is not a citizen of the United States to an initial military training site that has a naturalization office. (g) Reporting requirement The Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services shall annually publish, on a publicly accessible website— (1) the number of members of the Armed Forces who became naturalized United States citizens during the most recent year for which data is available, categorized by country in which the naturalization ceremony took place; (2) the number of Armed Forces member's children who became naturalized United States citizens during the most recent year for which data is available, categorized by country in which the naturalization ceremony took place; and (3) the number of Armed Forces member's spouses who became naturalized United States citizens during the most recent year for which data is available, categorized by country in which the naturalization ceremony took place. (h) Regulations Each Secretary concerned shall prescribe in regulation a definition of the term initial military training site

Summary: Naturalization at Training Sites Act of 2017 or the NATS Act This bill directs the Department of Defense, and the Department of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard, to establish a naturalization office with trained personnel at each initial military training site of the Armed Forces. Each military department concerned shall: (1) identify members of the Armed Forces who are not U.S. citizens and inform them of the availability of naturalization services at such offices, and (2) assign new non-citizen members of the Armed Forces to an initial military training site that has such an office. Naturalization notifications shall be completed: (1) during every stage of basic training, (2) during training for any military occupational specialty, (3) at each school of professional military education, (4) upon each duty station transfer, and (5) at any other time determined appropriate by the military department concerned. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services shall annually publish the number of members of the Armed Forces and their spouses and children who became naturalized U.S. citizens during the most recent year for which data is available, categorized by the country in which the naturalization ceremony took place.