United States · Government Jobs
Public-sector and civil-service hiring in United States — the official government job portal.
AI-drafted, editorially reviewed. Confirm specifics with the official authority.
US federal jobs are posted on USAJOBS, and the citizenship question turns on a distinction most applicants have never heard of: under Executive Order 11935 most competitive-service positions are restricted to US citizens and nationals, while some excepted-service roles and agencies can hire non-citizens in limited circumstances. The useful question is therefore not whether foreigners can work for the federal government, but which service a specific posting sits in. State and local governments fall outside all of this and run their own recruitment under their own rules.
US federal government jobs are posted on USAJOBS, the official employment site for the federal government. Most competitive-service federal jobs are restricted to US citizens and nationals (Executive Order 11935); some excepted-service positions and agencies can hire non-citizens in limited circumstances. State and local governments run their own separate recruitment.
- USAJOBS is the official site for federal-government jobs.
- Most competitive-service federal jobs require US citizenship (Executive Order 11935).
- Some excepted-service roles and agencies may hire non-citizens in limited circumstances.
- State and local governments recruit separately, with their own rules.
- 1
Find out which service the posting sits in
Competitive service and excepted service are governed by different rules, and the nationality restriction applies mainly to the former. Establishing which one a vacancy belongs to answers the eligibility question faster than reading the duties.
- 2
Read the executive order as the default, not the whole rule
Executive Order 11935 sets the citizenship restriction that covers most competitive-service positions, but it is a default rather than an absolute ban across the federal government. Excepted-service roles and certain agencies sit outside its reach.
- 3
Look for excepted-service agencies specifically
Some agencies hire outside the competitive service and can take on non-citizens in limited circumstances. Searching with that filter in mind is more productive than applying broadly and being screened out on citizenship.
- 4
Treat state and local government as a separate market
State and local governments recruit on their own portals under their own eligibility rules, so the federal citizenship position does not carry over. If federal routes are closed to you, these are a genuinely different set of options rather than a variation on the same one.
- 5
Use the official non-citizen guidance
The federal jobs site publishes dedicated guidance on working in government as a non-citizen, which sets out the limited circumstances precisely. It is a better basis than forum accounts, which tend to generalise from one agency's practice.
- Service type established for each posting of interest
- Citizenship restriction understood as covering mainly competitive service
- Excepted-service agencies searched deliberately
- Official non-citizen guidance read rather than forum accounts
- State government portals checked as a separate route
- Local government portals checked alongside state ones
- USAJOBS used as the federal starting point
- USAJOBS
Official federal-government employment site.
- USAJOBS — employment of non-citizens
Official guidance on citizenship requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Can a non-citizen work for the US federal government?
In limited circumstances, yes. Most competitive-service positions are restricted to citizens and nationals under Executive Order 11935, but some excepted-service roles and agencies can hire non-citizens, so eligibility depends on which service the specific posting belongs to rather than on a blanket rule.
What is the difference between competitive and excepted service?
They are two hiring systems with different rules, and the citizenship restriction attaches mainly to the competitive service. For a foreign applicant that difference decides eligibility, which is why it is worth checking on a posting before anything else about the role.
Do US state government jobs follow the federal citizenship rules?
No. State and local governments recruit separately under their own eligibility rules, so the federal position does not carry across. If the federal route is closed to you, these are worth treating as a genuinely different set of opportunities.
Government portals
- The White House — Official residence and office of the US President — executive orders, policy briefings, press releases
- U.S. Department of State — US passport and visa services, travel warnings, embassy information worldwide
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) — Federal tax filing, refund status, ITIN/EIN applications, and Free File program
- USCIS — Green card, H-1B and work visas, naturalization, immigration benefits, and case status