What is a Veteran’s Hold, and Why Does it Exist? 

What is a Veteran’s Hold, and Why Does it Exist? 

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By: Tais Vilela Ribeiro Quinhones 

As Park Advertising continuously monitors updates from State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) across the country, we aim to keep our clients informed about policies that may influence recruitment timelines and compliance processes. One practice that often raises questions is the Veteran’s Hold on SWA job postings.  

A Veteran’s Hold is a temporary period, typically lasting between 24 and 72 hours, where a newly posted job is visible only to eligible veterans before it becomes available to the public. This early access allows veterans to view and apply for positions before other job seekers. Veteran’s Holds are connected to the concept of “Priority of Service,” meaning that veterans receive access to employment services earlier than others. 

Although priority of service for veterans is federally required, veteran job hold policies are determined at the state level, since there is no federal mandate requiring states to place a temporary hold. Many states implement short holds to give veterans early access to new job opportunities, while some states apply holds to only specific types of job listings. Other states do not implement Veteran’s Holds at all. 

How Veteran’s Holds Can Affect PERM Recruitment 

SWAs also play an important role in employment-based immigration recruitment, particularly within the PERM labor certification process. As many states implement Veteran’s Hold policies, these temporary delays can affect the timing of job postings. 

Under federal recruitment guidelines, SWA job orders used for PERM must remain active for 30 consecutive days. When a job posting is placed on a Veteran’s Hold, the posting may appear live, but it will not be visible yet to the general public. In these situations, the official 30-day recruitment period does not begin until the hold period ends and the job becomes publicly visible. 

Due to these potential delays, accurately estimating when a job posting will go live is an important part of managing recruitment timelines. Monitoring posting status and identifying the reason for delays helps ensure that the required recruitment period is completed correctly and prevents unnecessary disruptions to the labor certification process. 

At Park, our team closely tracks SWA policies across different states and monitors job postings to ensure they are activated as expected. By identifying issues such as Veteran’s Holds or employer verification delays early in the process, we help our clients and partners maintain accurate timelines and ensure compliance with recruitment guidelines. 

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