Life After the Peace Corps
Returned Volunteers are not eligible for unemployment benefits. The Department of Labor has ruled that individuals enrolled in the Peace Corps are Volunteers who perform services under terms and conditions that do not rise to the legal relationship of employer and employee and, therefore, are not considered in employment covered under Title II of the Emergency Jobs and Unemployment Assistance Act of 1974, Public Law 93-567.88, Stat. 1845.
The SF-50 is a "Notification of Personnel Action," and serves as a permanent record of a federal employee's promotions, pay-grade increases, or other administrative matters. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, you were not a federal employee and therefore do not have an SF-50. You can submit your description of service as a performance appraisal. If you need a copy, log in to the RPCV Portal and submit your request.
Generally, returned Volunteers must have successfully completed a full 27 months of Peace Corps service to receive noncompetitive eligibility. Country directors may choose to issue this certification to a Volunteer who, for reasons beyond their control, does not complete service, but who has satisfactorily served for a sufficient duration (normally at least 12 months) to demonstrate the capability to serve a full term. Volunteers who resign from Peace Corps service are not eligible for noncompetitive eligibility regardless of how long they served.
Peace Corps Response Volunteers who complete 12 months of service in a 24-month period are eligible for noncompetitive eligibility for Peace Corps employment. PCR Volunteers who complete two consecutive years of service receive noncompetitive eligibility for employment opportunities at the Peace Corps and other Federal agencies as they determine.
Learn more about noncompetitive eligibility and how it can help you get hired by federal agencies.
To make your request, download and complete the Authorization for Release of Medical Information Form [PDF]. Send the completed form to Office of Health Services, Medical Records at [email protected]. For additional questions or concerns, contact the Office of Health Services, Medical Records at 202.692.1540.
OWCP uses a schedule of maximum allowable medical charges. Providers agree to comply with the OWCP medical fee schedule. You do not have to pay the difference between the maximum charge set by the schedule and the charge made by the provider.
The description of service (DOS) completed by you and signed by your country director is considered your job description. If you did not complete a DOS, contact the desk officer for your country of service to initiate the process. If you completed a DOS but have not received a copy, log in to the RPCV Portal and submit your request.
Returned Volunteers are eligible for three months of coverage by a private health insurance called Short-term Health Insurance for Transition and Travel. The Peace Corps pays the first month’s premium and you have the option to purchase two additional months for yourself and for any qualified dependents. If you have service-related conditions that need an evaluation, your medical officer or the Office of Medical Services at the Peace Corps’ Headquarters will provide an authorization form for this evaluation. If an illness or injury was related to your Volunteer service, you may be eligible for benefits under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) through the Department of Labor. If you require ongoing medical treatment due to a service-related injury, the Post-Service Unit will assist you in filing a claim for FECA benefits. All entitlement decisions rest with the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) and not with the Peace Corps.
In accordance with the federal regulations of the Peace Corps Act of 1961, treatment of Peace Corps-related medical and dental conditions for Volunteers who have closed service falls under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act as administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP). The Peace Corps does not have the legal authority to pay for or provide health care for Returned Volunteers. If you require ongoing medical treatment due to a service-related injury, the Post-Service Unit will assist you in filing a claim for FECA benefits. All entitlement decisions rests with OWCP and not the Peace Corps.