FAQs

Agencies develop their own procedures for interview practices. The decision to interview may depend on a variety of factors, including your ranking against other candidates, the number of positions being filled, and the number of people who applied.

No. You may not receive veterans’ preference in Federal employment as the spouse of a veteran if the veteran is living and qualified for Federal employment.

No. There is no limit to the number of times you can apply for positions when agencies are accepting applications under VRA.

No. Such an employee remains subject to time-in-grade restrictions.

As a Federal employee with a specific question as it relates to your personal circumstance, please contact your agency human resources office for additional information.  Your agency is in the best position to answer your specific questions.

You must provide acceptable documentation of your preference or appointment eligibility. The member 4 copy of your DD 214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," is preferable along with supporting documentation showing a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more.

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.

Preference eligibles are divided into five basic groups as follows:

1. CPS - Disability rating of 30% or more (10 points)
2. CP - Disability rating of at least 10% but less than 30% (10 points)
3. XP - Disability rating less than 10% (10 points)
4. TP - Preference eligibles with no disability rating (5 points)
5. SSP - Sole Survivorship Preference (0 points)

These codes are used to designate on rating sheets and certificates the category of veterans’ preference to which an applicant is entitled.

If you are claiming veterans’ preference based on a service-connected disability, receipt of a Purple Heart or derived preference you may be required to submit a SF-15 along with supporting documentation.

You must provide acceptable documentation of your appointment eligibility. The member 4 copy of your DD 214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," is preferable. If eligibility is based on a service-connected disability, you will need to submit a Standard Form 15 "Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference", along with the appropriate documentation. A fillable SF-15 is available at https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf.

Yes. There are number of special appointing authorities not specific to veterans such as Pathways (for students and recent graduates), Schedule A for Persons with Disabilities, etc. However, the most common special appointing authorities for veterans are the Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA), 30% or more disabled veteran and Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA).  The veteran should apply under any special hiring authorities for which he or she is eligible.

Most positions within the Federal government can be found on the USAJOBS website: www.usajobs.gov. Additionally, individual agency websites may list employment opportunities.

No.

Maybe.  If you meet the criteria for veterans’ preference in absence of disability then yes, you can claim veterans’ preference. However, if eligibility for veterans’ preference is contingent upon a service-connected disability rating, then no.