New or Returning to Federal Government
Congratulations on your appointment to the Federal Aviation Administration!
While a few of you may have served in the Federal Government at some point in your careers, others of you are brand new to Federal Service. These tips will help you hit the ground running.
First, it's critical that you complete the required forms below in advance of your first day. You should bring these completed forms with you to orientation or submit them in advance to your HR Specialist, depending on the instructions you received in your offer letter.
Required forms for all employees new to the federal government, rehires or reinstated Federal employees and recent graduate appointments:
| Form Number | Form |
|---|---|
| I-9 | Employment Eligibility Verification (PDF) (physical signature required in the presence of an HR specialist) |
| SF 61 | SF 61 Appointment Affidavits (PDF) |
| SF 1199A | Direct Deposit Sign-up Form (PDF) |
| W-4 | Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate (PDF) |
| State Tax Form | State Tax Form (select the form for your appropriate state of residence) |
| D-4A | DC Certificate of Non-Residence in the District of Columbia (PDF) (headquarters personnel only) |
| DOT 2730-2 | DOT Employee Information Form (PDF) (Your HR specialist will notify you if DOT Form 2730-2 is required in addition to, or in place of, SF 1199A) |
| SF 256 | Self Identification of Disability (PDF) |
| SF 144 | Statement of Prior Federal Service (PDF) |
| Notification to Applicants and New Employees – Activities and Prohibited Financial Interests (PDF) | |
| FAA 3300-9 | Record of Family Relationship |
| Statement of Education (PDF) | |
| SF 181 | Ethnicity and Race Identification (PDF) |
| Pre-employment Certification Statement for Selective Service (PDF) (male only) | |
| Most recent leave and earnings statement (LES) (for leave transfer information) |
| Form Number | Form |
|---|---|
| SF 15 | Application for 10 Point Preference (PDF) |
| SF 813 | Verification of Military Retiree's Service (PDF) |
| FAA Form 3300-34 | Military Status Report |
| R1 20-97 | Estimated Earning During Military Service (PDF) |
| You must provide a copy of your DD 214 for each period of active duty. Please make sure it is a copy that includes character of service or type of discharge and time lost. | |
| Form Number | Form |
|---|---|
| Acknowledgement of Ineligibility for OSI/SCI (PDF) |
Be sure to bring two forms of current government ID on your first day (acceptable forms of ID listed on page 9 of the I-9 form (PDF)).
If you have any questions about your requirements, please contact the HR Specialist listed in your offer letter or refer to the HR Contact List to find your representative.
Please ensure that you read the notices below in addition to the important policy notices contained in the Required Reading Material section:
- E-Verify (English) (PDF)
- E-Verify (Spanish) (PDF)
- Right to Work (English) (PDF)
- Right to Work (Spanish) (PDF)
Second, as a federal employee, you may be entitled to certain benefits, including retirement, health and life insurance and the Thrift Savings Program (similar to a 401K plan in industry). Learn more about the types of benefits available on the Benefits & Retirement page.
You will learn more about benefits during your orientation. Until then, here are a few key things to keep in mind:
- Your health benefits will be active from the day your enrollment paperwork is processed. It can up to 30 days to complete your enrollment paperwork, so it's important not to delay.
- For health, dental, vision and additional life insurance, you have 60 days from your hire date to make your selections and submit your paperwork to the HR Specialist noted in your offer letter. If you miss this window, you will have to wait for health, dental and vision insurance enrollment until Open Season (typically mid-Nov. to mid-Dec. of each calendar year) or until you have a Qualified Life Event (e.g., marriage, divorce, birth or adoption of a child, etc.).
- Dental and vision plans are optional and listed among the required benefits forms below. You can find details about enrolling in dental/vision coverage here.
- If you have questions as you're making your selections, FAA has a centralized benefits hotline that you can call even before you arrive (identify yourself as a "new employee"): 1-855-FAA-BENE.
You should complete the following benefits forms and submit them to the HR Specialist noted in your offer letter.
| Form Number | Form | For Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| SF2809 | Health Benefits Election Form (PDF) | opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/ |
| SF2817 | Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance Election (PDF) | opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/life-insurance/ |
| SF2823 | Designation of Beneficiary Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program (PDF) | opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/life-insurance/ |
| SF3102 | Designation of Beneficiary (FERS) (PDF) (Retirement benefits) | |
| SF1152 | Designation of Beneficiary (PDF) (Unpaid compensation) | |
| TSP-1 | Thrift Saving Plan Election Form (PDF) | www.tsp.gov |
| TSP-3 | Designation of Beneficiary (PDF) (Thrift Savings Plan) |
Third, with respect to pay, the FAA has 26 pay periods (every two weeks) where employees receive compensation. Pay day is every other Tuesday. It will take at least three weeks to receive your first paycheck from FAA.
Finally, we encourage you to learn more about FAA: