Special Hiring Programs
We have specific hiring programs for veterans, people with disabilities, students, recent graduates and other applicants.
Veterans
- Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA)
- Selectees receive an excepted appointment with conversion to a career or career-conditional appointment after 2 years of satisfactory service.
- Appointments are up to the GS-11 paygrade level or equivalent.
- An established training program is required for veterans with less than 15 years of education.
- Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA)
- Selectees receive a career or career-conditional appointment.
- Eligible veterans can be appointed under an internal agency announcement.
- Veterans are not accorded veteran preference.
- Candidates must be a preference-eligible or a veteran separated after 3 years of continuous active-duty service reformed under honorable conditions.
- Disabled Veterans (30% or More)
- Candidates can be noncompetitively appointed to positions for which they qualify.
- Initial appointments for more than 60 days are time-limited.
- Selectees may be noncompetitively converted to a career or career-conditional appointment after demonstrating satisfactory performance.
- Additional Programs for Disabled Veterans
- Operation Warfighter Program. Read more on the Department of Homeland Security website.
- Non-Paid Work Experience Programs. Read more on the Department of Veterans Affairs website.
- Coming Home to Work Program.
- Read more on the Office of Personnel website on Special Appointing Authorities for Veterans.
- Apply to available positions through USAJOBS.
Individuals With Disabilities (Schedule A)
- Eligible individuals may be considered for any job opening until a selection is made.
- Selectees receive an initial 2-year appointment with possible conversion to a permanent appointment.
- Read details about requirements for eligibility on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website.
- Apply to available positions through USAJOBS.
Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, Peace Corps Employees, and Former VISTA Volunteers
- Eligible individuals may be considered for any job opening until a selection is made.
- Peace Corps volunteers and AmeriCorps VISTA members have 1 year of noncompetitive eligibility. This eligibility may be extended up to 3 years for individuals who serve in the military, study at a recognized institution of higher learning, are selected and are undergoing a background investigation for employment with USCIS, or engage in another activity that USCIS determines warrants extension.
- USCIS has authorized the extension of Peace Corps volunteer noncompetitive eligibility for an additional 2 years (for 3 years total) for those who completed their qualifying service on or after Jan. 1, 2020.
- Peace Corps employees have three years of noncompetitive eligibility.
- Apply to available positions through USAJOBS.
Former Federal Employees
- Three consecutive years of federal service qualifies you for lifetime reinstatement eligibility.
- Less than 3 consecutive years of federal service qualifies you for 3 years of reinstatement eligibility.
- Preference-eligible veterans have lifetime reinstatement rights.
- Apply and compete as if you were a current federal employee for open positions on USAJOBS.
Certain Military Spouses
- Eligible individuals may be considered for ANY job opening until a selection is made.
- Eligible individuals include:
- Spouses of active-duty military members;
- Spouses of 100% disabled service members; and
- Un-remarried widows/widowers of service members deceased while on active duty.
- Read more on OPM’s website on the special hiring authority for spouses of military members.
- Apply to available positions through USAJOBS.
Students and Recent Graduates (Pathways)
- The Presidential Management Fellow Program provides leadership development opportunities leading to a career in the government.
- Read about opportunities for recent graduates of colleges and universities.
- Career internships allow students to convert to a permanent position after they graduate.
- Temporary internships promote the creativity of students who are part of our paid workforce.
- Student Volunteers can gain valuable work experience and fill credit requirements through various opportunities within USCIS.
- Apply to available positions through USAJOBS.
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