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HomeFamily Member Employment within a U.S. Embassy or Consulate...Consular Affairs – Appointment Eligible Family Member Program

# 									Consular Affairs – Appointment Eligible Family Member Program							

Global Community Liaison Office

		Ask GCLO Employment		

## 								Contact							

        -  Eligible Family Members (EFM) who are interested in becoming a CA-AEFM may apply to this program on a rolling basis for future opportunities as outlined on this page. 
        -  All questions regarding eligibility, application procedures, or other questions should be sent to AEFM-CA@state.gov. 

To meet overseas consular workload demand, the U.S. Department of State supplements its career Consular Officers with Limited Non-Career Consular Professionals, including qualified Appointment Eligible Family Members (AEFMs) from all agencies under Chief of Mission authority.

The Consular Affairs-Appointment Eligible Family Member (CA-AEFM) Program, coordinated by the Bureaus of Global Talent Management (GTM) and Consular Affairs (CA), provides opportunities for AEFMs who are at least 21 years of age to fill entry-level Consular Officer positions at selected posts. Candidates must successfully pass the current Consular Professional Board of Examiners (BEX) assessment process used to qualify for a consular position. Once certified, CA-AEFMs are eligible to be hired and assigned to Consular Professional positions at the sponsoring employee’s assigned post.

## Program Highlights

        - Candidates must first pass an online, skills-based course. BEX will invite successful candidates to take the Foreign Service Consular Professional Assessment (FSCPA). After passing the FSCPA, candidates must obtain a Top Secret security clearance, a medical clearance, and a suitability review panel clearance. Once obtained, GTM’s Office of Intake, Planning, and Onboarding will place CA-AEFMs on a hiring register.
        - While certification for the program does not expire, candidates must maintain valid medical, security, and suitability review panel clearances to remain on the CA-AEFM register. As candidates wait on the register, they should email the Registrar’s office at  registrar@state.gov  to confirm all clearances are valid or to reinitiate outdated clearances.
        - AEFMs do not need to know the sponsoring employee’s onward assignment to apply for the program.
        - CA and GTM will coordinate and select CA-AEFMs for consular positions based on service need at the sponsoring employee’s assigned post.
        - CA will fund language and consular training, if required. Note that CA-AEFMs are eligible for language training only if their sponsoring employee is also assigned to language training at FSI or assigned to Washington, DC over the period of the required language training.
        - In most cases, CA-AEFMs who are selected for an overseas position will be hired as part of a CA LNA orientation class held at FSI. In other cases, CA-AEFMs may be onboarded directly at post.
        - Vacancy Announcement
        - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

## CA-AEFM Consular Program FAQs

The Consular Affairs – Appointment Eligible Family Member (CA-AEFM) program provides opportunities for AEFMs who are at least 21 years of age to fill entry-level Consular Professional positions at select posts. Below is a list of most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

### FAQ Index

Application Process

Board of Examiners (BEX) Exam

Training

Finding a Position

Joining the Foreign Service Family Reserve Corps

----

### Frequently Asked Questions

#### Application Process

Jump to Application Process answers.
        -  How do I apply?
        - What documents do I need to submit with my application? 
        - What is the application deadline? 
        - What is the vacancy announcement number? 
        - The DS-1950 Application for Employment does not allow sufficient space to include all my professional experience information. How do I ensure that all my professional experience is appropriately captured in the application form?
        - The DS-1950 (page 1) has the section “Describe your duties and accomplishments.” I have written a long paragraph that fills the allotted space. When I print the form, only half of what I typed is printed and the other half is missing. What should I do?
        - Page one, block 24, indicates that I should “Sign In Ink,” whereas the section “Authorization to Furnish Information” at the bottom of page three does not specify if I should sign in ink or electronically. What do you prefer for page three?
        - What is the minimum education requirement to apply for the program?
        - I have earned several degrees. Do I need to submit them all? Do I need a transcript copy for each one of them?
        - I was educated overseas and graduated from a foreign institution. Do I need to get my foreign diploma(s) or degree(s) evaluated? 

#### Board of Examiners (BEX) Exam

Jump to Board of Examiners (BEX) Exam answers.
        - How do I prepare for the Board of Examiners (BEX) assessment?
        - How do I register for the CA-AEFM online skills test, administered through BEX? 
        - How long do I have to complete the online portion of the exam? 
        - How often does BEX schedule the online skills test and FSCPA? 
        - How many times can I take the online test? 
        - I passed the online test. Now what? 
        - I passed the Foreign Service Officer Assessment and/or the FSCPA for Consular Fellow candidates and am on the respective registers. Do I also have to pass the FSCPA for the CA-AEFM Program?
        - I heard the CA-AEFM Assessment is now offered virtually. If I am stationed domestically, can I take it in person? 
        -  I passed the Foreign Service Consular Professional Assessment and am on the Register. Who is my HR point of contact until I become a fully certified CA-AEFM? 

#### Training

Jump to Training answers.
        - What training does a CA-AEFM need to complete to work as a Consular Professional overseas?

#### Finding a Position

Jump to Finding a Position answers.
        - **Can****my sponsoring employee, a Foreign Service direct hire employee, inform post that I am a CA-AEFM seeking a position at post?**
        - **Can GTM provide an estimate of the BEX exam passing rate for family members? How many CA-AEFMs are currently employed?**
        - How long does it take to complete certification as a CA-AEFM from the time an applicant passes the Foreign Service Consular Professional Assessment to the time CA identifies a position at the sponsoring employee’s overseas post?
        - I’m a fully certified CA-AEFM on the Register, how do I get hired?
        -  I am a certified CA-AEFM on the Register. My sponsoring employee is bidding on an assignment overseas. How can I maximize my chance of being “matched” with a consular position at post? Can my sponsoring employee’s CDO speak to my CDO to make sure we are treated like a tandem couple?
        - I am a fully certified CA-AEFM on the Register. What are my chances of being assigned to a consular position overseas?
        - How are candidates prioritized for placement into consular positions?
        - Will I increase my chances of being “matched” with my sponsoring employee if we bid on large posts?
        - Can I do a temporary duty (TDY) mission at a post other than where my sponsoring employee is assigned? Can I stay at the post where I am working as a CA-AEFM after my sponsoring employee departs?
        - Are there any language requirements for a CA-AEFM position?
        - Are CA-AEFMs considered tandems for bidding purposes?
        - Are there part-time positions as a CA-AEFM?
        - Which allowances and benefits do CA-AEFMs receive?  
        - Which allowances and benefits do CA-AEFMs not receive?

#### Joining the Foreign Service Family Reserve Corps

Jump to Joining the Foreign Service Family Reserve Corps answers.
        - I’m in the CA-AEFM program on a Family Member Appointment with the Department of State. May I join the Foreign Service Family Reserve Corps (FSFRC)?
        - I’m a fully certified CA-AEFM and on the Register. However, I’ve not been hired or appointed yet as a CA-AEFM. May I join the FSFRC?

----

### Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

#### Application Process

**1.****How do I apply?**

See the vacancy announcement for the CA-AEFM Consular Program.

**2. What documents do I need to submit with my application?**

The required documents are the DS-1950 application form, evidence that you are a U.S. citizen (sending a copy of the photo page of your passport is best), and the full name and current assignment of your sponsoring employee. Please do not submit any other documentation apart from what is listed in the vacancy announcement.

**3. What is the application deadline?**

There is no application deadline for the CA-AEFM program. The vacancy announcement remains open year-round, and candidates may apply at any time.

**4. What is the vacancy announcement number?**

There is no vacancy announcement number for this program. Please see the CA-AEFM Vacancy Announcement for additional information.

**5. The DS-1950 Application for Employment does not allow sufficient space to include all my professional experience information. How do I ensure that all my professional experience is appropriately captured in the application form?**

Carefully read the instructions on the form. If your professional experience requires more work blocks than those provided on pages two and three, you may print as many copies of **page two** of the “Application For Employment” that are needed (but only one page three). Make sure you include your complete name and social security number on the top of each page of the application. Once completed, print out the entire application, sign the first page, and scan them as a compressed PDF.

**6. The DS-1950 (page 1) has the section “Describe your duties and accomplishments.” I have written a long paragraph that fills the allotted space. When I print the form, only half of what I typed is printed and the other half is missing. What should I do?**

Handwrite “See attached page” in the box where you want to provide additional information. Then attach a signed word document with the information that you want to include, being sure to include your complete name, social security number, date, and the position for which you are applying (CA-AEFM) and scan it with the rest of the application to complete the application package.

**7. Page one, block 24, indicates that I should “Sign In Ink,” whereas the section “Authorization to Furnish Information” at the bottom of page three does not specify if I should sign in ink or electronically. What do you prefer for page three?**

Print page one and sign in ink, as instructed. If your work experience can be contained within these three pages, type your signature electronically at the bottom of page three. However, if you have additional content that exceeds the allocated space print out additional pages and write “See attached page.” Finally, sign page three and any subsequent attached pages and scan all documents as one complete package.

**8. What is the minimum education requirement to apply for the program?**

There is no minimum education requirement to apply for the CA-AEFM program.

**9. I have earned several degrees. Do I need to submit them all? Do I need a transcript copy for each one of them?**

There is no minimum education requirement to apply for the CA-AEFM program, therefore you are not required to submit copies of transcripts for any degrees you may have at the time of initial application for the CA-AEFM program. Please note, however, you may be asked to provide proof of education if you are selected to fill a CA-AEFM position.

**10. I was educated overseas and graduated from a foreign institution. Do I need to get my foreign diploma(s) or degree(s) evaluated?**

If you were educated overseas, you are not required to submit proof of your education at the time of your initial application for the CA-AEFM program. Please note, however, you may be asked to provide proof of education if you are selected to fill a CA-AEFM position.

You may be required to obtain an evaluation of your foreign degree, since OPM defines accredited education as education above the high school level.

#### Board of Examiners (BEX) Exam

**1. How do I prepare for the Board of Examiners (BEX) assessment?**

Resources on assessment preparation are available on the Department’s careers.state.gov website. See the Foreign Service Test and Assessment portion of this page for additional information.

**2. How do I register for the CA-AEFM online skills test, administered through BEX?**

Once you submit your application to AEFM-CA@state.gov you will receive confirmation that you have the minimum qualifications to continue with the process. GTM/CDA will ask you for the name and Department of State email address of your proctor for the online test. The proctor must be a USDH Officer, Specialist or Civil Service Employee. Once you have provided the proctor information, GTM/CDA will send your application and proctor information to the BEX office and the BEX scheduler will contact your proctor (and you) directly to arrange the online test. Proctors must be unrelated U.S. Direct Hires. Employed family members are not acceptable proctors.

**3. How long do I have to complete the online portion of the exam?**

Once BEX contacts you and the proctor, you have one month to complete the online exam.

**4. How often does BEX schedule the online skills test and FSCPA?**

BEX routinely schedules both tests multiple times a week on a rolling basis.

**5. How many times can I take the online test?**

If you fail the online test, you must wait 12 months from the date that BEX received your application before you can take it again.

**6. I passed the online test. Now what?**

BEX will send you information on how to schedule the FSCPA. BEX conducts the FSCPA for CA-AEFM candidates virtually. You will have 12 months to schedule the FSCPA from the time that you pass the online test.

**7. I passed the Foreign Service Officer Assessment and/or the FSCPA for Consular Fellow candidates and am on the respective registers. Do I also have to pass the FSCPA for the CA-AEFM Program?**

No, if you are currently on the register as a FS generalist candidate or as a Consular Fellow candidate, you are exempt from taking the FSCPA to join the CA-AEFM program and can be added to the CA-AEFM register. BEX will verify that you are on the register and will provide further instructions. If you have not passed the FS Officer Assessment (FSOA) but have passed the online portion of the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT), you will need to take the online portion of the CA-AEFM exam.

**8. I heard the CA-AEFM Assessment is now offered virtually. If am stationed domestically, can I take it in person?**

All assessments for Foreign Service Specialist categories, including the Foreign Service Consular Professional Assessment, are conducted virtually. There is no option to take the assessment in person.

**9. I passed the Foreign Service Consular Professional Assessment and am on the Register. Who is my HR point of contact until I become a fully certified CA-AEFM?**

Your HR point of contact until you reach full certification is Registrar@state.gov. Please keep in mind that the process to obtain full certification takes between 6-12 months. Once you are fully certified, your point of contact is the CA-AEFM Coordinator, AEFM-CA@state.gov. The CA-AEFM coordinator cannot discuss potential assignments or hiring until you receive full certification.

#### Training

**1. What training does a CA-AEFM need to complete to work as a Consular Professional overseas?**
        - PN150 LNA Orientation Class (three weeks)
        - PC530 Basic Consular Course (ConGen) (six weeks)
        - MQ911 Security Overseas Seminar (two days) – required only once in a career.
        - CT650 Foreign Affairs Counter Threat (FACT) (if you haven’t taken FACT within the past six years) – FACT is included on the sponsoring employee’s PCS orders.
        - Language Training (depending on the position’s language designation) – several weeks to several months. Note that CA-AEFMs are eligible for paid language training only if their sponsoring employee is also assigned to language training at FSI or assigned to Washington, DC, over the period of the required language training.

Training is mandatory and must be attended in full. If a position is language-designated, the CA-AEFM must reach the required level. CA-AEFMs fill entry level positions in the Consular Section on a full-time basis and therefore must be trained to the same level as any other Consular Officer. A current FSI language score, or valid ConGen certification (i.e., having taken ConGen or adjudicated within the past 5 years) may replace some training. In some cases, post and CA will approve a partial or full language waiver depending on the needs of service.

#### Finding a Position

**1.****Can****my sponsoring employee, a Foreign Service direct hire employee, inform post that I am a CA-AEFM seeking a position at post?**

No. Note that per 3 FAM 8326, an employee may not appoint, employ, promote, advance, assign, or advocate for appointment, employment, promotion, advancement, or assignment in or to a Department of State position, any individual who is a relative of that employee. Sponsoring employees of CA-AEFMs should therefore not be involved in the hiring or assignment process for CA-AEFMs.

**2. Can GTM provide an estimate of the BEX exam passing rate for family members? How many CA-AEFMs are currently employed?**

Family members of U.S. direct hire employees serving at an embassy or consulate overseas pass the online skills test and Foreign Service Consular Professional Assessment at a higher-than-average pass rate. The number of CA-AEFM candidates and employees varies from month to month. The Department is committed to providing employment and utilizing CA-AEFM hiring to meet staffing needs to the fullest extent possible based on CA’s service needs and the availability of CA-AEFM candidates and employees at overseas posts.

**3.****How long does it take to complete certification as a CA-AEFM from the time an applicant passes the Foreign Service Consular Professional Assessment to the time CA identifies a position at the sponsoring employee’s overseas post?**

The length of the process depends on each applicant’s personal circumstances and may last from a couple of months to more than one year. After BEX confirms the applicant has passed the Foreign Service Consular Professional Assessment, a staff member will initiate the security clearance request with Diplomatic Security (DS) and a clearance coordinator will contact you to assist in completing the SF-86 Questionnaire for Investigations Processing (e-QIP). The DS investigation depends on many factors beyond GTM’s control, and the time varies for each one to be completed. The applicant also needs to pass the suitability review panel and have a valid medical clearance for the onward post. Once these steps are complete and the CA-AEFM is fully certified and placed on the CA-AEFM Register, the CA-AEFM coordinator in Global Talent Management/Career Development and Assignments/Entry Level (GTM/CDA/EL) and the CA-AEFM candidate discuss the sponsoring employee’s current tour of duty and follow-on assignment (if known) to identify a suitable position for the CA-AEFM.

**4.****I’m a fully certified CA-AEFM on the Register, how do I get hired?**

Consular Affairs and the Entry-Level Assignments Division review the needs of the service, available funding, timing of the sponsoring employee’s tour of duty, the candidate’s training history, language proficiency, and availability to take additional training at FSI, if required.

If all the above requirements are met, you will receive an offer from GTM’s Office of Intake, Planning, and Onboarding. Certified CA-AEFMs on the Register should reach out to AEFM-CA@state.gov to see if Entry Level Assignments (GTM/CDA/EL) can match you with a potential assignment.

**5.****I am a certified CA-AEFM on the Register. My sponsoring employee is bidding on an assignment overseas. How can I maximize my chance of being “matched” with a consular position at post? Can my sponsoring employee’s CDO speak to my CDO to make sure we are treated like a tandem couple?**

CA-AEFMs are hired on a Family Member Appointment (FMA). You will be offered a position only after your sponsoring employee receives an assignment. The CA-AEFM’s assignment is derived from your sponsoring employee. The CA-AEFM coordinator works with you to identify a consular position at your sponsoring employee’s post. The employee’s CDO is welcome to discuss possible assignments with the CA-AEFM coordinator.

**6.****I am a fully certified CA-AEFM on the Register. What are my chances of being assigned to a consular position overseas?**

GTM/CDA and CA cannot guarantee a consular position overseas when you are a fully certified CA-AEFM, but GTM/CDA and CA will do their best to match you with a job during the tour of duty of your sponsoring employee.

**7.****How are candidates prioritized for placement into consular positions?**

Consular positions overseas are filled by Entry Level Officers and Consular Professional Limited Non-Career Appointments (LNAs). The LNA group includes Civil Service, Consular Fellows, and CA-AEFMs. Like the Civil Service candidates, CA-AEFMs know in advance of their position placement prior to being onboarded as a CA-AEFM. The Consular Fellows bid on available assignments in their language specialty during orientation.

**8.****Will I increase my chances of being “matched” with my sponsoring employee if we bid on large posts?**

Yes. GTM/CDA and CA will be able to place you more easily at your sponsoring employee’s post if you consider assignments with a large Consular Section because there is a statistically higher chance of a position being available.

**9. Can I do a temporary duty (TDY) mission at a post other than where my sponsoring employee is assigned? Can I stay at the post where I am working as a CA-AEFM after my sponsoring employee departs?**

CA-AEFMs may TDY as long as the sponsoring employee is currently permanently assigned and working at an overseas post. However, note the following:
        - Before going TDY, we encourage CA-AEFMs to complete 52 weeks at post to be eligible for Non-Competitive Eligibility (NCE), as service during a long-term TDY will not count toward NCE eligibility.
        - CA-AEFMs may never TDY if their sponsoring employee is assigned to Washington, because they must resign their appointment if their sponsoring employee is no longer assigned overseas.
        - CA-AEFMs cannot adjudicate domestically (e.g. TDY from post to do domestic passport adjudications).
        - CA-AEFMs may not arrive at post before their sponsoring employee or depart post after their sponsoring employee has left. If your sponsoring employee goes on a TDY to another post, you may stay at the original post of assignment to work in the consular position as long as the host government, the Mission, CA, and GTM/CDA agree.

**10. Are there any language requirements for a CA-AEFM position?**

Most overseas Consular Professional positions require you to speak the local language at a high level of proficiency. If an overseas position is language-designated, the CA-AEFM must: 1) have a current FSI valid score in that language, or 2) be enrolled, or will be enrolled in language training to reach the language designation along with their sponsoring employee at FSI.

CA-AEFMs who are paneled to a language designated position and are in language training in Washington, DC, on their sponsoring employee’s orders receive their salary. However, Consular Affairs will not fund independent TDY orders for a CA-AEFM to attend language training. Therefore, the CA-AEFM should work closely with the CA-AEFM Coordinator to align language training with their sponsoring employee’s training period in Washington, DC.

Furthermore, CA-AEFMs are not eligible to participate in long term In-Country Language Training to reach the language designation because this program is available only to tenured, mid- and senior level FS employees.

**11. Are CA-AEFMs considered tandems for bidding purposes?**

A CA-AEFM is not considered part of a tandem for bidding purposes because CA-AEFMs serve on family member limited non-career appointments. A “tandem couple” is a career or career candidate Foreign Service employee whose spouse or same sex domestic partner (as defined in 3 FAM 1612) is a career or career candidate Foreign Service employee of one of the foreign affairs agencies.

**12. Are there part-time positions as a CA-AEFM?**

No, a CA-AEFM is a full-time employee and must be either working at post, in required training in Washington, DC, or on approved leave status (such as annual leave, sick leave, or leave without pay).

**13.  Which allowances and benefits do CA-AEFMs receive?**

CA-AEFMS qualify for the following allowances and benefits as applicable:
        - Language Incentive Pay
        - Danger Pay
        - Federal Employee Health Benefits, Long-Term Care, and Flexible Spending Accounts
        - Annual Leave
        - Sick Leave
        - Shared Voluntary Leave
        - Premium Compensation
        - Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS)
        - Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
        - Non-Competitive Eligibility under  Executive Order 12721 

**14. Which allowances and benefits do CA-AEFMs not receive?**

CA-AEFMs are hired on family member limited non-career appointments and are subject to the same regulations as all other EFMs on family member appointments.

As such, CA-AEFMs are not entitled to receive, in their own right as employees, any allowances, differentials, or other benefits (e.g., including but not limited to such allowances, differentials, and benefits as temporary lodging, living quarters, transfer, home service transfer, education, separate maintenance allowances, post allowance, post differential, advances of pay, home leave, and rest and recreation) unless specifically authorized in 3 FAM 8210, Family Member Appointments, or unless required by law.

#### Joining the Foreign Service Family Reserve Corps

**1. I’m in the CA-AEFM program on a Family Member Appointment with the Department of State. May I join the Foreign Service Family Reserve Corps (FSFRC)?**

While appointed to the CA-AEFM program, you cannot concurrently be a member of the FSFRC. However, if you do not intend to seek a position as a CA-AEFM at your onward post or if there is not a position available, you may apply and request conversion to the FSFRC after you complete your overseas tour of duty as a CA-AEFM. We recommend that you apply for the FSFRC 30 days prior to separating from your CA-AEFM appointment. CA-AEFMs should contact the CA-AEFM Coordinator in GTM/CDA/EL at AEFM-CA@state.gov for guidance. Do not apply for the FSFRC without first contacting the CA-AEFM Coordinator as they must provide you with documentation that is required at the time you submit your FSFRC application.

**2.****I’m a fully certified CA-AEFM and on the Register. However, I’ve not been hired or appointed yet as a CA-AEFM. May I join the FSFRC?**

Yes, you may apply for FSFRC membership. The CA-AEFM certification grants you eligibility to be appointed and hired to a future LNA Orientation class, but that doesn’t prevent you from applying for or maintaining your current FSFRC membership. Family members who are certified CA-AEFMs but who have not yet been appointed are encouraged to apply for the FSFRC following the guidance on the FSFRC webpage.

Tags

Family Member Employment

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