**(a) Citizenship requirement** Only citizens of the United States may be appointed to the Service, other than for service abroad as a consular agent or as a foreign national employee.
**(b) Examinations**
(1) The Secretary shall prescribe, as appropriate, written, oral, physical, foreign language, and other examinations for appointment to the Service (other than as a chief of mission or ambassador at large).
(2) The Secretary shall ensure that the Board of Examiners for the Foreign Service annually offers the oral assessment examinations described in paragraph (1) in cities, chosen on a rotating basis, located in at least three different time zones across the United States.
**(c) Veteran or disabled veteran** The fact that an applicant for appointment as a Foreign Service officer candidate is a veteran or disabled veteran shall be considered an affirmative factor in making such appointments. As used in this subsection, the term “veteran or disabled veteran” means an individual who is a preference eligible under subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of [section 2108(3) of title 5](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title5-section2108/3&num=0&edition=prelim).
**(d) Career and noncareer appointments**
(1) Members of the Service serving under career appointments are career members of the Service. Members of the Service serving under limited appointments are either career candidates or noncareer members of the Service.
(2) Chiefs of mission, ambassadors at large, and ministers serve at the pleasure of the President.
(3) An appointment as a Foreign Service officer is a career appointment. Foreign Service employees serving as career candidates or career members of the Service shall not represent to the income tax authorities of the District of Columb
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Stable record: federal_law:legal_authorities:record_usc_964c8651ad39d4df9be84411 Source file: Laws/federal/codes/united-states-code/title-22/section-3941-general-provisions--991694b526.md Pages: Not recorded – Not recorded Passage SHA-256: f9b91203e019af6933d6dbaff107ee872f190012c5d541b76fce914962779a73 Retained source evidence SHA-256: 863e75b7d45c2d2ceb01427cdc78915d3c9cf76f39492998b415d0ab2fffa540
Source location: Title 22, Chapter 52, § 3941; chapter-052-foreign-service.md
Stored source content
**(a) Citizenship requirement** Only citizens of the United States may be appointed to the Service, other than for service abroad as a consular agent or as a foreign national employee.
**(b) Examinations**
(1) The Secretary shall prescribe, as appropriate, written, oral, physical, foreign language, and other examinations for appointment to the Service (other than as a chief of mission or ambassador at large).
(2) The Secretary shall ensure that the Board of Examiners for the Foreign Service annually offers the oral assessment examinations described in paragraph (1) in cities, chosen on a rotating basis, located in at least three different time zones across the United States.
**(c) Veteran or disabled veteran** The fact that an applicant for appointment as a Foreign Service officer candidate is a veteran or disabled veteran shall be considered an affirmative factor in making such appointments. As used in this subsection, the term “veteran or disabled veteran” means an individual who is a preference eligible under subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of [section 2108(3) of title 5](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title5-section2108/3&num=0&edition=prelim).
**(d) Career and noncareer appointments**
(1) Members of the Service serving under career appointments are career members of the Service. Members of the Service serving under limited appointments are either career candidates or noncareer members of the Service.
(2) Chiefs of mission, ambassadors at large, and ministers serve at the pleasure of the President.
(3) An appointment as a Foreign Service officer is a career appointment. Foreign Service employees serving as career candidates or career members of the Service shall not represent to the income tax authorities of the District of Columbia or any other State or locality that they are exempt from income taxation on the basis of holding a Presidential appointment subject to Senate confirmation or that they are exempt on the basis of serving in an appointment whose tenure is at the pleasure of the President.
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
§ 3941. General provisions
(a) Citizenship requirement
Only citizens of the United States may be ap-
pointed to the Service, other than for service
abroad as a consular agent or as a foreign na-
tional employee.
(b) Examinations
(1) The Secretary shall prescribe, as appro-
priate, written, oral, physical, foreign language,
and other examinations for appointment to the
Service (other than as a chief of mission or am-
bassador at large).
(2) The Secretary shall ensure that the Board
of Examiners for the Foreign Service annually
offers the oral assessment examinations de-
scribed in paragraph (1) in cities, chosen on a ro-
tating basis, located in at least three different
time zones across the United States.
(c) Veteran or disabled veteran
The fact that an applicant for appointment as
a Foreign Service officer candidate is a veteran
or disabled veteran shall be considered an af-
firmative factor in making such appointments.
As used in this subsection, the term ‘‘veteran or
disabled veteran’’ means an individual who is a
preference eligible under subparagraph (A), (B),
or (C) of section 2108(3) of title 5.
(d) Career and noncareer appointments
(1) Members of the Service serving under ca-
reer appointments are career members of the
Service. Members of the Service serving under
limited appointments are either career can-
didates or noncareer members of the Service.
(2) Chiefs of mission, ambassadors at large,
and ministers serve at the pleasure of the Presi-
dent.
(3) An appointment as a Foreign Service offi-
cer is a career appointment. Foreign Service em-
ployees serving as career candidates or career
members of the Service shall not represent to
the income tax authorities of the District of Co-
lumbia or any other State or locality that they
a