Nigerians and citizens of other Commonwealth countries will be able to join the British armed forces even if they do not live in Britain, the government said on Monday as it struggles to fill vacancies.

Currently, citizens from Commonwealth countries can only join if they have lived in the UK for five years.

But in a bid to recruit more servicemen and women to the Army, Navy and Air Force, the Ministry of Defense is lifting this rule.

The Armed Forces are short of 8,200 soldiers, sailors and air personnel, a report found earlier this year.

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Ministers are expected to announce the change to recruitment rules on Monday.

It means people from Commonwealth countries – including Nigeria, Kenya, India and Australia – will be considered for roles, even if they have never lived in Britain.

Britain’s junior defence minister Mark Lancaster said in a statement to parliament that the previous five-year residency requirement for Commonwealth army recruits has been removed.

“Applications will be accepted from all Commonwealth countries,” Lancaster said in his statement, adding that the reform had been introduced “in light of changes to the size of our armed forces.”

Lancaster said that Commonwealth applicants would have to be aged over 18 — two years more than the minimum for Britons — so as “to mitigate the risks associated with unaccompanied minors travelling to the UK without the guarantee of a job.”

The Commonwealth is an association of 53 states, most of them former British colonies, including Australia, Canada and India.

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