Service Requirements for VA Home Loan

Service Requirements for VA Home Loan

Service Requirements for VA Home Loan

Are you eligible for a VA home loan? Not all veterans or currently serving military members are eligible for a VA mortgage until they have served a minimum amount of time in uniform. 

 

VA Loan Qualifying Criteria For Current Active Duty Military

The basic time-in-service requirements to qualify for a VA mortgage depend on what era you served in. For most who serve today on active duty, the VA official site states that you must serve 90 continuous days.

VA Loan Requirements For Reservists

 

If you joined or served between August 2, 1990 and the present, you must have 90 days of active duty service to qualify for a VA home loan. The VA official site also states that for those who served during “any time period” you may qualify for a VA mortgage if you have served six “creditable years” as a Reservist. One of the following must also apply:

  • You received an honorable discharge or;
  • You were assigned to the retired list or;
  • You received a transfer to the Standby Reserve or; 
  • You received a transfer to an element of the Ready Reserve other than the Selected Reserve after an Honorable discharge or;
  • You continue to serve in the Selected Reserve

VA Loan Eligibility For National Guard

 

If you served in the National Guard from between August 2, 1990 and today, you must have 90 days of active duty service as a member of the National Guard in order to qualify for VA home loan benefits.

 

The VA official site also has a provision for those who served during “any time period”–these National Guard troops may qualify for a VA mortgage after having served six “creditable years” as a Reservist. One of the following must also apply to qualify for a VA home loan for the National Guard:

  • You received an honorable discharge or;
  • You were assigned to the retired list or;
  • You received a transfer to the Standby Reserve or; 
  • You received a transfer to an element of the Ready Reserve other than the Selected Reserve after an Honorable discharge or;
  • You continue to serve in the Selected Reserve

VA Loan Eligibility: Wartime Service, Peacetime Service

 

Veterans who served at least 90 days on active duty during the periods listed here are eligible..

  • World War II: September 16, 1940, to July 25, 1947
  • Korean War: June 27, 1950, to January 31, 1955
  • Vietnam War: August 5, 1964, to May 7, 1975

 

To qualify for the VA Home Loan Program for peacetime service, you must have served at least 181 days of continuous active duty during the following periods. Active duty for training doesn’t count.

  • July 26, 1947, to June 26, 1950
  • February 1, 1955, to August 4, 1964
  • May 8, 1975, to September 7, 1980 (enlisted)

May 8, 1975, to September 7, 1980 (enlisted) or October 16, 1981 (officer): If you are a veteran who joined the military for the first time after these dates, you must meet certain minimum active-duty requirements to qualify. You qualify if at least one of the following points applies to your time of service:

  • Completed 24 months of continuous active duty
  • Served the full period (at least 181 days) for which you were ordered or called to active duty from the reserves or National Guard
  • Completed at least 181 days of active duty and were discharged for a hardship or a voluntary early-separation program
  • Were discharged with less than 181 days of service due to an involuntary reduction in force, certain medical conditions, or in some instances, for the convenience of the government

Surviving Spouses May Qualify For A VA Mortgage

Spouses of certain veterans, including veterans of the Reserves and National Guard, are also eligible to receive a VA Home Loan guarantee. You’re eligible if you are

  • An unmarried spouse of a veteran who died while in service or from a service-connected disability
  • A spouse of a service person missing in action or a prisoner of war

A surviving spouse who remarries upon or after turning 57 and on or after December 16, 2003, retains her eligibility for the VA Home Loan Program. However, a surviving spouse who remarried before December 16, 2003, and upon or after reaching age 57, is not eligible.

1 Comment
  • Todd A Karasti
    Posted at 06:34h, 25 February Reply

    According to this members of the National Guard that received an honorable discharge would be eligible for a VA Mortgage?

Post A Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Log in

Forgot password?

Don't have an account? Register

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy