Most Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is USAID hiring, and if so in what categories?
YES, USAID is hiring! There are a number of opportunities posted for Foreign Service, Foreign Service Limited, and Civil Service positions on the Agency’s web page at:
http://www.usaid.gov/careers/
USAID does not accept applications or curriculum vitas that are not targeted to specifically advertised jobs.
2. Does USAID require the foreign service examination like the U.S. Department of State?
No, we do not require the foreign service exam. Applications are accepted only for specific vacancy(s) when announced and posted. Our process involves a series of reviews of the application and responses to job specific questions and general development issues. Following the screening, selected applicants are invited for a personal interview with a technical panel. Candidates are evaluated on their academic credentials, related overseas and/or domestic development professional experience, their technical knowledge and related skills such as management and leadership, representational and communication (oral and written skills).
3. Do I have to be a U.S. citizen?
Yes. You must be a U.S. citizen for a direct hire position in the Civil Service or Foreign Service. However, non-citizens may be employed as contractors in our overseas missions. You must apply directly to the missions since they know their staffing needs and budget levels, and have contracting authority.
4. Does a green card or permanent resident qualify me as a U.S. citizen?
No, it does not. You must be a U.S. citizen at the time of application for or appointment to a direct hire position.
5. Must I have development experience to be considered for the Foreign Service?
Although not required, development experience makes you more competitive. Development experience is usually gained by working in a developing nation or with economically-deprived communities in the United States.
6. Must I have a graduate degree?
Most Foreign Service Officer positions require a graduate degree, but some accept a combination of a bachelor’s degree and relevant work experience in lieu of a graduate degree. Academic qualifications for Civil Service positions vary according to the position, and many do not require a graduate degree. However, such a degree may make you more competitive.
7. What are the basic qualifications needed for employment?
a) For direct hire Civil Service career employment, the minimum requirements are U.S. citizenship and age 16. Minimum qualifications vary according to the position and are specified in the vacancy announcement.
b) Foreign Service direct hire career positions require you to be a U.S. citizen at the time of application and at a minimum 18 years old. The FS also requires that you be willing to accept assignments at any USAID location, almost all of which are in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean region, Asia and the Near East, or Eastern Europe and the former Soviet States.
Applicants must demonstrate the following basic qualifications for the Foreign Service: At the junior Level: one year of relevant work experience and a relevant academic degree from an accredited institution. At the mid-level: in addition to the academic degree requirements, the required number of years of experience is increased according to the level of the position and is specified in the vacancy announcement. Some positions also require overseas work experience.
In addition, candidates and their eligible family members must be in good health and pass a rigorous physical examination prior to appointment and candidates must receive a security clearance before a final employment offer is made or before entering on duty.
8. What is the screening process for Foreign Service positions and how long does it take?
Applications for Foreign Service positions are initially screened to ensure that they meet the basic qualifications for the specific vacancy announcement. Applications passing the first screening are rated and rank ordered, relative to the qualifications specified in the announcement, by a Technical Panel composed of subject matters experts. The highest ranking applicants are requested to come to Washington D.C. for a structured interview. Upon completion of all the interviews, final selections are made and pre-employment procedures are initiated for selected candidates.
From the time an applicant initially applies and enters on duty, the complete recruitment process can take from eight months to a year, due to the fact that medical and security clearances must be obtained prior to entering on duty.
9. What is the status of my application? Did you receive my application?
Applicants will receive acknowledgement that their application was received.
On-line applicants will receive email confirmation through the Monster system.
To check the status of your application, log back into your USAJOBS Account
and click on Application Status.
Applicants will also be notified when they do not meet basic qualifications, if they are to be interviewed, and if they are selected or not selected for the position.
Also see: Tips for Applying for USAID Positions
on the Monster System
10. Does your agency provide financial aid to further my education?
Unfortunately, we do not make grants directly to individuals for their education. Decisions on training grants are made overseas in the country receiving economic assistance jointly between that government and our USAID mission. The Association of International Educators has available publications on U.S. institutions of higher education and sources of financial aid. Their address is:
NAFSA - Association of International Educators
l875 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite l000,
Washington, D.C. 20009-5728
Phone: (202) 462-4811
11. Does your agency have a minimum and maximum age limit?
For Civil Service positions, the minimum working age is l6 and there is no age limit. However, for Foreign Service positions, the beginning age is 18 and the maximum age is 59. Career appointments in the Foreign Service are covered by the Foreign Service Act of 1980, which requires mandatory retirement at age 65. The age of 59 is established with the expectation that career candidates complete orientation and training including proficiency in a language, and serve two 2-year tours overseas before reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65. In addition, the upper age limit for hiring into the Foreign Service is 59, since an applicant hired beyond that age would not accumulate enough years of service to be vested into the retirement system by the time he/she reaches the mandatory retirement age of 65.
12. I have worked some summers in various capacities — does that time count, and is that experience creditable?
Yes, it counts as experience if it is related to the position for which you are applying.
13. Can I take my family overseas?
In most of the countries USAID works, yes. However, in those countries
where dependents are not allowed, there are various allowances the Foreign
Service offers the employee such as the Separate Maintenance Allowance (SMA),
the School-Away-from-Post Allowance, etc.
14. What is the mailing address and hours of operations for your agency?
Our official mailing address is:
U.S. Agency for International Development
Office of Human Resources
Personnel Operations Division
Room 2.08, RRB
Washington, D.C. 20523-2808
For hand delivery or appointments, the building address is:
The Ronald Reagan Building
1300 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
Washington D.C.
(Federal Triangle Metro Stop)
Our hours of operation are 8:45 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday through Friday.
15. What is the Junior Officer Program?
The Junior Officer (JO) program is USAID's entry-level program into the
Foreign Service. The JO program seeks the best-qualified junior professional
candidates who are willing to make a long-term career commitment to the Foreign
Service and international development. JOs begin their careers in formal
training programs that are followed by rotational on-the-job, Washington-based
training for up to one year. After completion of Washington training, JOs
are assigned to an overseas office. Successful candidates will become representatives
of USAID and the U.S. Government in the worldwide development arena. New
Foreign Service Officer JOs have five years in which to earn tenure in the
Foreign Service. Tenure requirements include foreign language proficiency,
and successful completion of at least three years with the Agency, of which
18 months have to have been on a permanent overseas assignment in one of
USAID's field offices. The three-year JO training program is included in
the five-year tenure requirement. Please see the following document for more
information on the Junior Officer Program.
Guidelines for the Junior Officer (JO) Program
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