It’s called CTAP / ICTAP and the incoming HR can post a position for 5 days only to internal candidates who have been RIFed, if no one applies they can transfer you in from anywhere with the same grade without competition. I did this a few years ago and went from one GS-15 position to another at a different agency. Good HR people know how to do this.

I did this. Excepted service Schedule A appointment. I had to be approved by the head of the agency. And even then it was a lot of hassle for HR. My appointment is term limited so will need to eventually find another job once this gig is up.

Excepted service can do this.

I would not be sure there was no announcement. If you're relying on USAJobs search notifications, they are imperfect. Many times I have gone to the website and seen announcements that met my search criteria but were not included in any emails. Announcements can also open and close in as little as one day, so just because you didn't see an announcement doesn't mean there wasn't one.

There are ways to do this. Excepted hiring authority (schedule A, agency authority, job category authority) or non-competitive eligibility on the applicant's side (veterans). Waiver of competition for special qualifications or urgent need. A blanket open announcement (some are open for years), or a recent announcement that allowed for multiple selections. There are others means. None of these are common and many hiring managers/ HR people will not have experience with them.

If you're asking if you can pick a destination and then come in through the back door, the answer is that it all depends on how much the receiving office wants you. Hiring someone through most of the methods above requires a lot of effort from a lot of people. Again, it is not common.

I did this, it was not hard. You need to go to the same job series and grade, HR has to post something to be sure no RIF-ed employees are eligible for that position and it can happen quickly.

I remember hearing about something called direct hire authority that allows this. My old agency apparently had this, but would still post lol.

It is not a detail! And I want to do the same thing!

Is it a detail?

I have never heard of this happening. Interested to see what others say.

Is it possible to transfer to another federal agency without having to go through a hiring process? Someone just came over to our agency from an unrelated agency (not another bureau) and we had no job announcement. I'm asking to see if agencies have this flexibility for GS type positions. I'd like to explore other options.