Most Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is USAID hiring, and if so in what categories?
Periodically, the Agency recruits for a limited number of Civil Service (GS) and
Foreign Service (FS) positions. Vacancies are posted on the Agency's web page at:
http://www.usaid.gov/careers/
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, at their own expense, 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).
3. Do I have to be a U.S. citizen?
Yes. USAID is prohibited by law to employ non-citizens for direct hire appointments.
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. 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.
5. Must I have development experience to be considered for the foreign service?
Although not required, 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?
No, but a graduate degree makes you more competitive.
7. What are the basic qualifications needed for employment?
a) For direct hire GS 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) FS direct hire career positions require you to be a U.S. citizen at the time
of application and at a minimum 18 years old. It 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:
- At the FS-4 entry level: a combination of experience, education and training
equivalent to seven years of professional experience directly related to the specific position
to be filled, or a Bachelor's degree in a relevant major plus 3 years of relevant
experience, or a Master's degree in a relevant major plus one year of experience, or, a
Ph.D. in a relevant major, or an equivalent combination of such education and experience.
- At the mid-level: the required number of years of experience is increased according
to the level of the position and is specified in the vacancy announcement.
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. at their own expense 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 receive a postcard to acknowledge receipt of their application.
Only applicants who are selected for future processing are contacted thereafter.
10. Does your agency provide financial aid to further my education?
Unfortunately, we do not make grants directly to individuals. 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 our countries, 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 are the NEP and IDI Programs?
The IDI (International Development Intern) and NEP (New Entry Professional) programs are USAID programs for recruiting classes of well qualified applicants into the Foreign Service.
The IDI program is geared to recruiting entry level professionals to the Foreign Service. The NEP program is for applicants with a more technical experienced background.
Please refer to the specific open vacancies for more information regarding qualifications of each program.
16. Why do I need prior work experience if I graduated from college and the NEP program is for New Entry Professionals?
Because selection for the NEP program is based upon a highly competitive screening process. Applicants are evaluated on the basis of academic credentials, related overseas and/or domestic development professional experience, and other relevant factors. The program is not intended to train people from the ground up, rather applicants need to have some starting point of experience.
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