The Department of Veterans Affairs is one of the largest employers in the federal government, and it hires into roles that range from clerical support to surgery. Because of that range, VA does not run one uniform background check on every applicant. It runs the standard federal suitability and investigation process that applies across agencies, then layers on health care credentialing for clinical staff and exclusion screening tied to federal health programs. Contractors and volunteers who work alongside VA employees go through a version of the same process, scaled to the access and risk the role carries. Here is how the pieces fit together.
Every federal position gets a sensitivity and risk designation first
Before VA can decide what kind of background investigation a job needs, the position itself has to be designated. Federal agencies use the position designation system set out in regulation to classify each job by national security sensitivity and by public trust risk level, which in turn determines the type and depth of investigation required. The system and its governing rules are described in 5 CFR Part 731, suitability, and in 5 CFR Part 736, personnel investigations. The Office of Personnel Management, which serves as the governmentwide suitability and credentialing executive agent, maintains the position designation tool that agencies including VA use to make this determination. A low risk clerical job and a high risk position with access to controlled substances or sensitive veteran data are not going to get the same level of scrutiny, and the designation is what drives that difference.
Positions generally fall into tiers that OPM uses to assign the investigation product, running from a lower tier for non sensitive, low risk positions up through higher tiers for positions designated noncritical sensitive, critical sensitive or special sensitive, or public trust positions carrying moderate or high risk. A higher tier generally means a deeper investigation, covering a longer period of the person’s history and reaching out to more sources, including employers, references, schools and, for the highest tiers, neighbors and associates. OPM’s suitability and credentialing program answers common questions about how this works in its suitability and credentialing FAQ.
Fingerprinting and the standard federal forms
Almost every VA new hire is fingerprinted as part of onboarding, and the fingerprint based criminal history check is submitted before or very shortly after the person starts work. The forms used to collect background information depend on the position’s designation: a lower risk, non sensitive public trust position typically uses the SF 85, a moderate or high risk public trust position typically uses the SF 85P, and a national security position uses the SF 86. A fuller walkthrough of what each form asks for and how the forms differ is covered in Reveal Background’s guide to federal job background checks and the SF 85, SF 85P and SF 86 forms, since the same forms and process apply across most federal agencies, including VA.
VA’s own human resources function describes its role in this process directly. The VA Office of Human Resources and Administration states that it provides “background investigations and adjudications for VA employees and contractors, issuing personal identity verification badges,” alongside its broader personnel security and suitability responsibilities, on its VA employee services page. That personal identity verification, or PIV, badge is the credential that confirms a completed and favorably adjudicated background check, and VA generally will not issue one until the required investigation stage is cleared.
Healthcare credentialing is a separate layer on top of suitability
For clinicians, the suitability and security background check is not the only screening step. Licensed health care professionals at VA facilities also go through a credentialing and privileging process that verifies the person’s license status, education, training, work history and any history of malpractice or disciplinary action, separate from the criminal history and public trust investigation. This credentialing step exists because a federal background investigation confirms things like identity, criminal history and employment history, but it does not independently verify that a clinician’s license is current, unrestricted and free of board action. VA facilities maintain that verification through an internal credentialing system for licensed practitioners, and renew it on a recurring basis rather than treating it as a one time hire event. An applicant with a clean background investigation can still be turned down or have privileges limited if the credentialing review finds a licensure or competency problem, and the reverse is also true: credentialing does not substitute for the suitability and security process.
OIG exclusion and SAM exclusion checks
Separately from both the suitability investigation and clinical credentialing, VA and its contractors have to screen against the federal exclusion lists that bar individuals and entities from being paid, directly or indirectly, for work connected to federal health care programs. The list most directly tied to health care is maintained by the HHS Office of Inspector General exclusions program, commonly called the LEIE. A broader, governmentwide list of parties excluded or debarred from federal contracting and programs across all agencies, not only health care, is maintained through SAM.gov exclusions. Reveal Background covers how these two lists work together, and how they differ from a criminal history search, in its healthcare exclusion screening guide to OIG, LEIE and SAM checks. Neither exclusion list is a substitute for the fingerprint based criminal history check, and a clean exclusion check does not mean a person has no criminal record, nor does the reverse hold.
Drug testing applies to some positions, not all
Federal agencies, including VA, operate drug free workplace programs that require pre employment and random drug testing for employees in testing designated positions, generally roles involving public safety, law enforcement, national security, or the handling of controlled substances, such as certain clinical and pharmacy positions. Not every VA job is a testing designated position, and the specific list of covered duties is set by the agency’s own drug free workplace plan rather than applying uniformly across every role. The federal framework for these workplace drug testing programs, including the laboratory and specimen handling standards used governmentwide, is maintained by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, described on its drug free workplace program page.
Contractors and volunteers are screened too, scaled to the role
VA relies heavily on contractors and volunteers, including in clinical and facility settings, and both groups go through a version of the same designation based process rather than being exempt from it. A contractor whose work gives them routine access to a VA facility, veteran records or federal systems is generally assigned a risk designation and investigation tier the same way an employee’s position would be, and the contracting company is responsible for getting its personnel through that process before they start work on site. Volunteers who work directly with patients, particularly in clinical areas, are also typically fingerprinted and screened before they begin, though the exact scope can be lighter than what applies to a paid position with system access. In every case, the point of the designation system is to match the depth of screening to the actual risk and access the role carries, not to apply the same investigation to everyone regardless of duties.
How the layers compare
| Screening layer | Who it applies to | What it verifies | Governing source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Position designation and tiered investigation | All employees, most contractors | Suitability, public trust risk, or national security eligibility, based on position tier | 5 CFR Part 731 and Part 736, OPM position designation tool |
| Fingerprint based criminal history check | Nearly all new hires | Criminal history records tied to the person’s identity | Collected via SF 85, SF 85P or SF 86 depending on designation |
| Clinical credentialing and privileging | Licensed health care professionals | License status, education, training, malpractice and disciplinary history | Internal VA facility credentialing process, renewed periodically |
| OIG and SAM exclusion screening | Employees and contractors tied to federal health programs | Exclusion or debarment from federal program payment | HHS OIG LEIE, SAM.gov exclusions |
| Drug testing | Employees in testing designated positions only | Current illegal drug use, per agency drug free workplace plan | Agency plan under the governmentwide drug free workplace framework |
What this means for applicants and hiring managers
An applicant should expect the process to take longer for higher tier positions, since a deeper investigation reaches further back and contacts more sources. Clinical applicants should expect the credentialing step to run in parallel with, not instead of, the suitability process, and should be ready to provide license numbers, education verification and work history details separately from whatever is submitted on the suitability forms. Hiring managers should not assume that a favorable suitability determination means a clinician’s license has been verified, or that a clean exclusion check means the person has no criminal history. Each layer catches a different kind of problem, and VA’s process is built to run all of them rather than treat any single check as sufficient on its own.
Frequently asked questions
Does every VA employee get fingerprinted?
Nearly all new VA employees are fingerprinted as part of the standard background investigation process, generally before or shortly after they start work, as part of the suitability and security determination tied to their position’s designation.
What determines how deep a VA employee’s background investigation goes?
The position’s sensitivity and public trust risk designation, made using the governmentwide position designation system, determines the investigation tier and therefore how far back and how broadly the investigation reaches.
Is clinical credentialing the same as a background check?
No. Credentialing verifies a clinician’s license status, education, training and disciplinary or malpractice history. It runs alongside the suitability and security background investigation, and neither one replaces the other.
Does VA check the OIG exclusion list for new hires?
Screening against federal exclusion lists, including the HHS Office of Inspector General’s exclusions list and the governmentwide SAM.gov exclusions list, is part of how federal health care related employers confirm a person is not barred from program related payment, separate from a criminal history check.
Are VA contractors and volunteers background checked too?
Generally yes, scaled to the access and risk the role involves. Contractors with routine facility or system access are typically assigned a risk designation and investigation tier similar to an employee’s, and clinical volunteers are typically fingerprinted and screened before starting.
Does every VA position require drug testing?
No. Drug testing generally applies to positions the agency designates as testing designated positions, such as certain law enforcement, public safety or controlled substance handling roles, rather than to every VA job.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Employers and applicants should confirm current requirements with VA, OPM, and the relevant federal regulations before making hiring decisions.
Related reading: federal job background checks and the SF 85, SF 85P and SF 86 forms and healthcare exclusion screening with OIG, LEIE and SAM. For employment and tenant background screening, visit Reveal Background.
