Not U.S Citizen. Job in the U.S?

[Jaddaa]

Hey!

First I wanted to be a Police Officer in the U.S but then you need to be a U.S Citizen. And it's hard to get a U.S Citizenship just like that. You have to live in the country for awhile.

So i was thinking, why not check out Firefighting? Sounds intersting, and that also something I could enjoy to job as.

So, finally, my question is:

Can you work as a Firefighter in the U.S if your not a U.S Citizen?
Because I've been reading on this forum for awhile and some state that you have to be a U.S Citizen, but when I look at NYFD's official site:

I just want to clear this out if you need to be a U.S Citizen or not.

I'm really sorry if this is the wrong place to post the topic, but I'm new here.

And thank you for reading my post. I hope someone can help me.

Thanks.

[alpha4]

i read someone where(forgot where), but he was a firefighter for awhile, and was just sworn in as a U.S. Citizen, so i don't think you do, but I'm sure there are other requirements.

[Geinandputitout]

for my career dept. you have to have a permanent resident status. I am not familiar enough with immigration laws to know what type of visa that is.

[BackstepFF]

You definitely have to be a lawful permanent resident of the US. Most fire departments require applicants to have US citizenship, there might be a few who don't, but I would venture a guess that they are few and far between.
Ironically, one place you don't have to be a US citizen to be a firefighter is in the US military. As a nice bonus, recent law changes make it easier for military members to become US citizens...you do want to become a US citizen, right? :)

[dday05]

You definitely have to be a lawful permanent resident of the US. Most fire departments require applicants to have US citizenship, there might be a few who don't, but I would venture a guess that they are few and far between.
Ironically, one place you don't have to be a US citizen to be a firefighter is in the US military. As a nice bonus, recent law changes make it easier for military members to become US citizens...you do want to become a US citizen, right? :)

Thats interesting!

[BFDNJFF]

I believe most you only need permanent legal status. Green Card. I worked in a Dept that had guys from England.

[SFDE37]

As we (Seattle) are close to the border, we have members that are Canadian citizens. So long as the applicant can legally work in the US they can be hired.

[AZFF25]

You will need to obtain a Resident Alien Card in order to work in the U.S. as a firefighter.

I work with a guy on my shift who was a Resident Alien. He was just sworn in as a U.S. Citizen 3 weeks ago.

[malana1]

We have a few canadians on my dept. who are not U.S citizens. While this rule would change form city to city, I doubt if many depts require citizenship. I don't think citizenship is even required for the military.

[Jaddaa]

@BackstepFF: Yes, I want to become a U.S Citizen :) Thanks, have to check it out!

@BFDNJFF: Thanks for the reply! Hope you are right. Have to contact the U.S Embassy and hear with them if it's hard and what it takes to get a green card.

@SFDE37: Thanks for the information! This is good :)

@AZFF25: Thanks! My smile just get biggger and bigger over here ;)

@malana1: Thanks! The military take in people with green cards. So you don't need to be a U.S Citizen.

Here where I am from we have a own Firefirghter Academy. Do you have that in the U.S to? Or do your fire department have your own academy?

Thanks so much for the help everyone! I really appreciate it!

[MalahatTwo7]

Jaddaa, not knowing what state/county you are in makes a "good answer" difficult. However, to try and help with one, I am a Canadian soldier on assignment to Washington, DC and I volunteer with a US (of course LOL) fire dept, Fairfax County, Virginia.

At the present time I am considered more a foreign diplolmat than an intended resident. However that being said, we also have a British citizen (well ok he was until about a year ago) when he got his US citizenship with the department and my station too. But he had been with the dept for about 3 years before hand.

[Jaddaa]

Thanks for the reply and information guys! I really aperriciate it! I see you are saying you only need as green card. That sound really good! :) My smile just get bigger and bigger. I'm going to talk to the U.S Embassy and hear with them how hard and what it takes to get a green card :)

And if I get in the U.S Military, as you stated BackstepFF you can apply to become a U.S Citizen.

Jaddaa, not knowing what state/county you are in makes a "good answer" difficult. However, to try and help with one, I am a Canadian soldier on assignment to Washington, DC and I volunteer with a US (of course LOL) fire dept, Fairfax County, Virginia.

At the present time I am considered more a foreign diplolmat than an intended resident. However that being said, we also have a British citizen (well ok he was until about a year ago) when he got his US citizenship with the department and my station too. But he had been with the dept for about 3 years before hand.

I'm from Norway. And we have a good relationship with the United States, so to get a green card may be easier.

Thanks for the information! My hope is getting bigger :) How long have you been working here in the U.S?

And I'm also wondering, here in my country we have like a own Firefighter Academy, do you have that in the U.S to? Or is like the Academy 'build in' to most of the city/departments?

Thanks all for the help!

[lexfd5]

And I'm also wondering, here in my country we have like a own Firefighter Academy, do you have that in the U.S to? Or is like the Academy 'build in' to most of the city/departments?

Thanks all for the help!

Depends on the size of the department. We LFD, KY run our own academy that meets the Commonwealth's standards for career firefighters (400 hours.) Plus some other stuff. I believe some of the smaller departments do some in-house training but may send them to the community college for further training to reach the 400 hours. Kentucky uses IFSAC for the standards (FF II for career and HazMat Ops.)

Hope this helps.

[Jaddaa]

Depends on the size of the department. We LFD, KY run our own academy that meets the Commonwealth's standards for career firefighters (400 hours.) Plus some other stuff. I believe some of the smaller departments do some in-house training but may send them to the community college for further training to reach the 400 hours. Kentucky uses IFSAC for the standards (FF II for career and HazMat Ops.)

Hope this helps.

Ok, thanks for the information. :) Because here we have like one big Academy that people all over the Country is being teached on. But ofcourse, the U.S is like 1000 times bigger so.

[AZFF25]

I believe the cost to obtain a Res Alien Card is around $1300 USD for all paperwork and processing fee's.

[closetkd]

I am a resident alien who has been a firefighter in the state of Florida for about eight years now. Getting resident alien status is not all that easy, as 12 million illegal aliens will attest to. The process is about to get turned on its head due to changes being pushed through the government as we speak. When I got out of the Canadian military I got my green card the old fashioned way, I got married. In florida most departments will hire you if you have permanent resident status. There is the odd one that requires citizenship, having looked at moving to Colorado and Washington State I can tell you that therre many more that require citizenship in those states.


Good Luck it won't be easy.

[Jaddaa]

I am a resident alien who has been a firefighter in the state of Florida for about eight years now. Getting resident alien status is not all that easy, as 12 million illegal aliens will attest to. The process is about to get turned on its head due to changes being pushed through the government as we speak. When I got out of the Canadian military I got my green card the old fashioned way, I got married. In florida most departments will hire you if you have permanent resident status. There is the odd one that requires citizenship, having looked at moving to Colorado and Washington State I can tell you that therre many more that require citizenship in those states.


Good Luck it won't be easy.

Hi and thanks for all the replies.

Yeah, it doesn't sound easy, but if you want something in you live, you'll try the best to get it. I will check out Florida to :)

Thanks for the information!

[MalahatTwo7]

Thanks for the reply and information guys! I really aperriciate it! I see you are saying you only need as green card. That sound really good! :) My smile just get bigger and bigger. I'm going to talk to the U.S Embassy and hear with them how hard and what it takes to get a green card :)

And if I get in the U.S Military, as you stated BackstepFF you can apply to become a U.S Citizen.



I'm from Norway. And we have a good relationship with the United States, so to get a green card may be easier.

Thanks for the information! My hope is getting bigger :) How long have you been working here in the U.S?

And I'm also wondering, here in my country we have like a own Firefighter Academy, do you have that in the U.S to? Or is like the Academy 'build in' to most of the city/departments?

Thanks all for the help!


Sorry for the late response, been a busy weekend here. Anyway I've been in the US for 2 years now. I arrived in the DC area in August and was on the deparment by end November - although I didnt apply until early October, so it took only about 6 weeks or so to get through the recruiting process - background checks and whatnot.

As for the Academy, that will all depend on where you decide to go. Fairfax County has its own Fire Academy and all firefighters, career AND volunteer attend both to be EMT-B and then again for Fire School - you can't fight fire in Fairfax without going through their school. :) But not every city or county is like that.

[Jaddaa]

No worries :)

So in some city's you can like be a firefighter without any school? But I prefer to go to a school first though.

Thanks all! Really good help here :) Learned alot!