Non-Competitive Appointing Authorities Definitions

You may be eligible as a current permanent federal civilian employee if you are:

• A current permanent competitive service civilian employee of any Federal agency. If you are currently serving on a career-conditional appointment, you are eligible to apply if you have served at least 90 days on your current appointment.
• You must have held (on a permanent basis) the grade of the position being filled (or equivalent).
• You must provide a copy of the SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action to support your claim.

You may be eligible as a non-competitive reinstatement eligible if you are:

• A former Federal employee in the competitive service who previously attained career status (identified as Tenure 1 in block 24 of your last SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action), and held the grade of the position being filled (or equivalent), or
• A former employee with veterans’ preference who previously attained career-conditional status (identified as Tenure 2 in block 24 of your last SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action), and held the grade of the position being filled (or equivalent), or
• A former Federal career-conditional employee in the competitive service (identified as Tenure 2 in block 24 of your last SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action) without veterans’ preference who separated from Government service within the past three years and held the grade of the position being filled (or equivalent).
• You must provide a copy of the SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action to support your claim.

You may be eligible as a 30% or more disabled veteran if you are:

• Retired from active military service with a disability rating of 30% or more; or
• Received a rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) dated 1991 or later to include disability determinations from a branch of the Armed Forces at any time, as having a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more.

Learn more about 30% or more disabled veteran information at the Office of Personnel Management's Vet Guide.

Note: You must provide a copy of your DD-214 (member 4 copy), letter that shows your disability percentage, and a completed SF-15 Application for 10-point veterans preference.

You may be eligible as a Person with Disability if you are:

• An individual with intellectual disability, a severe physical disability, or a psychiatric disability which has been certified by a licensed medical professional, vocational rehabilitation specialist or any other Federal, State or District of Columbia agency that issues or provides disability benefits.

Learn more about the Office of Personnel Management's Disability Employment process.

Note: You must provide a copy of the letter documenting your disability from a licensed professional as described above.

You may be eligible under Executive Order 12721 if you:

• Worked overseas as an appropriated Fund Federal employee while a family member of a civilian, non-appropriated fund, or uniformed service member serving overseas, for an accumulated total of 52 weeks and received a fully successful (pass) or better performance appraisal. This appointment eligibility is effective for a period of three years following the date of return from overseas to the United States to reassume residence.

Learn more about eligibility requirements at the Code of Federal Regulations.

Note: You must provide a copy of the SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action to support your claim, and a copy of your performance appraisal.

You may be eligible under Executive Order 13473 if you are:

• A spouse of a member of the armed forces serving on active duty who has orders specifying a permanent change of station (not for training).  Must provide a copy  of the service member’s active duty orders which authorize a permanent change of station, and documentation verifying marriage to the member of the armed forces; or
• A spouse of a 100 percent disabled service member injured while on active duty.  Must provide documentation showing the member of the armed forces was released due to a service-connected disability; documentation that the member of the armed forces was retired, released, or discharged from active duty with a disability rating of 100% and documentation verifying marriage to the member of the armed forces; or
• An un-remarried widow or widower of a service member who was killed while performing active duty. Must provide documentation showing the individual was released or discharged from active duty due to his or her death while on active duty; documentation verifying marriage to the member of the armed forces, and a statement certifying that he or she is an unmarried widow or widower of the service member.

Eligibility for this noncompetitive appointment is limited to a maximum of 2 years from the date of the applicable documentation for the permanent change of station, 100 percent disability, or death.

Spouses eligible based on a permanent change of duty station are limited to the geographic area as specified in the permanent change of station orders. This includes the surrounding area which people reasonably can be expected to travel daily to and from work.

Learn more about the Noncompetitive Appointment of Certain Military Spouses from the Office of Personnel Management.

You may be eligible under an Interchange Agreement if you are:

• An employee covered by an interchange agreement.

Learn more about Interchange Agreements from the Office of Personnel Management.

You may be eligible based on service in one of the categories listed below:

• Postal Career Service/Postal Rate Commission – Eligible when serving under an appointment without time limitation, successfully completed a probationary period and has no break in service. Authority: 39 U.S.C. 1006/3604(e)
• VISTA/ACTION Volunteer – Eligible within 1 year of having completed 12 months of community volunteer service under the Peace Corps Act or as a VISTA volunteer under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 or the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973. Authority: 5 CFR 315.605.
• Peace Corps – Eligible within 3 years after serving at not less than 36 months without a break in service of 3 days or more of continuous service under the Peace Corps. Authority: 5 CFR 315.607
• Foreign Service Officer and Employee – Present or former career officer or employee of the Foreign Service appointed under authority of the Foreign Service Act of 1946, as amended. Authority: 5 CFR 315.606
• Panama Canal Commission – Eligible after at least 1 year of continuous employment under non-temporary appointment in the Panama Canal Commission located in the United States. Authority: 5 CFR 315.609
• General Accounting Office – Eligible upon completion of 1 year of continuous service on a non-temporary appointment that began on or after 1 Oct 80. Authority: 31 U.S.C. 732(g)
• Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts – Current/former employees are eligible with completion of at least 1 year of continuous service under non- temporary appointment. Employees appointed to high level positions under 28 U.S.C. 603 or a position of confidential or policy-making nature is not eligible under this authority. Authorities: 28 U.S.C. 602, and Public Law 101-474

Learn more about Unique Authorities from the Office of Personnel Management