Become a PMF
Eligibility
Veterans' Preference
To be entitled to preference, a veteran must meet the
eligibility requirements in Section 2108 of Title 5, United States
Code. For more information on veterans' preference and their
application in Federal employment refer to the U.S. Office of
Personnel Management's (OPM's) Vet Guide at
www.fedshirevets.gov/hire/hrp/vetguide/index.aspx 
. In addition, veterans may
visit
FedsHireVets,
the one-stop resource for Federal veteran employment
information.
If claiming veterans' preference during the
application process, applicants should follow the instructions
provided in the announcement for submitting supporting
documentation. The deadline for submission of supporting
documentation for claiming veterans' preference is 30-days from the
closing of the application. Applicants claiming veterans'
preference may continue to submit supporting documentation (e.g.,
letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) up to 30-days
after the application announcement closes. To submit such
documents after the closing, send an email to pmfapplication@opm.gov and
we will arrange for you to be able to log into your application
account and upload directly, or you may use the Fax Cover Sheet to
fax directly to us. The fax cover sheet can be found at the
bottom of the Become a PMF\Application Process
webpage during this period.
The following are some Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs) regarding veterans' preference and documentation:
What types of supporting information can be submitted
when claiming Veterans' Preference?
Applicants must submit information which documents the veteran's
dates of military service, separation under honorable conditions
and any service connected disability (if applicable). Acceptable
forms of supporting documentation include:
Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable
Conditions -
- DD-214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active
Duty"
- Honorable or general discharge certificate
- Certificate of transfer to Navy Fleet Reserve, Marine Corps
Fleet Reserve, or enlisted Reserve Corps
- Orders of transfer to retired list
- Report of separation from a branch of the Armed Forces
- Certificate of service or release from active duty, provided
honorable separation is shown
- Official statement from a branch of the Armed Forces showing
that honorable separation took place
- Official statement from the Military personnel records center
that official records show that that honorable separation took
place
Documentation of Service Connected disability -
- Standard
Form (SF 15) application for 10-point Veterans' Preference
- An official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs or branch of the Armed Forces,
certifying to the present existence of the veteran's service
connected disability
- An official citation, document, or discharge certificate,
issued by a branch of the Armed Forces, showing the award to the
veteran of the Purple Heart for wound or injuries received in
action
- An official statement or retirement orders from a branch of the
Armed Forces, showing that the retired service man was retried
because of permanent service connected disability or was
transferred to the permanent disability retirement list
- An official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs certifying that the veteran is
receiving a nonservice-connected disability pension
What is a DD-214?
A DD-214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty",
is issued to military members upon separation from active service.
It contains information about the veteran's dates of military
service and separation.
I lost my DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge
from Active Duty, how can I obtain a copy?
A copy of the DD-214 and other military service records can be
obtained from the National Archives. Visit http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records
for additional information.
What is the Standard Form (SF 15) application for
10-point Veterans' Preference?
The SF 15
is used by Federal Agencies and OPM examining offices to adjudicate
individuals' claims for veterans' preference in accordance with the
Veterans' Preference Act of 1994. Please use the SF 15 
[152 KB] form to
download a blank form. The form also includes instructions.
Where can I find more information about
Veterans' Preference?
For more information on veterans' preference and their application
in Federal employment refer to the U.S. Office of Personnel
Management's (OPM's) Vet Guide at http://www.fedshirevets.gov/hire/hrp/vetguide/index.aspx . In addition, veterans may
visit
FedsHireVets, the
one-stop resource for Federal veteran employment information.
Finalists with Adjudicated Veterans'
Preference
The on-line lists of Finalists have preference
categories clearly identified that are viewable by registered
agency users on the PMF website. Additionally, the list of
Finalists on the public PMF website will indicate "Yes" for those
Finalists whose veterans' preference claim was favorably
adjudicated.
If a Finalist is a veteran and he/she expresses an
interest in working for an agency, that agency must apply the
provisions of section 302 of Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations,
when selecting and appointing candidates. For purposes of the
PMF Program, "expresses an interest" means that the Finalist has
applied to an agency's posted announcement for consideration
for appointment to a specific position. This
does not mean an agency must contact each veteran on the list of
Finalists.
Each applicant pool is unique. The applicant
pool consists of those Finalists who applied for a posted
position.
If the agency selects a non-veteran Finalist over a
preference eligible veteran Finalist it must prepare a written
justification as to why the veteran Finalist did not meet the
criteria for the position. Decisions must be qualifications driven
and based on the specific requirements detailed in the
position. The written justification accomplishes two
objectives:
- Veteran Finalists are entitled, upon request, to obtain a copy
of the reasons they were passed over in favor of a lesser
preference or non-veteran Finalist. The written justification is
intended to satisfy that obligation and thus should be written with
the expectation that the veteran Finalist who was passed over may
request to review it.
- Additionally, if OPM officials audit the agency's PMF process,
the written justification serves as documentation that veteran
Finalists who were part of the agency applicant pool for said
position received proper consideration.
UPDATED: 03-25-2013