# Federal Agencies Clarify ICTAP Eligibility

Federal agencies have clarified that eligibility for the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) lasts for one year, not two years as sometimes misunderstood. This clarification explains why some candidates found their eligibility expired before certain job announcement opening dates, despite starting their eligibility period within the previous year. In contrast, the Reemployment Priority List (RPL) eligibility period remains two years. Stakeholders also note that a significant portion of the ICTAP eligibility period coincided with a federal hiring freeze, which limited job opportunities for eligible candidates.

- **Why this matters:** Procurement professionals managing workforce transitions and contractors supporting federal hiring should understand the one-year ICTAP eligibility window to better align recruitment and staffing strategies.
- Agencies and HR teams must account for the shorter ICTAP eligibility when planning hiring timelines and outreach to eligible candidates.
- Contractors providing workforce support services may find opportunities to assist agencies in navigating eligibility rules and mitigating impacts of hiring freezes.
- This clarification highlights the importance of monitoring eligibility periods and federal hiring conditions to optimize talent acquisition and retention efforts.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Professional Services
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** September 15, 2026

### Government Entities
- Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)

### Key Quotes
> It’s remarkable that over half of the eligibility period occurred during the hiring freeze.
> — Commenter

### Sources
- [Career Transition (ICTAP) Eligibility](https://www.reddit.com/r/FedEmployees/comments/1wh9ddp/career_transition_ictap_eligibility) - reddit-fedemployees