PART 315—CAREER AND CAREER-CONDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT

(snip)


Subpart B—The Career-Conditional Employment System

§ 315.201 Service requirement for career tenure.

(a) Service requirement. A person employed in the competitive service for other than temporary, term, or indefinite employment is appointed as a career or career-conditional employee subject to the probationary period required by subpart H of this part. Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, an employee must serve at least 3 years of creditable service as defined in paragraph (b) of this section to become a career employee.

(b) Creditable service. Unless otherwise approved by OPM, the service required for career tenure must include service as described in paragraph (b)(1) of this section and total at least 3 years.

(1) Nontemporary employment. To be creditable, the 3 years of service must begin with one of the following:

(i) Nontemporary appointment in the competitive service: For this purpose, nontemporary appointment includes a career-conditional appointment. The 3 years may also begin, but not end, with status quo employment under subpart G of part 316 of this chapter, an overseas limited appointment of indefinite duration, or an overseas limited term appointment under part 301 of this chapter. The 3 years also may have begun with permanent employment under now obsolete appointing authorities such as probational, war service indefinite, emergency indefinite, nontemporary appointment from a civil service register to a position in the excepted service before January 23, 1955, temporary appointment pending establishment of a register (also known as TAPER authority), nontemporary appointment to a position in the District of Columbia Government before January 23, 1955, and appointment based on Public Law 83-121. Determinations of whether an obsolete authority provides the basis for creditable service may be obtained from OPM;

(ii) Nontemporary appointment to an excepted position, provided the employee's excepted position was brought into the competitive service and, on that basis, the employee acquired competitive status or was converted to a career-conditional appointment;

(iii) Nontemporary appointment to a nonappropriated fund (NAF) position in or under the Department of Defense or in or under the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, provided the employee's NAF position was brought into the competitive service and, on that basis, the employee acquired competitive status or was converted to a career or career-conditional appointment;

(iv) Nontemporary excepted or nonappropriated fund appointment, Foreign Service appointment, or appointment in the Canal Zone Merit System, provided the employee is appointed to a competitive service position under the terms of an interchange agreement with another merit system under § 6.7 of this chapter, under Executive Order 11219 as amended by Executive Order 12292, or under Executive Order 11171;

(v) The date of appointment to a position on the White House Staff or in the immediate office of the President or Vice President, provided the service has been continuous and the individual was appointed to a competitive service position under § 315.602 of this chapter;

(vi) The date of nontemporary excepted appointment under § 213.3202(b) of this chapter (the former Student Career Experience Program) as in effect immediately before July 10, 2012, the effective date of the regulations removing that paragraph, provided the student's appointment was converted to a career or career-conditional appointment under Executive Order 12015 or under Executive Order 13562, with or without an intervening term appointment, and without a break in service of one day;

(vii) The date of veterans recruitment appointment (VRA), provided the appointment is converted to a career or career-conditional appointment under § 315.705 of this chapter, or the person is appointed from a civil service register without a break in service while serving under a VRA;

(viii) The date of nontemporary appointment to the Postal Career Service or the Postal Regulatory Commission after July 1, 1971, provided the individual is appointed to a career or career-conditional appointment under 39 U.S.C. 1006;

(ix) The date of nontemporary appointment under Schedule A, § 213.3102(u) of this chapter, of a person with an intellectual disability, severe physical disability, or a psychiatric disability, provided the employee's appointment is converted to a career or career-conditional appointment under § 315.709;

(x) The date of appointment in the Presidential Management Fellows Program under the provisions of Executive Order 13318, provided the employee's appointment was converted without a break in service to a career or career-conditional appointment under § 315.708 as in effect immediately before July 10, 2012, the effective date of the regulations that removed and reserved that section, or under Executive Order 13562;

(xi) The starting date of active service as an administrative enrollee in the United States Merchant Marine Academy;

(xii) Appointment as a career intern under Schedule B, § 213.3202(o) of this chapter, provided the employee's appointment was converted to a career or career-conditional appointment under § 315.712 as in effect immediately before July 10, 2012, the effective date of the regulations that removed and reserved that section;

(xiii) The date of appointment as a Pathways Participant in the Internship Program under Schedule D, § 213.3402(a) of this chapter, provided the employee's appointment is converted to a career or career-conditional appointment under § 315.713(a), with or without an intervening term appointment, and without a break in service of one day;

(xiv) The date of appointment as a Pathways Participant in the Recent Graduates Program under Schedule D, § 213.3402(b) of this chapter, provided the employee's appointment is converted to a career or career-conditional appointment under § 315.713(b), with or without an intervening term appointment, and without a break in service of one day;

(xv) The date of appointment as a Pathways Participant in the Presidential Management Fellows Program under Schedule D, § 213.3402(c) of this chapter, provided the employee's appointment is converted to a career or career-conditional appointment under § 315.713(c), with or without an intervening term appointment, and without a break in service of one day;

(xvi) Employment with the District of Columbia Government after January 1, 1980 (the date the District implemented an independent merit personnel system not tied to the Federal system), provided the person was a District employee on December 31, 1979, was converted to the District system on January 1, 1980, and is employed by nontemporary appointment in the competitive service; and

(xvii) The date of a time-limited post-secondary student appointment under subpart F of this part provided the appointment is converted to career or career-conditional appointment under 5 CFR part 316, subpart I.

(2) Competitive status. An individual may attain career tenure only when employed (or reemployed) in a permanent appointment in the competitive service that provides or leads to competitive status.

(snip)

Much much more - https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-5/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-315