FAQs

The SF-15, along with supporting documentation, should be submitted with your application to the agency where you are applying for Federal employment.

The Department of Defense (DOD) Military Spouse Preference Program applies to spouses of active duty military members of the U.S. Armed Forces, including the U.S. Coast Guard and full-time National Guard, who desire priority consideration for competitive service positions at DOD activities in the U.S. and its territories and possessions. For more information, contact your local Department of Defense Civilian Personnel Office.

You can request ‘certification’ through your Military Personnel Office. 

No.

The SF-15 is used by Federal agencies to adjudicate an individual’s claims for veterans' preference.  Veterans and certain family members who claim 10-point preference must fill out and submit the SF-15, to include supporting documentation when applying for Federal positions.

Maybe.  Eligibility for veterans’ preference in Federal employment is dependent on military service dates or service-connected disability and having served honorably.  The Feds Hire Vets website (www.fedshirevets.gov) provides guidance on veterans’ preference and special hiring authorities for veterans.

No.  Veterans' preference does not apply when the agency is using merit promotion procedures to fill a position.

If you believe that you have been the victim of unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin or disability, you must contact an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) counselor within 45 calendar days of the alleged discriminatory action, or, in the case of a personnel action, within 45 calendar days of the effective date of the action, before you can file a formal complaint of discrimination with the agency. See, e.g. 29 CFR 1614.  If you believe that you have been the victim of unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, you must either contact an EEO counselor as noted above or give notice of intent to sue to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory action. For further information, check the EEOC's website at https://www.eeoc.gov/.  If you are alleging discrimination based on marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other factor that is not related to job performance, you may file a written complaint with the United States Office of Special Counsel. For further information check the OSC’s website at https://osc.gov/.  In the alternative, you may pursue a discrimination complaint by filing a grievance through the agency's administrative or negotiated grievance procedures, if such procedures apply and are available.

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act of 1998, as amended (VEOA) is a competitive service appointing authority that can only be used when filling permanent, competitive service positions. It allows veterans to apply to announcements that are open to "status" candidates, which typically includes "current and former competitive service employees."

To apply for a job, there are four basic steps:  1. If you haven’t already, create a USAJOBS account https://login.usajobs.gov/Account/Create Note:  Visit USAJOBS' Help Center for more information on Getting Started  Please note that you do not need to create an account to search for jobs, but you must do so to save searches and apply for jobs online.  2. Search for jobs You can use the basic, advanced, or map search. You can also use different filters such as location, salary, work schedule or agency to narrow your results. Learn how to search for jobs. 3. Review job announcement Read the Who May Apply section to determine if you’re eligible to apply for the position. Read the Qualifications section to see if you meet the qualifications of the position. Understand the job announcement. Prepare your application in USAJOBS  4. Read the How to Apply section of the job announcement before starting your application. Prepare your application in USAJOBS.  Learn how to create an application.  5. Submit application to agency Once your application is ready, you’ll be sent from USAJOBS to the agency application system.

For many veterans, Federal Civil Service is a natural transition and therefore, highly competitive.  You are competing against other highly skilled, highly educated, and highly qualified individuals, including veterans. Veterans' preference does not require an agency to use any particular appointment process. Agencies have broad authority under law to hire from any appropriate source of eligible including special appointing authorities.  An agency may consider candidates already in the civil service from an agency-developed merit promotion list or it may reassign a current employee, transfer an employee from another agency, or reinstate a former Federal employee. In addition, agencies are to give priority to displaced employees before using civil service examinations and similar hiring methods.

Yes. 

In 1978, the Civil Service Reform Act amended the employment preference for retired officers by denying it to those retiring at the rank of major (O-4) and above.

No. However, eligible veterans should contact any of the 24 Veteran Employment Program Offices for information about non-competitive opportunities that may exist at their respective agencies. A complete listing of Federal agency VEPOs is located on the Feds Hire Vets website http://www.fedshirevets.gov/AgencyDirectory/index.aspx Additional resources include the FedsHireVets Facebook and Twitter webpages: o  Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Feds-Hire-Vets/262183904582    o  Twitter: https://twitter.com/fedshirevets/

No. Your veterans' preference does not apply to internal agency actions such as promotions, transfers, reassignments and reinstatements