Summary
The U.S. Department of State, our country's lead foreign policy agency, provides a rich international experience. A Limited Non-Career Appointment (LNA) in the Foreign Service is a distinct opportunity to serve your country for up to 60 months and offers candidates considering a career in the Foreign Service first-hand insights and exploration of potential Foreign Service career paths.
Duties
Please visit the Department's Career Site for more details on the duties and responsibilities of a Consular Fellow.
Special Circumstances
This Consular Fellow Limited Non-Career Appointment (LNA) is up to 60 months, but the Department may terminate the appointment at any time based on the needs of the Service. The Department assigns a Consular Fellow to a U.S. embassy or consulate overseas with the expectation that the appointment and potential extensions will permit completion of a standard two-year tour of duty. Upon completion of the first tour of duty, the Department may assign the Consular Fellow to a different overseas post. Consular Fellows are full professional members of embassy and consulate teams. Consular Fellow appointments, however, do not provide expedited, alternate, or otherwise special access or a pathway into the Department of State Foreign Service. These appointments do not lead to onward employment with the Department of State or with the U.S. government. Consular Fellows may apply to become career Foreign Service Specialists or Officers, as well as Civil Service employees, but they must meet all applicable qualifications and complete the standard application and assessment processes. Consular Fellows who subsequently enter the career Foreign Service as Entry Level Officers are still required to fulfill the consular service requirement. Consular Fellows must also complete 24 months of service as a Consular Fellow before joining the career Foreign Service, if after completing the standard application process they are offered such a position.
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The Department hires candidates applying for the Portuguese and Chinese language programs primarily for service in Brazil and China. Per the Foreign Affairs Manual (3 FAM 2424.5), the Department does not permit assignment of U.S. employees to posts in countries of which they are nationals. Additionally, candidates and their family members should be aware that, in general, countries do not extend diplomatic privileges and immunities to family members who are dual nationals.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
The U.S. Department of State maintains a rank-ordered list of eligible hires for LNA Consular Fellow positions. To learn more about the Department of State and the Consular Fellows Program visit the Department of State's Careers website at https://careers.state.gov and careers.state.gov/career-paths/foreign-service/consular-fellows.
Qualifications for Employment:
- Be a U.S. citizen and able to obtain authorization to work in country or countries of assignment. (Note: Candidates with dual nationality are ineligible for assignment within their country of dual nationality. Recruitment for Portuguese and Chinese languages is targeted for service in Brazil and China, and candidates who are nationals of these countries are unable to meet this qualification).
- Be able to obtain a Top Secret Security Clearance.
- Be able to obtain a medical clearance to serve abroad at the post of assignment.
- Be able to obtain a favorable Suitability Review Panel determination.
- Be at least 20 years old at the time of application; at least 21 years old at the time of appointment.
- E-Verify: Verification of employment eligibility in the United States is required.
- Must speak and read an eligible foreign language at the required proficiency level (current eligible languages are Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, and Spanish).
The Consular Fellow LNA continues for up to 60 months but may be terminated at any time, with 30 days' notice, by either the Consular Fellow or the Department. The Department assigns a Consular Fellow overseas to a U.S. embassy or consulate with the expectation that the appointment and potential extensions will permit completion of a standard two-year tour of duty. Upon completion of the first tour of duty, the Department may assign a Consular Fellow to a different overseas post for the remainder of the 60-month LNA.
Qualifications
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
General knowledge of the United States, including customs and culture, society, trends, history, economy, government, political system, and the Constitution.
Skill in written and oral communication, including English grammar and usage, techniques for effective interpersonal communication, techniques for handling interviews, complaints, sources of information, and public speaking ability.
General skills in computers, including computer operations, common office software programs (e.g., Microsoft), e-mail systems, internet. The Department will provide successful applicants with training on specialized Consular software applications.
General subject matter, including psychology and human behavior, interacting with individuals undergoing stress. Basic mathematics.
Required language fluency as outlined above.
Education
There is no minimum education requirement for this position.
Additional information
Other Information: The Department of State Suitability Review Panel and its standards are described in Chapter 3 of the Foreign Affairs Manual. For more information please visit: Home Page : Foreign Affairs Manual (state.gov). *Please visit the Department of State's Careers website for more information about Veteran's Preference and how it is applied in the FS Selection Process.
E-Verify: EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PROGRAM (E-Verify) - U.S. law requires organizations to employ only individuals who may legally work in the United States - either U.S. citizens, or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization. This agency utilizes E-Verify to compare information from the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) records to confirm employment eligibility. If the employee's information does not match DHS and/or SSA records, the employee is given an opportunity to resolve the problem. If eligibility cannot be verified, employment will be terminated.
No applicant will be considered who has previously been separated from the Foreign Service under sections 607, 608, 610 or 612 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended, or who resigned or retired in lieu of separation under these provisions. In addition, no applicant will be considered who has previously been separated for failure to receive a career appointment under section 306 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended, or who resigned or retired in lieu thereof.
Executive Branch agencies are barred by 5 U.S.C. § 3303, as amended, from accepting or considering prohibited political recommendations and are required to return any prohibited political recommendations to sender. In addition, as mandated by 5 U.S.C. § 3110, relatives of federal employees cannot be granted preference in competing for these employment opportunities, and employees may not influence or participate in the hiring process of a relative.
It is the policy of the Federal Government to treat all employees with dignity and respect and to provide a workplace that is free from discrimination—whether based on race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, and pregnancy), national origin, disability, genetic information, age, political affiliation, marital status, or other non-merit factors—and retaliation.
The Department of State provides reasonable accommodation to qualified candidates with disabilities. Procedures vary by test type, and all candidates must request reasonable accommodations in advance. See here for more information.
- Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits.
Benefits include optional participation in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) and Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program as well as participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Overseas benefits may include paid housing at post, paid education allowance for eligible dependent children between K-12, ability to earn Non-Competitive Eligibility to apply for civil service positions in the federal government after 48 months of continuous service as a Consular Fellow, recruitment bonus of up to 10% of initial salary depending on language ability at the time of appointment as well as needs of the Service, and eligibility to apply for the Student Loan Repayment Program.
Effective October 1, 2024, the Department of State will award additional points to candidates pursuing Foreign Service Generalist or Specialist career candidacies who can adequately demonstrate verifiable, prior overseas Foreign Service experience, including experience as an (LNA) Consular Fellow. Candidates must fully pass the career candidacy exam process and successfully obtain all required pre-employment qualifications and clearances for Foreign Service Generalist or Specialist candidacies. The Department will then add these points to their assessment score for ranking purposes on the Foreign Service Generalist or Foreign Service Specialist hiring registers. Please see here for additional information.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
The Department will evaluate candidates on their total background including experience, education, awards, training, and self-development as it relates to the position. Selection for this position will be made only from among candidates possessing dimensions of a successful Foreign Service employee.
Qualifications:
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
General knowledge of the United States, including customs and culture, society, trends, history, economy, government, political system, and the Constitution.
Skill in written and oral communication, including English grammar and usage, techniques for effective interpersonal communication, techniques for handling interviews, complaints, sources of information, and public speaking ability.
General skills in computers, including computer operations, common office software programs (e.g., Microsoft), e-mail systems, internet. The Department will provide successful applicants with training on specialized Consular software applications.
General subject matter, including psychology and human behavior, interacting with individuals undergoing stress.
Required language fluency in Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, or Spanish as outlined at Language Tests - Careers (state.gov)
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