DCW enables the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to reemploy Federal Employee Retirement Service (FERS) and Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) annuitants on a temporary or term, time-limited basis without a reduction in salary while continuing to receive their full annuity. Reemployed annuitants serve at the will of the appointing official.

NOTE: Reemployed annuitants with a DCW receive their full basic annuity and full salary; however, the FERS annuity supplement and Social Security benefits may be reduced based on the individual’s salary from work (discussed below).

Yes, appointments will be for a full-time work schedule for Term Appointments. Term appointments are for a period of more than 1 year but not more than 4 years. ICE may extend appointments made for more than 1 year but less than 4 years up to the 4-year limit in increments determined by the mission need.

Reemployed annuitants under this authority will be covered by FICA (Social Security and Medicare) only and cannot contribute to CSRS or FERS.

Reemployment under this authority is excluded from the CSRS and FERS retirement provisions. The service as a reemployed annuitant with a dual compensation waiver does not count towards a supplemental or redetermined annuity or allow a military service deposit.

Reemployed Annuitants under a Dual Compensation Waiver (DCW) do not contribute to CSRS or FERS. Therefore, there will be no impact (decrease or increase) to the basic annuity of an employee who accepts an RTM position. A redetermined annuity or supplemental annuity would not apply for these waiver situations. This is the case for LEOs as well as Attorneys.

The FERS annuity supplement will be reduced when the annuitant earns more than the Social Security exempt amount of earnings in the preceding year. The annuity supplement is reduced by $1.00 for every $2.00 of earnings over the minimum level ($23,400 for 2025). It is possible that the annuity supplement benefit could reduce to $0. More information is available at the OPM website and in OPM publication RI 90-8, Information for FERS Annuitants – Information for Individuals Who Have Retired Under FERS.

The reduction applies only to the retiree annuity supplement, not to the basic FERS annuity.

For former LEO’s, specifically, the reduction for excess earnings does not apply to employees who retire under the special provisions for law enforcement officers until they reach their Minimum Retirement Age (MRA of 57). All other annuitants receiving the FERS Annuity Supplement would have already attained MRA and therefore be subject to the earnings limit immediately upon reappointment with ICE (including attorneys).

Example of FERS Annuity Supplement Reduction:

Employee who accepts a position earning $100,000 per year that is subject to the reduction (meaning they are MRA or later) will have their Supplement reduced $1 for every $2 above the 2025 earnings limit ($23,400).

SALARY   $100,000
LIMIT           $23,400
EXCESS      $76,600

REDUCTION: Excess divided by 2 = $38,300. In this example, if the annuitant’s supplement is less than the reduction amount it would result in the supplement being reduced to $0.00.

Reemployed annuitants under this authority are not eligible to contribute to TSP.

Social Security beneficiaries who are younger than the full retirement may have their Social Security benefits reduced due to earnings from work. NOTE: Different rules apply if the annuitant receives Social Security disability benefits or Supplemental Security Income payments. More information is available at the Social Security Administration (SSA) website and in SSA publication How Work Affects Your Benefits.

Federal Employees’ Health Benefits (FEHB)

If not already enrolled as an annuitant, the reemployed annuitant is eligible for FEHB coverage as an employee when:

• They are expected to work 130 hours per month (or more) for at least 90 days (5 CFR 890.102(j) and BAL 14-210) or
• The temporary appointment follows (with a break in service of no more than 3 days) an appointment in which the employee was enrolled in FEHB (5 CFR 890.303(b)) or
• Appointment to a term of greater than 1 year (i.e., 13 months or more)

Federal Employees’ Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP)

Coverage as an annuitant would continue, if enrolled, or the reemployed annuitant may enroll during open season.

Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI)

Coverage as an annuitant would continue, if enrolled, or if FEGLI eligible then Basic + Options A + C are suspended, with an option to maintain or elect Option B.

If you are reemployed in Federal service in a position that conveys FEHB eligibility, you may have the opportunity to participate in premium conversion. If you participate in premium conversion, your enrollment can be transferred from your Retirement System to your employing agency. Your FEHB premiums will be deducted from your pay on a pre-tax basis as an employee not from your annuity. When you separate from reemployment, your retirement system will transfer in your enrollment. Changes to your plan can be done during Open Season, or if you experience a qualifying life event (QLE), such as marriage, divorce, birth of a child, etc. Particularly in HMO scenarios, moving outside of the coverage area can also trigger an opportunity to change those particular plans if you accept an RTM position outside of your current service area. Reemployment as an annuitant alone does not convey eligibility to make changes to your FEHB coverage.

The amount of sick leave that can be recredited is based on the employee’s separation date and whether the employee received credit for the unused sick leave in the computation of their annuity.

• CSRS Retirees (any date) & FERS Retirees on/after January 1, 2014 – Unused sick leave was used in the computation of annuity benefits and is not recredited upon reemployment.
• FERS retirees with a CSRS component – An annuitant who elected to transfer from CSRS to FERS during their employment has part of their annuity computed under the CSRS rules (known as a CSRS component). The retiree receives credit under the CSRS rules for the lesser of: 1) the amount of unused sick leave on the effective date of the transfer to FERS, or 2) the amount of unused sick leave at the time of retirement. Any sick leave used in the computation of annuity benefits is not recredited upon employment.
• FERS retirement effective before October 27, 2009 – During this period, unused sick leave was not used in the computation of FERS annuities. Exclude any sick leave that was credited in the computation of the CSRS component (if applicable, discussed above) and recredit the remaining unused sick leave.
• FERS Retirement Effective between October 28, 2009 and December 31, 2013 – During this period, 50% of the retirees unused sick leave was used in the computation of FERS annuities. Exclude any sick leave that was credited in the computation of the CSRS component (if applicable, discussed above) and recredit 50% of the remaining unused sick leave.

The service computation date will include all prior creditable service. Regular leave accrual rates apply based on length of service.

In calculating a lump-sum payment for unused annual leave at the time of retirement, an agency projects forward an employee's annual leave for all the workdays the employee would have worked if he or she had remained in Federal service. If an employee is reemployed in the Federal service prior to the expiration of the period of annual leave (i.e., the lump-sum leave period), he or she must refund the portion of the lump-sum payment that represents the period between the date of reemployment and the expiration of the lump-sum period. The employing agency re-credits to the employee’s leave account the amount of annual leave equal to the days or hours of work remaining between the date of reemployment and the expiration of the lump-sum leave period.

With narrow exception that is inapplicable to ICE, all GS-1811 Criminal Investigator positions are covered by LEAP.

An employee in a 1801 Deportation Officer position may be certified for AUO if the employee is in a position that has been determined to be eligible for AUO based on the duties in the position description

Available locations are based on the position or job announcement you apply to. Selectees will be assigned to locations (including sub-offices, if applicable) based on the needs of the agency. List of field offices can be found here: ICE Field Offices | ICE

Yes, consider our other job announcements open at USAJOBS https://ice.usajobs.gov/

It will depend on the position you applied to. Type and level of training will depend on your prior experience and our goal is to bring people on as quickly as possible.