If I’m not a U.S. citizen, can I work in the federal government?

Federal jobs generally fall into three categories: competitive service, where applicants largely compete against the general public; excepted service, where the application pool is usually more limited; and the senior executive service.

Competitive service is open only to U.S. citizens and nationals, with rare exceptions, but the other two can be open to noncitizens who meet legal requirements. Certain initiatives, like the Pathways Program, are also open to noncitizens, but to be hired permanently, a person would need citizenship.