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This page can be found on the web at the following url:
https://www.pmf.gov/become-a-pmf/eligibility/citizenship

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An Official Web Site of the United States Government

Become a PMF

Eligibility

Citizenship

Individuals who are not U.S. citizens can apply to the PMF Program; however, appointment opportunities for PMF positions for non-U.S. citizen Finalists are very limited, if any.

A non-U.S. citizen may be eligible for Federal employment if the individual is (1) Eligible to work under U.S. immigration laws, and (2) is eligible for AND pursuing U.S. citizenship, OR appointed by a Federal agency that has the authority to hire non-U.S. citizens. In general, a Federal agency may hire a non-U.S. citizen in the PMF Program if the annual Appropriations Act, the Immigration Law, and the agency's internal policies allow it. Finalists who are non-U.S. citizens may reach out to Agency PMF Coordinators to inquire if their agency hires non-U.S. citizens. The PMF Program Office does not have a list of those agencies who can hire non-U.S. citizens as the authorities may change and is not able to sponsor such individuals.

Additional information can be found on the USAJOBS website under the topic of Employment of Non-citizens.

If you are not a U.S. citizen who is not legally employable in the United States and you apply to the PMF Program, you will be disqualified based on eligibility. If you are legally employable in the United States, then you would choose the following response during the application process:  I am NOT a U.S. citizen, but eligible to be legally employed in the United States.

Finalists apply to PMF positions, known as PMF appointment opportunities, in the PMF TMS (Talent Management System). Agencies will identify whether or not the PMF position requires U.S. citizenship. If a non-U.S. citizen Finalist is appointed as a PMF by a Federal agency and does not possess full U.S. citizenship or status as a U.S. national by the conclusion of the two-year fellowship, that Fellow cannot be converted to permanent career or career-conditional employment, including conversion to a term appointment (5 CFR Part 7, §7.3). The appointment will expire and the PMF will be separated from Government service. The PMF Program Office, nor the appointing agency, cannot extend a PMF's fellowship to meet citizenship requirements for conversion.

All applicants will be asked to provide the last 4-digits of their Social Security Number when applying to the PMF Program's annual application for selection of Finalists. Non-U.S. citizen applicants who meet the eligibility requirements and wish to apply to the PMF Program, and do not possess a Social Security Number, must contact the PMF Program Office to request an alternative 4-digit number to use for the Social Security Number field during the application process. This number will serve throughout the process as a unique identifier.  NOTE:  This is only applicable during the application cycle.

When contacting the PMF Program Office to make a request, please send an email to pmfapplication@opm.gov with the following information:

  • Subject Line:  Request Alternative SSN
  • Your first and last Name
  • The email address you plan to use to apply
  • The name of your college/university of your qualifying advanced degree
  • If you are outside of the United States, provide your City/State/Territory and Country

Requests are only accepted during the annual application open period. Please review the Application Process webpage on adding our email address to your "safe" list.

If a non-U.S. citizen Finalist obtains U.S. citizenship (e.g., naturalization) and a permanent Social Security Number, supporting documentation must be provided to the PMF Program Office to update our records. In such cases, the Finalist should notify the PMF Program Office and send supporting documentation via email to pmfapplication@opm.gov 

For information on U.S. immigration laws, student visas, and U.S. citizenship, including non-U.S. citizen students and visa holders, go to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' website at www.uscis.gov External Link Icon . Citizenship information can be found at https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship and working in the United States can be found at https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states. You may call the USCIS at toll-free 1-800-375-5283 (or if outside of the U.S. at 1-212-620-3418), Monday through Friday, 8am-8pm (Eastern Time), or utilize their Contact Center at https://www.uscis.gov/contactcenter. 

NOTE: The PMF Program Office cannot answer specific questions about citizenship and employment eligibility (including Visas, Optional Practical Training, and DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) questions); the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is the governing authority on these topics. See additional information of "Employment of Non-Citizens" at USAJOBS referenced above.

UPDATED: 09-04-2024