OPM Form RI 92-19: Application for Deferred or Postponed Retirement

When You Need Form RI 92-19

OPM Form RI 92-19 (Application for Deferred or Postponed Retirement) is the application form used by former federal employees who separated from service and want to begin receiving their FERS annuity at a later date. It applies to two distinct situations that are frequently confused:

Deferred retirement. You left federal service before reaching your Minimum Retirement Age with at least five years of creditable civilian service, left your contributions in the FERS retirement fund, and have now reached an age where your annuity can begin (age 62 with 5+ years, age 60 with 20+ years, or MRA with 10+ years subject to the 5% annual reduction).

Postponed retirement. You separated from federal service after reaching your MRA with at least 10 but fewer than 30 years of service and chose not to start your annuity immediately (usually to avoid the 5% per year MRA+10 reduction). You're now ready to begin receiving payments.

Both pathways use the same form, but the implications for health insurance, life insurance, and sick leave credit are fundamentally different — so knowing which category you fall into matters before you fill anything out.

Filing Timeline

Submit RI 92-19 to OPM approximately 60 days before the date you want your annuity to begin. For deferred retirees, that's 60 days before you reach the qualifying age (typically 62). For postponed retirees, it's 60 days before whatever month you choose to begin payments.

For a deferred annuity, the start date is generally the first day of the month following the month you reach the qualifying age. For a postponed annuity, choose the first day of a month at least 31 days after OPM receives the application and no later than two days before your 62nd birthday.

What You'll Need

RI 92-19 itself is relatively straightforward — personal information, service history, and benefit elections. But OPM requires supporting documentation that former employees often struggle to locate years or decades after separation:

SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action). Your final SF-50 showing the separation action, and ideally the complete set from your eOPF. If you didn't download your eOPF before separation, you may need to request it from the National Personnel Records Center.

DD-214. Required if your service history includes military time that you made a deposit for. If the deposit was completed before separation, your agency's payroll records should reflect it — but OPM may request the DD-214 independently.

Marriage certificate. Required if you're electing a survivor annuity for a spouse. If you married after your federal separation, this documentation is especially important because OPM needs to verify marital status at the time of the annuity application.

Spousal consent (if applicable). If you're married and elect less than the full survivor benefit, your spouse must sign a notarized consent acknowledging the reduced or waived coverage.

Common Filing Mistakes

Confusing deferred and postponed retirement. The form covers both, but the benefit implications diverge sharply. Deferred retirees permanently forfeit FEHB and FEGLI coverage — those benefits cannot be reinstated regardless of how long the employee was enrolled before separation. Postponed retirees can reinstate both health and life insurance when the annuity begins, provided they met the five-year enrollment requirement at the time of their original separation.

Filing too late. OPM processes RI 92-19 applications on a rolling basis, and the backlog applies here just as it does for standard retirement applications. If you file the day your annuity should start rather than 60 days in advance, expect a delay before payments begin.

Missing deposit documentation. If you completed a military service deposit or civilian service deposit during your federal career, the payment should be reflected in your agency's records. But if the deposit was completed close to your separation date, documentation may not have been forwarded to OPM. Gather your own copies of SF 3108 receipts and payroll deduction records.

Not updating your address. OPM mails interim payments and correspondence to the address on file. Former employees who separated years ago frequently have outdated addresses in OPM's system. You can update this through OPM's Services Online portal before filing RI 92-19.

After Filing

Once OPM receives your application, the processing timeline follows the same queue as standard retirement claims. Digital applications through the ORA portal (where supported for deferred/postponed claims) process faster than paper submissions. During adjudication, you may receive interim payments — typically 60% to 80% of the estimated annuity — with the balance paid retroactively once the claim is finalized.

If your application involves complexities (outstanding court orders, disputed service periods, or incomplete deposit records), expect OPM to request additional documentation and extend the timeline accordingly.

The FERS Retirement Eligibility & Timing Guide covers the deferred-vs-postponed decision framework in detail, including the insurance implications that determine whether RI 92-19 preserves or permanently forfeits your employer-sponsored health and life coverage.

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