Civilians are people who have not performed any type of Federal Service. Civilians lack many of the rights that Citizens have, such as the right to vote and government-sponsored free education. When requesting a license to have a child, civilians often find that it is more difficult to obtain one.
Many wealthy families do not need to become Citizens as they are able to pay for many things that the government provides free, and can live in comfort without it.
There are several ways in which a civilian can become a Citizen; joining any branch of the Federal Military, performing a valuable service to the Federation, or serving as an experimental subject for a two year term of service. After enrolling in Federal Service, the potential citizen is free to leave any time, but cannot re-enlist at a latter date if they have left before completing Federal Service.
Despite lacking certain priviliges, such as the right to vote and hold office, civilians are not discriminated against. They enjoy equal protection under Federation law, and have the same basic rights as citizens do. Also, all civilians who wish to enlist in Federal Service must be allowed to do so; the Federation is strictly forbidden from rejecting any applicant (unless said applicant is judged to be mentally unfit to understand the oath of office). Every civilian, regardless of background or qualifications, must be allowed in.