Status Candidate 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 may be eligible as a 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), or
• A former federal 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), or
• A former career-conditional federal 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.

You may be eligible as a VEOA eligible if you are:

• A preference eligible or
• A veteran who separated from the armed forces after 3 or more years of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.

You may be eligible for a VRA appointment if you are:

• A disabled veteran; or
• A veteran who served on active duty in the Armed forces during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which you received an authorized campaign or expedition badge or medal; or
• A veteran who, while serving on active duty in the Armed Forces, participated in a United States military operation for which you were awarded an Armed Forces Service Medal (AFSM); or
• A veteran who has been separated from active service within the last three years.

Note: The highest grade level you may be appointed under this authority is GS-11 or equivalent.

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
• Rated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) since 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.

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

• Mental retardation,
• A severe physical disability, or
• A psychiatric impairment that 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.

You may be eligible under Executive Order 12721 if you:

• Have completed 52 weeks of service in an appropriated fund position under an overseas local hire appointment; and
• The work was performed while accompanying a sponsor officially assigned to an overseas area; and
• Have received a fully successful or better (or equivalent) performance rating.

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.

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), or
• A spouse of a 100 percent disabled service member injured while on active duty; or
• An un-remarried widow or widower of a service member who was killed while performing active duty.

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.

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

• An employee covered by an interchange agreement.

You may be eligible based on service in one of these Unique Authorities 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. 1980. 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 to a position of a confidential or policy-making nature are not eligible under this authority.