diff --git a/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/license-review/config/actions.ts b/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/license-review/config/actions.ts
index 6a5bf7118..4bd1d9446 100644
--- a/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/license-review/config/actions.ts
+++ b/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/license-review/config/actions.ts
@@ -155,7 +155,9 @@ export const ACTIONS: ActionDefinition[] = [
     id: 'final-approve',
     tier: 'primary',
     labelKey: 'review.actions.finalApprove',
-    from: ['INSPECTION_COMPLETED', 'UNDER_EVALUATION'],
+    // ELIGIBILITY_PAID: an examined certificate (CoC/CoP) is decided straight
+    // off the eligibility queue — no assignment step.
+    from: ['INSPECTION_COMPLETED', 'UNDER_EVALUATION', 'ELIGIBILITY_PAID'],
     permissions: ['can:approve:license-application'],
     emphasis: 'filled',
     color: 'teal',
@@ -165,7 +167,7 @@ export const ACTIONS: ActionDefinition[] = [
     id: 'request-adjustment',
     tier: 'primary',
     labelKey: 'review.actions.requestAdjustment',
-    from: ['UNDER_REVIEW', 'UNDER_EVALUATION', 'INSPECTION_COMPLETED'],
+    from: ['UNDER_REVIEW', 'UNDER_EVALUATION', 'INSPECTION_COMPLETED', 'ELIGIBILITY_PAID'],
     permissions: ['can:request-adjustment:license-application'],
     emphasis: 'light',
     color: 'orange',
@@ -180,6 +182,7 @@ export const ACTIONS: ActionDefinition[] = [
       'UNDER_EVALUATION',
       'INSPECTION_PENDING',
       'INSPECTION_COMPLETED',
+      'ELIGIBILITY_PAID',
     ],
     permissions: ['can:reject:license-application'],
     emphasis: 'light',
diff --git a/apps/backoffice/src/app/i18n/locales/am.ts b/apps/backoffice/src/app/i18n/locales/am.ts
index c4d5459b3..40aab6f6e 100644
--- a/apps/backoffice/src/app/i18n/locales/am.ts
+++ b/apps/backoffice/src/app/i18n/locales/am.ts
@@ -998,6 +998,7 @@ export const am: Translations = {
     actions: {
       claim: "ውሰድ",
       assign: "መድብ",
+      assignReviewer: "ገምጋሚ መድብ",
       escalate: "ወደ ላይ አሳድግ",
       hold: "አግድ",
       resume: "ቀጥል",
@@ -1056,6 +1057,7 @@ export const am: Translations = {
       hold: "ለ{{applicant}} ማመልከቻ {{number}} ያግዳል። ለእርስዎ ተመድቦ ይቆያል።",
       resume: "ማመልከቻ {{number}} ወደ ታገደበት ደረጃ ይመልሳል።",
       escalate: "ማመልከቻ {{number}} ለውሳኔ ወደ የበላይ ኃላፊ ያሳድጋል።",
+      "assign-reviewer": "ማመልከቻ {{number}} ለተመረጠው ሹም ሰጥቶ ግምገማውን ያስጀምራል።",
       "confirm-payment": "ለማመልከቻ {{number}} ክፍያ ያረጋግጣል።",
       "schedule-exam": "ለማመልከቻ {{number}} {{applicant}}ን ለፈተና ክፍለ ጊዜ ይመድባል።",
     },
@@ -1150,6 +1152,7 @@ export const am: Translations = {
       resume: "ማመልከቻው ቀጥሏል",
       escalate: "ወደ ላይ አድጓል",
       assign: "እንደገና ተመድቧል",
+      assignReviewer: "ግምገማ ተመድቧል",
       scheduled: "ምርመራ ተይዟል",
       inspectionPassed: "ምርመራ አልፏል",
       inspectionFailed: "ምርመራ ወድቋል",
diff --git a/apps/backoffice/src/app/i18n/locales/en.ts b/apps/backoffice/src/app/i18n/locales/en.ts
index 3e8ff4f59..ac4ae177d 100644
--- a/apps/backoffice/src/app/i18n/locales/en.ts
+++ b/apps/backoffice/src/app/i18n/locales/en.ts
@@ -1007,6 +1007,7 @@ export const en = {
     actions: {
       claim: 'Claim',
       assign: 'Assign',
+      assignReviewer: 'Assign reviewer',
       escalate: 'Escalate',
       hold: 'Put on hold',
       resume: 'Resume',
@@ -1064,6 +1065,8 @@ export const en = {
       hold: 'Parks application {{number}} for {{applicant}}. It stays assigned to you.',
       resume: 'Returns application {{number}} to the stage it was held from.',
       escalate: 'Raises application {{number}} to a supervisor for a decision.',
+      'assign-reviewer':
+        'Hands application {{number}} to the chosen officer and starts the review.',
       'confirm-payment': 'Confirms settlement for application {{number}}.',
       'schedule-exam': 'Assigns {{applicant}} to an exam session for application {{number}}.',
     },
@@ -1155,6 +1158,7 @@ export const en = {
       resume: 'Application resumed',
       escalate: 'Escalated',
       assign: 'Reassigned',
+      assignReviewer: 'Review assigned',
       scheduled: 'Inspection scheduled',
       inspectionPassed: 'Inspection passed',
       inspectionFailed: 'Inspection failed',
diff --git a/libs/api/src/lib/features/licensing/licensing-api.ts b/libs/api/src/lib/features/licensing/licensing-api.ts
index 3e17464ff..665aaf8ab 100644
--- a/libs/api/src/lib/features/licensing/licensing-api.ts
+++ b/libs/api/src/lib/features/licensing/licensing-api.ts
@@ -856,6 +856,23 @@ export const licensingApi = baseApi
           error ? [] : [itemTag('LicenseApplication', id), listTag('ApplicationQueue')],
       }),
 
+      /**
+       * Starts the review: the team leader hands the file to an employee.
+       * `assign` above only re-points an application already in flight.
+       */
+      assignReviewer: builder.mutation<
+        LicenseApplication,
+        { id: string; officerId: string; remark?: string }
+      >({
+        query: ({ id, ...body }) => ({
+          url: `/license-application-review/${id}/assign-reviewer`,
+          method: 'POST',
+          body,
+        }),
+        invalidatesTags: (_r, error, { id }) =>
+          error ? [] : [itemTag('LicenseApplication', id), listTag('ApplicationQueue')],
+      }),
+
       holdApplication: builder.mutation<
         LicenseApplication,
         { id: string; reason: string }
@@ -1050,6 +1067,7 @@ export const {
   useRevokeLicenseMutation,
   useReinstateLicenseMutation,
   useAssignApplicationMutation,
+  useAssignReviewerMutation,
   useHoldApplicationMutation,
   useResumeApplicationMutation,
   useEscalateApplicationMutation,