U.S. Virgin Islands Veterans services
The Virgin Islands Office of Veterans Affairs is the official territory entry point for Veterans services, local program information, and claims-assistance referrals.
Official sources reviewed 2026-08-29
U.S. Virgin Islands Veteran Benefits
Review 21 source-backed U.S. Virgin Islands veteran benefit records, eligibility considerations, and program source links.
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Reviewed U.S. Virgin Islands benefit records
Open any record for source dates, caveats, application steps, and official links.
Travel outside of the VA Caribbean Healthcare Network
Travel outside of the VA Caribbean Healthcare Network: USVI Veterans traveling outside of the VA Caribbean Healthcare Network are authorized to be reimbursed by the Office of Veterans Affairs for no more than $250 for no more than three trips per fiscal year under the following circumstances: Veteran must be receiving care at a VA Hospital or VA Medical Center (care at a CBOC does not qualify) Reimbursement for travel must be pre-approved by the Director of the USVI Office…
Travel within the VA Caribbean Healthcare Network
USVI Veterans may receive reimbursement of approved airfare to the closest VA facility for non-service-connected appointments within the VA Caribbean Healthcare Network. A CBOC referral or emergency director authorization, appointment records, boarding passes and receipts are required. The policy's 100% refers to approved airfare reimbursement, not a required VA disability rating. Medically necessary companions have separate documentation rules.
University of the Virgin Islands, Center for Excellence in Leadership and Learning (UVI CELL)
UVI CELL offers continuing-education courses at no cost to eligible Virgin Islands Veterans after Office of Veterans Affairs approval. Start a Veterans Voucher Request, sign in or create a UVI CELL account, and submit the requested course application. The current waiver requires qualifying service, no previous waiver for the same class and no entitlement to federal Veteran tuition funding for that tuition. OVA sends an approved waiver to UVI CELL for registration.
USVI Administrative Leave of Absence for Military Duty
The USVI Division of Personnel’s posted employee handbook states that a territorial-government employee drafted into the armed forces, or a reservist called to active duty, is eligible for administrative leave of absence. Reemployment rights are governed by applicable federal law. Ask the supervisor or Division of Personnel to confirm the leave arrangements for the employee’s duty orders.
USVI Department of Labor Veteran Services
The USVI Department of Labor gives Veterans and eligible spouses priority for DOL-funded employment and training services. DVOP specialists provide more intensive assistance to qualifying applicants with significant barriers to employment and designated groups, including some family caregivers of wounded, ill or injured service members. Contact the workforce office to determine the applicable service category; caregiver access to DVOP services is not a blanket hiring preference.
USVI Gold Star Family Specialty License Plates
Families designated as Gold Star Families may receive two USVI Gold Star license plates per family at no plate cost. OVA’s posted policy prioritizes the father, then mother, then children from eldest to youngest. The vehicle must be registered in the recipient family member’s name, and vehicle-registration charges remain payable. OVA must issue the Veteran Eligibility Form before BMV registers the plates.
USVI Government Employment Veterans’ Hiring Preference
For qualifying USVI government employment examinations, the Office of Veterans Affairs lists 10 added points for Veterans and 15 for disabled Veterans with a VA service-connected rating of 0% or more. Its summary also identifies a preference for the widow or spouse of a disabled Veteran. Applicants must document the applicable category and satisfy the position and examination requirements; preference is not a job guarantee.
USVI In-Territory Tuition
Covered Veterans and dependents using qualifying VA education benefits may receive the resident tuition rate at a public school with VA-approved programs while living where the school is located. This includes qualifying Post-9/11 GI Bill, MGIB-AD, VR&E, transferred-benefit, Fry Scholarship and DEA users. Ask UVI’s School Certifying Official to review the applicable benefit and living-location requirements; this is a resident-rate protection, not a tuition scholarship or the separate local Veteran waiver.
USVI Income-Tax Treatment of Military Survivor Annuities
Military Survivor Benefit Plan payments are generally taxable annuity income, unlike tax-free VA DIC. The Virgin Islands uses a mirror federal income-tax system; bona fide USVI residents generally report worldwide income to the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue. Report the taxable amount shown under the applicable annuity rules, not necessarily every dollar received. Residency, payment type and individual circumstances affect filing; this is not a special territorial survivor-tax exemption.
USVI local military and Veteran benefits overview
The USVI Office of Veterans Affairs lists local tuition assistance, Veteran hiring preference, burial assistance, property-tax benefits and Veteran license plates. Some programs require the territory’s specific Virgin Islands Veteran connection, while others are available to Veterans residing in the territory. Each program has separate eligibility and documentation requirements; this overview is not an eligibility determination.
USVI Office of Veterans Affairs
The USVI Office of Veterans Affairs helps Veterans and their families obtain program information, referrals and assistance. Contact the St. Thomas office at 340-774-8387 or St. Croix at 340-773-8387, or email [email protected]. The current contact page lists office hours as 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m.; confirm hours before visiting.
USVI Tax Assessor Offices and Homestead Credit Application
The USVI Tax Assessor administers homestead and other property-tax credits. Contact St. Croix at 340-773-6449 or St. Thomas/St. John at 340-774-2991, and use the current official application to confirm identity, principal residence, Veteran or survivor status and filing requirements.
USVI tax treatment of VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a tax-free benefit for qualifying surviving spouses, children or parents. Eligibility depends on VA’s service, death, relationship and other requirements. VA benefits are excluded from income under the federal rules mirrored by the USVI. This is not the military Survivor Benefit Plan, whose tax treatment is different.
USVI Taxes on Military Disability Retirement Pay
Military disability retirement pay is not automatically tax-free. Under the income-tax rules mirrored by the USVI, exclusion depends on the IRS conditions, such as qualifying combat-related injury, specified pre-September 1975 service, or the amount of VA disability compensation the recipient could receive. Pay based on years of service is generally taxable except for an allowable exclusion. VA disability compensation is a different, nontaxable benefit. Confirm the payment type and USVI filing requirements with the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
USVI Taxi Medallions only Available to Veterans
USVI Taxi Medallions only Available to Veterans: Veterans may participate in the Annual Veteran Taxi Medallion Auction held in December. This auction is only open to resident Veterans. Veterans must comply with the following: Served on active duty in the U.S.…
USVI Veteran Specialty License Plates
The USVI Office of Veterans Affairs' March 2025 benefit summary permits up to three free sets of Veteran license plates, but only one disabled-Veteran plate per eligible Veteran. Vehicle-registration fees remain payable. Confirm eligibility and processing with the USVI Office of Veterans Affairs and Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
USVI Veterans Medical Travel Reimbursements
The USVI Office of Veterans Affairs offers medical-travel assistance under separate rules for travel within and outside the VA Caribbean Healthcare Network. Approved within-network airfare for non-service-connected appointments may be reimbursed. Outside-network assistance is limited to $250 per trip for up to three trips per fiscal year, requires director preapproval and proof of attendance, excludes attendant reimbursement, and depends on available funds.
USVI Veterans Property Tax Credit and Exemption
USVI’s homestead application provides a $650 Veteran credit for qualifying Veteran or widow(er) property owners, including specified National Guard service routes. It requires permanent USVI residency on January 1, at least six months living in the territory, and application by March 1. The Office of Veterans Affairs separately lists full homestead property-tax exemption for Veterans receiving VA service-connected permanent-and-total disability compensation. The Tax Assessor determines the qualifying property, proof and applicable relief; a credit is not the same as a full exemption.
Veteran Tax Credit
Qualifying USVI property owners who are Veterans or a Veteran’s widow or widower may apply for a $650 property-tax credit. The current application also recognizes National Guard service of at least 20 years or more than 30 consecutive days deployed in a war zone. It requires permanent USVI residency on January 1, principal-residence evidence and filing with the Tax Assessor by March 1. Only one additional credit may be selected alongside the homestead exemption; the assessor makes the final determination.
Veteran Tuition Waiver for the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI)
Qualifying Virgin Islands Veterans may request tuition-free enrollment at UVI through the Office of Veterans Affairs. The current waiver requires service in the U.S. Armed Forces with release under conditions other than dishonorable, certification that federal Veteran funds do not already cover the tuition, and no duplicate waiver for the same class. The Director’s signature is required. The local benefits summary states that other UVI fees remain the Veteran’s responsibility; OVA must verify the required Virgin Islands connection and program eligibility.
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