VA Loan Eligibility

Who is Eligible?
How do I get a Certificate of Eligibility?
What is a DD214?
How do I obtain a copy of my DD 214?
Can my lender get my Certificate of Eligibility for me?
What is acceptable proof of military service?
How can I obtain proof of military service?
I have already obtained one VA loan. Can I get another one?
I sold the property I obtained with my prior VA loan on an assumption. Can I get my eligibility restored to use for a new loan?
Is the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran eligible for the home loan benefit?
Are the children of a living or deceased veteran eligible for the home loan benefit?

Who is Eligible?

In order to be eligible for a VA loan one must first receive a certificate of eligibility.
General Rules for VA Loan Eligibility are as follows:

Note: Applications involving other than honorable discharges will usually require further development by VA. This is necessary to determine if the service was under other than dishonorable conditions.

Wartime - Service During:

WWII: 9/16/1940 to 7/25/1947
Korean: 6/27/1950 to 1/31/1955
Vietnam: 8/5/1964 to 5/7/1975

You must have at least 90 days on active duty and have been discharged under other than dishonorable conditions. If you served less than 90 days, you may be eligible if discharged for a service connected disability.

Peacetime - Service during periods:

7/26/1947 to 6/26/1950
2/1/1955 to 8/4/1964
5/8/1975 to 9/7/1980 (Enlisted)
5/8/1975 to 10/16/1981 (Officer)

You must have served at least 181 or more straight days of continuous active duty and been discharged under other than dishonorable conditions. If you served less than 181 days, you may be eligible if you were discharged for a service connected disability.

Service after 9/7/1980 (enlisted) or 10/16/1981 (officer)
If you were separated from service which began after these dates, you must have:

Completed at least 24 months of continuous active duty or the full period (at least 181 days) for which you were ordered or called to active duty and been discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, or
Completed at least 181 days of active duty and been discharged under the specific authority of 10 USC 1173 (Hardship), or 10 USC 1171 (Early Out), or have been determined to have a compensable service-connected disability;
Been discharged with less than 181 days of service for a service-connected disability. Individuals may also be eligible if they were released from active duty due to an involuntary reduction in force, certain medical conditions, or, in some instances for the convenience of the Government.

Gulf War - Service during period 8/2/1990 to date yet to be determined

If you served on active duty during the Gulf War, you must have:

Completed 24 months of continuous active duty or the full period (at least 90 days) for which you were called or ordered to active duty, and been discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, or
completed at least 90 days of active duty and been discharged under the specific authority of 10 USC 1173 (Hardship), or 10 USC 1173 (Early Out), or have been determined to have a compensable service-connected disability, or
Been discharged with less than 90 days of service for a service-connected disability. Individuals may also be eligible if they were released from active duty due to an involuntary reduction in force, certain medical conditions, or, in some instances, for the convenience of the Government.
Active Duty Service Personnel
If you are now on regular duty (not active duty for training), you are eligible after having served 181 days (90 days during the Gulf War) unless discharged or separated from a previous qualifying period of active duty service.
Selected Reserves or National Guard
If you are not otherwise eligible and you have completed a total of 6 years in the Selected Reserves or National Guard (member of an active unit, attended required weekend drills and 2-week active duty for training) and
Were discharged with an honorable discharge, or
Were placed on the retired list, or
Were transferred to the Standby Reserve or an element of the Ready Reserve other than the Selected Reserve after service characterized as honorable service, or
Continue to serve in the Selected Reserves
Individuals who completed less than six years may be eligible if I was discharged for a service-connected disability.

You May also be determined eligible if you:

Are an unremarried spouse of a veteran who passed while in service or from a service connected disability, or
Are a spouse of a serviceperson missing in action or a prisoner of war
Note: Also, a surviving spouse who remarries on or after attaining age 57, and on or after December 16, 2003, may be eligible for the home loan benefit. However, a surviving spouse who remarried before December 16, 2003, and on or after attaining age 57, must apply no later than December 15, 2004, to establish home loan eligibility. VA must deny applications from surviving spouses who remarried before December 6, 2003 that are received after December 15, 2004.

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 WW II.
Individuals with service as members in certain organizations, such as Public Health Service officers, cadets at the United States Military, Air Force, or Coast Guard Academy, midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy, officers of National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, merchant seaman with WW II service, and others.

How do I get a Certificate of Eligibility?

Complete a VA Form 26-1880, then request for a Certificate of Eligibility: You can apply for a Certificate of Eligibility by submitting a completed VA Form 26-1880. In some cases it is possible for VA to establish eligibility without any proof of service. However, to avoid possible delays, it's best to provide such evidence.

What is a DD Form 214?

The DD Form 214 is a document issued when a military service member retires, separates or is discharged from active-duty in the military.
In order to complete this process of receiving a VA Loan, streamline, or cash out benefits, you must provide a copy of your DD 214. This document will ensure the lender of the Veteran's status when retired, separated, or discharged from the military. It will specify if the applicant was discharged honorably, or by any other means such as dishonorable and misconduct. A VA Streamline Loan can only be processed if the Veteran was discharged honorably or retired.

How Can I Obtain a Copy of a form DD 214?

In order to apply and obtain your copy of a form DD 214, you may have to send in an SF 180 request that asks for copies of Military Records. This form can be downloaded from http://www.archives.gov/research_room/obtain_copies/standard_form_180.pdf

Downloading and completing the SF 180 is your first step to obtaining a DD 214. In most cases, there is no charge for military personnel trying to obtain these records from the United States Department of Defense.
This waiver of fees also applies to their next-of-kin, and or any authorized representatives. However, some documentation may require a fee, in which case you will be notified. Also, please be patient when requesting these documents. The time of retrieval may vary based on VA workload. Make sure to download and complete both the front and back sides of the SF-180. The back of the form contains important mailing addresses and instructions.

Can my lender get my Certificate of Eligibility for me?

Yes, it's called ACE (automated certificate of eligibility). Most lenders will have access to the ACE (automated certificate of eligibility) system. This Internet based application can establish eligibility and issue an online Certificate of Eligibility in a matter of seconds. Not all cases can be processed through ACE - only those for which VA has sufficient data in our records. However, veterans are encouraged to ask their lenders about this method of obtaining a certificate.

What is acceptable proof of military service?

If you are still serving on regular active duty, you must include an original statement of service signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters which identifies you and your social security number, and provides your date of entry on your current active duty period and the duration of any time lost.

If you were discharged from regular active duty after January 1, 1950, a copy of DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty should be included with your VA Form 26-1880. If you were discharged after October 1, 1979, DD Form 214 copy 4 should be included. A PHOTOCOPY OF DD214 WILL SUFFICE.....DO NOT SUBMIT AN ORIGINAL DOCUMENT.

If you are still serving on regular active duty, you must include an original statement of service signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters which shows your date of entry on your current active duty period and the duration of any time lost.

If you were discharged from the Selected Reserves or the National Guard, you must include copies of adequate documentation of at least 6 years of honorable service. If you were discharged from the Army or Air Force National Guard, you may submit NGB Form 22, Report of Separation and Record of Service, or NGB Form 23, Retirement Points Accounting, or it’s equivalent. If you were discharged from the Selected Reserve, you may submit a copy of your latest annual points statement and evidence of honorable service. Unfortunately, there is no single form used by the Reserves or National Guard similar to the DD Form 214. It is your responsibility to furnish adequate documentation of at least 6 years of honorable service.

If you are still serving in the Selected Reserves or the National Guard, you must include an original statement of service signed by, or by the direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters showing the length of time that you have been a member of the Selected Reserves. Again, at least 6 years of honorable service must be documented.

How can I obtain proof of military service?

Standard Form 180, Request Pertaining to Military Records, is used to apply for proof of military service regardless of whether you served on regular active duty or in the selected reserves. This request form is NOT processed by VA. Rather, Standard Form 180 is completed and mailed to the appropriate custodian of military service records. Instructions are provided on the reverse of the form to assist in determining the correct forwarding address.

I have already obtained one VA loan. Can I get another one?

Yes, your eligibility is reusable depending on the circumstances. Normally, if you have paid off your prior VA loan and disposed of the property, you can have your used eligibility restored for additional use. Also, on a one-time only basis, you may have your eligibility restored if your prior VA loan has been paid in full but you still own the property. In either case, to obtain restoration of eligibility, the veteran must send VA a completed VA Form 26-1880. To prevent delays in processing, it is also advisable to include evidence that the prior loan had been paid in full and, if applicable, the property disposed of. The evidence can be in the form of a paid-in-full statement from the prior lender, or a copy of the HUD-1 settlement statement completed in connection with the sale of the property or refinance of the prior loan.

I sold the property I obtained with my prior VA loan on an assumption. Can I get my eligibility restored to use on a new loan?

In this case the veteran’s eligibility can be restored only if the qualified assumer is also an eligible military veteran who is willing to substitute his or her available eligibility for that of the original military veteran. Otherwise, the original military veteran cannot have eligibility restored until the assumer has paid off the VA loan in full.

Is the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran eligible for the home loan benefit?

The unmarried surviving spouse of a military veteran who died in active duty or as the result of a service-connected disability is eligible for the VA home loan benefit.

In addition, a surviving spouse who obtained a VA loan with the veteran prior to his or her death (regardless of the cause of death), may obtain a VA guaranteed interest rate reduction refinance loan

[NOTE: Also, a surviving spouse who remarries on or after attaining age 57, and on or after December 16, 2003, may be eligible for the home loan benefit. However, a surviving spouse who remarried before December 16, 2003, and on or after attaining age 57, must apply no later than December 15, 2004, to establish home loan eligibility. VA must deny applications from surviving spouses who remarried before December 16, 2003 that are received after December 15, 2004.]

Are the children of a living or deceased military veteran eligible for the home loan benefit?

No, the children of an eligible military veteran are not eligible for the home loan benefit.

Express VA Loans