You are eligible for VA home loan benefits if
you served on active duty in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard and
were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable after either:
- 90 days or more, any part of which occurred during wartime, OR
181 continuous days or more (peacetime)
2-Year Requirement:
If you:
- enlisted (and service began) after September 7, 1980, OR
were an officer and service began after October 16, 1981.
You must have completed either:
- 24 continuous months or more, OR
the full period for which ordered to active duty, but not less than 90 days (any part
during wartime) or 181 continuous days (peacetime).
Wartime and Peacetime
Wartime and Peacetime, as used in the General Rule for Eligibility, refer to the
following periods of time:
Wartime |
Peacetime |
World War II
9/16/40 - 7/25/47 |
Post-World War II period
7/26/47 - 6/26/50 |
Korean conflict
6/27/50 - 1/31/55 |
Post-Korean period
2/1/55 - 8/4/64 |
Vietnam era
8/5/64* - 5/7/75 |
Post-Vietnam period
5/8/75 - 8/1/90 |
Persian Gulf War
8/2/90 - undetermined |
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* The Vietnam era begins
2/28/61 for individuals who served in the Republic of Vietnam
You may also be determined eligible if you:
- were discharged for a service-connected disability, or
- were discharged for the convenience of the government after completing at least 20
months of a 2-year enlistment, or
completed not less than 90 days (any part during wartime) or 181 continuous days
(peacetime), and
- were discharged because of a hardship, or
- were determined to have a service-connected compensable disability, or
- were discharged or released from active duty for a medical condition which preexisted
service and has not been determined to be service-connected, or
- received an involuntary discharge or release from active duty for the convenience of the
Government as a result of a reduction in force, or
- were discharged or released from active duty for a physical or mental condition not
characterized as a disability and not the result of misconduct but which did interfere
with your performance of duty
are an un-remarried spouse of a veteran who died while in service or from a service
connected disability, or
are a spouse of a serviceperson missing in action or a prisoner of war.
Active Duty Service Personnel
If you are now on active duty, you are eligible after having served on continuous
active status for at least 90 days. When an ending date is established for Persian Gulf
War service, a minimum of 181 days of continuous active duty will be required for persons
who did not have wartime service.
Members of the Selected Reserve
"Selected Reserve" means the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve of any of
the Reserve components which consists of units and individuals who participate actively in
paid training periods and serve on paid active duty for training each year. This includes
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Reserves as well as Army National
Guard and Air National Guard.
6-Year Requirement: A veteran, who is not otherwise eligible, who completes a total
of 6 years as a member of the Selected Reserve (need not be ordered to active duty) is
eligible if he or she either:
- received an honorable discharge
was placed on the retired list
was transferred to the Standby Reserve or an element of the Ready Reserve other than the
Selected Reserve after service in the Selected Reserve characterized as honorable
continues to serve in the Selected Reserve.
The 6 years service need not be continuous nor in the same Reserve or National Guard
unit. However, active duty regular military service cannot be combined with Reserve
service to reach the 6 year requirement.
Eligibility may also be established for:
- certain United States citizens who served in the armed forces of a government allied
with the United States in World War II.
individuals with service as members in certain organizations, such as Public Health
Service officers, cadets/midshipmen at service academies, officers of National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, merchant seamen with WWII service, and others.
Surviving Spouses
If you are a surviving spouse of a veteran who has died, you are
entitled to use of a VA insured loan, unless you have remarried. But if your marriage is
terminated, you may once again be entitled to a VA insured loan.
Where
is Your Eligibility Certificate Processed?
If you live in one of the following states:
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho,
Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New
Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin
or Wyoming
Los Angeles Eligibility Center
If you live in one of the following states:
Alabama, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana,
Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New
Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South
Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia or West Virginia
Winston-Salem Eligibility Center
VA Loan Eligibility Center
PO Box 20729
Winston-Salem, NC 27120
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Toll free number: 1-888-244-6711
E-mail: NCELIGIB@vba.va.gov |
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