The VA Loan benefit is available for active duty military members, Veterans, military Reservists, and National Guard members who served for the minimum required time to be eligible. This varies based on when they served but is typically between 90 days and 24 months. Those who were discharged due to a service-connected disability do not have a time requirement to be eligible for the VA Loan.
But what about spouses and family members? Can they use the VA Loan?
Generally, only surviving spouses of military members who were killed during their military service can use the VA Loan benefit. Surviving spouses of those listed as Missing in Action (MIA) or spouses of those currently listed as Prisoners of War (POW) are also eligible.
Spouses of service members who received a 100% disability rating from the VA are also able to use the VA Loan after the service member dies, even if their death was not due to their military service or disability.
If a spouse remarries, that can have an impact on their eligibility for the VA Loan. That’s why it is important to talk to a lender if you think that you may qualify and determine what could impact that eligibility in the future.
Other family members, such as children, parents, and siblings are not able to use the military member’s VA Loan benefit. This is different from other benefits of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, such as money for education. GI Bill education benefits can be transferred to children but do have a time requirement for service after the transfer is complete.
A spouse’s income can be used to qualify for the VA Loan when they purchase a home with their spouse who does have a VA Loan entitlement. The spouse can also be listed as a co-borrower on the application, the loan documents, and the title to the home.