In July 2026, the OPM moved to processing all federal retirement applications digitally.
It’s a big shift, but here’s what we’ve learned firsthand about what’s changing
What we know right now
The Online Retirement Application – ORA for short – is new for everyone, applicants and federal agencies alike. It’s so new that some agencies haven’t even started using it yet.
We’re hearing from agencies that have switched to digital that it’s taking longer for applications to be built correctly and loaded into the portal. And because of all the process changes, it’s taking longer for all applications to reach the OPM – both digital and paper.
So, ORA won’t affect your approval chances, but it will likely slow your case down.
That means you might experience longer wait times and more back and forth before your application officially reaches OPM.
You don’t have to be the one to keep track of this
Longer wait times may be unavoidable right now, but adding technical conversations with your agency to keep track of your case isn’t something you should have to deal with during an already stressful time.
If you’re a client of Harris Federal, there’s good news:
You won’t have to act as a coordinator or try to stay on top of a system that’s changing regularly. That’s our job.
We’ve worked with every single federal agency and have 20+ years of relationship with the OPM. We’re constantly communicating with them to make sure cases are processed and handled with care and attention.
If that kind of support sounds like a relief, give us a call. Don’t worry about juggling extra application steps on top of your health. Reach out today for a free, no-obligation consultation.
