The first step toward becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer is to provide preliminary information.Go to www.peacecorps.gov/application and complete a short online inquiry. This takes just a few minutes.

The next step is to start your actual application. You can do this immediately after the initial survey or later by going directly to www.peacecorps.gov/onlineapply. The application does not need to be completed in a single session. You will create a PIN number and password for your application so you can work on it periodically. Most people complete the application within two weeks. During this stage you will submit all of the following items:

• A completed application form, which includes two essays, three references, employment history, resume, community and volunteer activities, and educational background
• A copy of your college transcripts unless, generally, you have 10 years applicable professional experience (an unofficial copy is acceptable)
• Outstanding student loan, mortgage, or other financial obligations
• A completed Health Status Review

You will be able to monitor the status of your application online throughout the process. Updated regularly, your online “My Toolkit” individual account will provide you with information on your progress -toward becoming a Volunteer.

You will be contacted after an initial review of your application – approximately within two weeks. For applicants deemed potentially qualified, an interview generally takes place after all application materials, including references, have been returned. During the interview, you and the recruiter will discuss your skills and interests, the job opportunities available, and issues such as your flexibility, adaptability, social and cultural awareness, motivation, and commitment to Peace Corps service. This is the opportunity to ask questions and explore with the recruiter—who is almost always a returned Volunteer—if the Peace Corps is appropriate for you and how you might best fit our job openings.

After the interview is complete and all requested documents (including college transcripts if applicable, fingerprints, and reference checks) are received, the recruiter will evaluate your candidacy. If the recruiter determines that you are qualified for Peace Corps service, you will be nominated to serve in a general work area and region of the world with an approximate departure date. A nomination is a recommendation that an applicant move on to the next stage of consideration, which includes the medical, legal, suitability, and competitive reviews.

Once you have been nominated, a member of the Peace Corps medical evaluation team will review your Health Status Review. You will then be mailed a Medical Forms package that outlines the requirements for physical, dental, and eye exams. At the minimum, the medical evaluation includes a trip to your doctor with lab work, a visit to your dentist with X-rays, and the completion of medical history forms. Most costs incurred during this process are at your expense. It is best to return all material from the Medical Forms package within 45 days. While a majority of applicants are deemed medically qualified for Peace Corps service, some applicants may be disqualified, deferred, or limited to placement in certain countries. Visit www.peacecorps.gov/medical for information on conditions that the Peace Corps is typically unable to accommodate, or ask a recruiter for a list.

After the medical review, your application will also be reviewed for eligibility based on the Peace Corps’ legal guidelines, such as documentation of marital status, financial obligations, previous arrests and convictions, dependents, etc.

Applicants medically qualified and legally cleared for Peace Corps service are then evaluated by a Peace Corps placement officer for suitability and compared to the skills of other candidates. A placement officer may contact you for follow-up. Competitive and suitable candidates will then be matched to openings, taking into account when you are available to leave for this work, and the availability of accommodations needed should you have any special medical requirements.

For qualified and competitive candidates, the placement officer will extend an invitation in writing for a specific country and provide a detailed job description. The invitation letter includes a welcome packet with details about the country you will serve (the Welcome Book), the date of departure, the program job assignment, a Volunteer Handbook, and more.

If you accept the invitation to serve as a Volunteer, the Peace Corps will send you more information about your host country, and provide information on your preservice orientation training and departure.

Invitations are typically sent out two to three months (but at least six weeks) in advance of the program starting date.

The Peace Corps travel office will issue an electronic ticket for travel to your pre-service orientation site (also known as staging). Immediately prior to leaving for the country of assignment, Peace Corps “trainees” meet in the U.S. to prepare for their Volunteer service. You will meet others in the training group and, a short time later, fly to your assigned country to begin in-country training.