This bill would let the Secretary of State make some limited consular appointments last up to eight years for personnel performing consular services. It also adds a separate limited noncareer appointment option of up to two years for consular personnel when needed by the Foreign Service. The change is made by amending Section 309 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980.
The bill includes findings that: consular services protect Americans abroad, help safeguard borders, support adoptions, and help travel to the United States; Foreign Service posts process millions of visa applications and perform security vetting; travel and tourism are a large services export and contributed large dollars and jobs in recent years; major international events between 2024 and 2034 will increase visitor flows and consular workloads; and expanding limited noncareer appointments can increase staffing capacity and reduce recruitment delays.
If you use U.S. consular services (for example, visa applicants or Americans abroad), the bill gives the Secretary of State the authority to use longer limited appointments for people doing consular work. Specifically, limited consular appointments could be up to eight years, and an additional limited noncareer appointment of up to two years could be used for consular needs. The bill text describes the authority but does not specify exactly how or when the Department of State would use it.
No publicly available information.
Supporters say consular services are essential for safety, border security, adoptions, and travel. They say posts process millions of visa applications, face growing workloads from major international events, and need more staffing capacity. Expanding limited noncareer appointments, including through the Consular Fellows Program, is described in the bill as a way to increase staffing, reduce recruitment costs and delays, and keep consular services running efficiently.
No publicly available information.