Ineligibility. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, any alien who has requested, applied for, and obtained an exemption from military service on the ground that he or she is an alien shall be ineligible for approval of his or her application for naturalization as a citizen of the United States.

Exceptions. The prohibition in paragraph (a) of this section does not apply to an alien who establishes by clear and convincing evidence that:

At the time that he or she requested an exemption from military service, the applicant had no liability for such service even in the absence of an exemption;

The applicant did not request or apply for the exemption from military service, but such exemption was automatically granted by the United States government;

The exemption from military service was based upon a ground other than the applicant's alienage;

In claiming an exemption from military service, the applicant did not knowingly and intentionally waive his or her eligibility for naturalization because he or she was misled by advice from a competent United States government authority, or from a competent authority of the government of his or her country of nationality, of the consequences of applying for an exemption from military service and was, therefore, unable to make an intelligent choice between exemption and citizenship;

The applicant applied for and received an exemption from military service on the basis of alienage, but was subsequently inducted into the Armed Forces, or the National Security Training Corps, of the United States; however, an applicant who voluntarily enlists in and serves in the Armed Forces of the United States, after applying for and receiving an exemption from military service on the basis of alienage, does not satisfy this exception to paragraph (a) of this section;

Prior to requesting the exemption from military service:

The applicant was a treaty national who had served in the armed forces of the country of which he or she was a national; however, a treaty national who did not serve in the armed forces of the country of nationality prior to requesting the exemption from military service does not satisfy this exception to paragraph (a) of this section;

The applicant served a minimum of eighteen months in the armed forces of a nation that was a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization at the time of the applicant's service; or

The applicant served a minimum of twelve months in the armed forces of a nation that was a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization at the time of the applicant's service, provided that the applicant applied for registration with the Selective Service Administration after September 28, 1971; or

The applicant is applying for naturalization pursuant to section 329 of the Act.