Reinstatement allows a former federal employee to reenter the federal competitive service workforce without competing with the public in a civil service examination. If an applicant has reinstatement eligibility, the applicant is eligible to apply for any open civil service examination, as well as for federal jobs open only to federal employees. There is no time limit on reinstatement eligibility in certain cases. For example, if an applicant has veterans' preference or has acquired federal career tenure by completing three years of substantially continuous creditable service, the applicant has permanent reinstatement eligibility. C.P. formerly worked in the federal competitive service workforce.