New Employees

Prepare for your first day at the Census Bureau. This new employee pre-appointment package contains important personnel forms which should be completed prior to your first day of employment at the Census Bureau.

Several of the forms can be filled out on-line, or they may be printed and completed manually. Be aware that data entered on the electronic forms will not be saved and your input will be deleted when you exit the form.

Please review each form for accuracy and print it before continuing to the next form. As you work through the pre-appointment package, use this list of payroll documents as your guide.

We also recommend that you keep copies of these documents for your records.

If you have been instructed to complete additional forms, such as, a travel agreement or a seasonal employment agreement, you can find them under Special Forms and Information. In this section is also additional information if you now receive or have applied for unemployment benefits.

Please follow the instructions in this package carefully to insure successful completion of these forms. Once you are satisfied that all forms are completed correctly, sign and date the forms (if instructed to do so) and bring them to orientation.

Should you have any questions, they will be answered during your orientation session.

If you are completing these forms after orientation, please call the Talent Development & Management Programs Branch on 301-763-2348 for assistance.

Facts for Your First Day of Work

Information about what to expect for your first day of work at the U.S. Census Bureau.

To supplement this package, we have included an Employee Benefits section, so you may become familiar with the Federal Programs prior to orientations.

List of Payroll Documents

Form I-9 - Employment Eligibility Verification

Complete, sign and date Section 1 only.

Section 2 and 3 will be completed during your orientation session.

At orientation, you will be asked to show proof of eligibility for employment. You will find a list of acceptable documents on the third page of the I-9 form.

You must bring to orientation:

One document from List A

One document from List B and one document for List C.

Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification [<1.0 MB]

Form OF-306 - Declaration for Federal Employment

Completion of this form is a condition of Employment.
Provide complete answers and check the boxes that apply to you.
Please remember to clarify your responses to questions 8 through 13 and question 17 in the space provided under number 15.
If you answer "Yes" to any question from 8 through 12, please immediately telephone the personnel specialist who offered you employment.
For number 15, your answer should still be "Yes" if you applied for any of the types of pay listed, but were denied.
If you complete this form before you are sworn in, sign and date after number 17a only. When you are sworn in during orientation, you will sign and date again after number 17b.
If you complete this form after you are sworn in, sign and date after number 17b.

Declaration for Federal Employment [<1.0 MB]

Form CD-525 - Employee Address

Please complete items 1-6 and 9-11. Sign and date the form.
You may use a temporary address to complete this form. Once you have established permanent residence, you should submit a change of address using the NFC Employee Personal Page. NFC Employee Personal Page allows you to make certain personnel and payroll changes electronically.
State taxes are deducted automatically based on your duty station (Suitland, Maryland), not on your home address. Therefore, Maryland state taxes will be deducted from your salary. If you do not reside in Maryland, complete a waiver of Maryland tax by signing the Certification of Non-residence found on the Maryland state tax form MW 507 [PDF <1.0 MB], and submit it along with your residence state income tax form. See the Maryland, Virginia and District of Columbia tax forms for more information.

Employee Address [<1.0 MB]

Form CD-314 - Statement Relating to Employee Responsibilities and Conduct

Please read the accompanying document, "Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch".
On form CD-314, fill in your name and, under "Employee's Organization", enter your division and branch. If you are not sure of your division and branch names, leave this blank until orientation.
Check the box appropriate to your situation.
Sign and date the form.
To request guidance concerning your circumstances, follow the "Special Instructions" found on the lower half of the CD-314. Please address your inquiry to:
- Ethics Officer
  Employee Relations Branch
  Human Resources Division, Room 3280/3
  Bureau of the Census
  Washington, DC 20233

Statement Relating to Employee Responsibilities and Conduct [<1.0 MB]

Uniformed Service Status Form

This form must be completed by all new employees.
Check the box next to the uniformed service component that applies to you. Sign and date the form.
If this form does not apply to you, check Box a. under "Type of Service". Sign and date the form.

Uniformed Service Status Form [<1.0 MB]

Form W-4 - Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate

Enter your name, address, and social security number.
Indicate the tax rate category and number of exemptions you wish to claim on this Federal income tax withholding form.
If you are unsure about the number of exemptions to claim, you can use the Personal Allowances Worksheet at the top of the W-4 form, or, the Deductions and Adjustment Worksheet on the reverse of the form. Additional withholding advice should be sought from a tax professional.
Sign and date the form.

Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate [<1.0 MB]

Form SF-1199A - Direct Deposit Sign-Up

Completion of this form is necessary for the timely payment of your biweekly salary.

Section 1

A - Enter your name, address, and telephone number.
B - Skip
C - Enter
D - Check next to your account type.
E - Enter your account number. Do not leave blank spaces between the numbers. You may use dashes if they are part of your account number.
F - Self-explanatory
G - Skip

Joint Account Holders' Certification: If there are two names on the account, both account holders must sign here.

Section 2

Government Agency Name: Census Bureau
Government Agency Address: Washington, DC 20233

Section 3

This must be completed, signed, and dated by your financial institution and given back to you.

PLEASE BRING THE COMPLETED FROM TO ORIENTATION ALONG WITH A "VOIDED CHECK" OR FINANCIAL INSTITUTION CERTIFICATION IN SECTION 3 OF THE DIRECT DEPOSIT FORM. FAILURE TO BRING A "VOIDED CHECK" OR FINANCIAL INSTITUTION CERTIFICATION COULD RESULT IN A DELAY IN THE PROCESSING OF YOUR DIRECT DEPOSIT FORM.

Direct Deposit Sign-Up [<1.0 MB]

Form VA-4 - Employee's Virginia Income Tax Withholding Exemption Certificate

If you are a Virginia resident:

Enter your social security number, name and address.
Indicate the number of withholding exemptions you are claiming. If you are unsure about the number of exemptions to claim, use the Personal Exemption worksheet on the top of the Form VA-4 to determine the correct deduction.
Sign and date the form.
If you work at Census Headquarters in the State of Maryland, you must complete and sign the Certification of Non-residence (#4) on the Maryland state tax Form MW 507 [PDF <1.0 MB] to waive Maryland state taxes. Instructions for claiming non-residence are found on page 2 under "Line 4".

Employee's Virginia Income Tax Withholding Exemption Certificate [1.2 MB]

Form MW-507 - Employee's Maryland Withholding Exemption Certificate

If you are a Maryland resident:

Enter your name, social security number, address and county of residence.
Indicate the number of exemption you are claiming. If you are unsure about the number of exemption to claim, use the Worksheet at the bottom of the form to determine the correction deduction.
Sign and date the form.

Note: Residents of the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Virginia or West Virginia should complete the Certification of Non-residence (#4) on Form MW-507 to waive Maryland state taxes. Instructions for claiming non-residence are found on page 2 under "line 4".

Employee's Maryland Withholding Exemption Certificate [<1.0 MB]

Form D-4 - Employee's Withholding Allowance (DC) Certificate

For residents of the District of Columbia:

Enter your name, address, and social security number.
Select your filing status and the total number of allowances you are claiming. If you are unsure about the number of allowances to claim, use the Worksheet provided on Form D-4 to determine the correct deduction.
Sign and date the form.
If you work at the Census Headquarters in the State of Maryland, you must complete and sign the Certification of Non-residence (#4) on the Maryland state tax Form MW 507 [PDF <1.0 MB] to waive Maryland state taxes. Instructions for claiming non-residence are found on page 2 under "Line 4".

DC Withholding Allowance Certificate [<1.0 MB]

Pre-Appointment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration

This form must be completed if you are a male born after December 31, 1959.
Under "Certification of Registration Status", check the statement that applies to you.
Sign and date the form.

Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration [<1.0 MB]

Form SF-144 - Statement of Prior Federal Service

The purpose of the Statement of Prior Federal Service form is to give you credit for any previous Federal service that is not listed on your original resume. This information is used to give you proper credit for leave benefits, retirement and retention status in case of a reduction-in-force (RIF). You are requested to complete this form even if you have no prior Federal service as it is filed in your personal electronic official personnel folder (eOPF).

Statement of Prior Federal Service [<1.0 MB]

Form SF-181 - Ethnicity and Race Identification

Your furnishing this information is voluntary. Your failure to do so will have no effect on you or your Federal employment. If you fail to provide the information, however, the employing agency will attempt to identify your race and national origin by visual perception.

Check the box next to the category that define your basic racial and national origin.
If you are of mixed origin, select the category with which you most closely identify.
Mark only one box.

Ethnicity and Race Identification [<1.0 MB]

Form SF-256 - Self Identification of Disability

Self-Identification of handicap status is voluntary, however, your cooperation in providing this information is very important.

The Privacy Act statement and purpose for handicap data collection is explained on the back of the form.
Read through the definitions provided and enter the code of the one which best described your status.
Enter only one code.

Self-Identification of Disability [<1.0 MB]

Special Forms and Information

Travel and Transportation Information

We would like to assist you relocating to the DC metro area with reimbursement for cost of travel, transportation, and temporary storage of household goods.

Relocation Travel Guidelines for New Appointees

Relocation travel guidelines for new appointees to their first official duty station in the Federal Government.

Employment Agreement Seasonal/Unemployment Information

Unemployment Insurance benefit payments require written notification to discontinue the issuance of Unemployment Insurance checks now that you are employed.

Last Revised: December 16, 2021

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