The request for verification of employment, VA Form 26-8497 (also printed as USDA Form 410-5), is the form a lender or Local Processing Agency (LPA) sends to an applicant's employer to confirm employment and pay for a VA-guaranteed loan. The lender or LPA completes Part I, the employer completes the employment parts, and the employer returns the form directly to the lender or LPA. On FillingPDF you can fill out the form online and download or print the completed PDF; the form itself is published by the Department of Veterans Affairs at the official URL.
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What is 26-8497?
Form 26-8497, Request for Verification of Employment, is the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) form, shared with the U.S. Department of Agriculture as USDA Form 410-5, that a lender asks an employer to complete so it can verify an applicant's employment and earnings.
The form states that VA needs the information to help determine a veteran's qualifications for a VA-guaranteed loan. It has four parts:
- Part I, Request Certification: completed by the lender or LPA (Items 1 through 6), with the applicant's signature in Item 7.
- Part II, Verification of Present Employment: position, date of employment, probability of continued employment, how the applicant is paid, current base pay, earnings year-to-date and for the past year, and military pay items.
- Part III, Verification of Previous Employment: salary or wage at termination, dates of employment, reasons for leaving and position held.
- Part IV, Certification: the employer's signature, title, telephone number and date.
The employer completes either Parts II and IV or Parts III and IV. The edition dated OCT 2022 supersedes VA Form 26-8497 dated SEP 2017, which the form says will not be used.
Who needs to file 26-8497?
The lender, Local Processing Agency (LPA) or USDA loan packager handling a mortgage or rehabilitation loan application uses this form to request verification from the applicant's employer. It completes Items 1 through 6 and has the applicant sign Item 7.
The applicant signs Item 7. The statement beside it says the applicant has applied for a mortgage loan or rehabilitation loan, has stated that they are or were employed by the employer, and authorizes verification of their employment information with that signature.
The employer named in Item 1 completes Part II and Part IV if the applicant is currently employed, or Part III and Part IV if the employment is previous. The employer does not complete both Part II and Part III.
The form's privacy notice says an employer's response is voluntary, but that failing to provide the requested information could impede processing. The form does not describe any representative signing for the applicant or employer.
When to file 26-8497
The form is used when an applicant has applied for a mortgage loan or rehabilitation loan and has stated that they are or were employed by a particular employer. At that point the lender or LPA completes Part I and forwards the form directly to the employer. The form prints no filing deadline or processing time of its own. It estimates an average of 10 minutes for the employer to review the instructions, find the information and complete the form.
How to fill out 26-8497
Identify employer, applicant and lender
In Part I, enter the name and address of the employer in Item 1, of the applicant in Item 2, and of the lender or Local Processing Agent (LPA) in Item 3. Item 3 is where the employer will return the form.
Sign the request certification
The lender, LPA official or USDA loan packager signs Item 4A and enters their title in Item 4B. The signature certifies the form is sent directly to the employer without passing through the applicant.
Enter date and loan number
Item 5 is the date. Item 6 is the VA or USDA number.
Obtain the applicant's signature
The applicant signs Item 7 and gives their employee identification. This signature authorizes verification of the applicant's employment information.
Describe present employment
In Part II, the employer enters the present position (Item 8), date of employment (Item 9) and probability of continued employment (Item 10). Item 11A shows whether the applicant is paid by salary, hourly or commission, and Item 11B whether overtime or bonus is likely to continue.
Enter current base pay
Item 12: enter the current base pay and mark annual, monthly, weekly, hourly or other (specify).
Enter earnings year-to-date and past year
Items 13A through 13D ask for base earnings, overtime, commission and bonuses, each with a year-to-date and a past-year amount.
Complete military pay if applicable
Items 14A (monthly taxable pay) and 14B (monthly nontaxable pay) are for military personnel only. They cover base pay, flight pay, pro pay, quarters, VHA, clothing, rations and other amounts.
Add remarks for hourly pay
Item 15: if the applicant is paid hourly, indicate the average hours worked each week during the current and past year.
Complete Part III for previous employment
Use this part instead of Part II when the employment has ended. Enter salary or wage at termination in Item 16 (base pay, overtime, commissions, bonus, and yearly, monthly or weekly), dates of employment in Item 17, reasons for leaving in Item 18 and position held in Item 19.
Sign the employer certification
In Part IV, the employer signs Item 20, enters the employer title (Item 21), telephone number with area code (Item 22) and date (Item 23).
Review and download the completed PDF
Check that the correct parts are completed and signed, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF. Send it as described under How to submit.
How to submit 26-8497
The form moves between two parties and is not filed with VA directly: the lender or LPA sends it to the employer, and the employer returns it to the lender or LPA.
- Lender or LPA to employer: after completing Items 1 through 6 and obtaining the applicant's signature in Item 7, forward the form directly to the employer named in Item 1. The certification in Part I states that the verification has been sent directly to the employer and has not passed through the hands of the applicant or any other interested party.
- Employer to lender or LPA: after completing Parts II and IV, or Parts III and IV, the employer returns the form directly to the lender or LPA named in Item 3 of Part I.
The form prints no mailing address, portal or fax number; use the addresses entered in Items 1 and 3. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; delivery follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Having the applicant carry or forward the form to the employer; Part I certifies it was sent directly to the employer and did not pass through the applicant or any other interested party.
- Returning the completed form to the applicant instead of directly to the lender or LPA named in Item 3.
- Leaving the applicant's signature in Item 7 blank, which is what authorizes verification of employment information.
- Filling out Part II and Part III together; the employer completes either Parts II and IV or Parts III and IV.
- Skipping Part IV: the employer's signature, title, telephone number with area code and date (Items 20 through 23) are needed.
- Not noting average weekly hours in Item 15 for an applicant paid hourly, for both the current and the past year.
- Filling out the military pay lines (Items 14A and 14B) for a non-military applicant; they are marked for military personnel only.
- Using the superseded VA Form 26-8497 dated SEP 2017, which the current edition says will not be used.
Frequently asked questions
What is a request for verification of employment?
It is a form a lender or LPA sends to an applicant's employer to confirm employment and pay. VA Form 26-8497, also printed as USDA Form 410-5, is used for VA-guaranteed loans, and the form states VA needs the information to help determine a veteran's qualifications.
Who fills out VA Form 26-8497?
Three people sign it. The lender, LPA official or USDA loan packager completes Items 1 through 6, the applicant signs Item 7, and the employer completes Part II or Part III plus Part IV.
Can the applicant give the form to their employer?
No. The lender or LPA signs a certification in Part I that the form has been sent directly to the employer and has not passed through the hands of the applicant or any other interested party. The employer also returns it directly to the lender or LPA.
Which parts does the employer complete?
The employer completes Parts II and IV for present employment, or Parts III and IV for previous employment. Part II covers current pay and earnings, while Part III covers pay at termination, dates of employment and reasons for leaving.
Where do I send the completed form?
The employer returns it directly to the lender or LPA named in Item 3 of Part I. The form prints no separate address, portal or fax number, so use the address entered in Item 3.
Is an employer required to respond?
The form says the obligation to respond is voluntary, but failure to provide the requested information could impede processing. It estimates an average of 10 minutes to review the instructions, find the information and complete it.
Is VA Form 26-8497 the same as USDA Form 410-5?
Yes, the same form carries both identifiers. The OCT 2022 edition prints VA Form 26-8497 and USDA Form 410-5 together, and it supersedes the SEP 2017 edition of the VA form, which the form says will not be used.
Can I fill out VA Form 26-8497 online on FillingPDF?
Yes. You can fill out the fillable PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF does not send it to the employer or lender; the lender or LPA and the employer exchange the form directly.
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