An agency must not appoint any candidate from outside its permanent competitive service workforce if there is an ICTAP selection priority candidate available for the vacancy, unless the personnel action to be effected is an exception under § 330.707.

ICTAP selection priority applies to a vacancy that:

Is at a grade or pay level with a representative rate no higher than the representative rate of the grade or pay level of the ICTAP eligible's current or last permanent position of record;

Has no greater promotion potential than the ICTAP eligible's current or last permanent position of record;

Is in the same local commuting area as the ICTAP eligible's current or last permanent position of record; and

Is filled during the ICTAP eligible's eligibility period.

An agency may appoint any ICTAP selection priority candidate for a vacancy.

After an agency announces the vacancy and meets its obligation to any ICTAP selection priority candidates, the agency may appoint any other candidate from outside its current permanent competitive service workforce, under appropriate staffing procedures.

An agency may make additional selections or reissue selection certificates in accordance with its merit promotion program without readvertising for ICTAP eligibles only if the additional selections are made from the applicant pool established by the original vacancy announcement, including readvertisements for the same vacancy, under which ICTAP eligibles had an opportunity to apply.

An agency may deny an ICTAP eligible future selection priority for vacancies in that agency if the ICTAP eligible:

Declines an offer of a permanent appointment at any grade or pay level in the competitive or excepted service; or

Fails to respond within a reasonable period of time, as defined by the agency, to an offer or official inquiry of availability for a permanent appointment at any grade or pay level in the competitive or excepted service.

An agency may deny an ICTAP eligible future selection priority for a position previously obtained through ICTAP if the eligible was terminated or removed from that position under part 432 or 752 of this chapter.