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Military Spouses

Military spouses can apply or be appointed directly for Federal Government jobs without competing with the general public. However, this doesn't guarantee a job. You must meet job qualifications, go through the selection, and satisfy other requirements like background checks.

Read Full Military Spouses Policy

5 U.S. Code § 3330d: Appointment of military spouses

If applying to an announcement directly, the announcement must be accepting applications from outside of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In other words, the announcement should be available to individuals outside of HHS.

Eligibility Criteria

You may be eligible if you meet one of the requirements below:

  1. Spouse of an active-duty armed forces member.
  2. Spouse of a 100% service-connected disabled service member.
  3. Spouse of a service member who died on active duty

Note

Spouses under requirements 2 and 3 above can only get one permanent appointment under this authority.

Required Documents

For eligibility 1:

  • Documentation verifying active-duty status (e.g., Active duty, PCS orders for your spouse, or a statement of service); and,
  • Proof of marriage (marriage license or PCS orders listing spouse's name).

For eligibility 2 and 3:

  • Documentation showing spouse's release from duty due to disability or death.
  • Proof of spouse's 100% disability rating or death on active duty.
  • Proof of marriage.
  • If applicable, a statement confirming you're the un-remarried widow/widower of the service member.

Refer to Standard Form 15 (SF-15) for documentation details.

If selected, more documentation might be needed. Submit all required documents by the job announcement's closing date.

For more details, check FedsHireVets and the USAJobs page on Military Spouses.

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