The career move you've never heard of
If you're already in the APS, the smartest career move is often the one nobody outside the public service has heard of: a section 26 transfer. Under section 26 of the *Public Service Act 1999*, an APS employee can move at-level between agencies without going through a competitive merit process, provided both agencies agree.
It's how internal candidates quietly jump from a stagnant team into a high-profile branch without ever appearing on APSjobs.gov.au. The catch: it's discretionary, the rules are arcane, and many APS employees genuinely don't know the option exists.
The rules
- Section 26 transfers are at-level only — you cannot use s.26 to promote yourself; promotions require a competitive process.
- Both the gaining and losing agencies must agree, and there's usually a negotiated start date 4-12 weeks out.
- Your continuous service, leave balances, and Long Service Leave entitlements transfer — you don't reset.
- Some Enterprise Agreements treat your salary point on transfer differently — check the gaining agency's EA before agreeing.
How to position yourself
Most s.26 moves start with a conversation, not an application. Get on the radar of teams you'd like to join. Internal networks, agency secondments, working groups, and cross-agency committees are the recruitment funnel.
When the conversation gets serious, you'll usually need a written capability summary against the role's expectations — the document that turns a casual chat into a transfer offer.
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Start your free trialWhat's negotiable
"Spinal point" matching is the negotiation lever — within your classification range, your incremental progression can sometimes be preserved or topped up at the gaining agency.
How GovPrep helps
Section 26 doesn't require a panel interview, but it does require you to pitch yourself convincingly to the gaining manager. GovPrep helps you build a written capability summary against the role's expectations — the document that lands the offer.