Initiate Medical and Security Clearance
Worldwide Availability
Worldwide Availability is an essential requirement for appointment to the Foreign Service. Applicants must be available for worldwide assignment, including assignments at posts where health, living conditions, or medical support may be rudimentary, or in danger zones where family members are not allowed. Additionally, regardless of who administers the medical exam, the Department of State’s Office of Medical Services determines whether or not a candidate is medically available for assignment to FAS posts worldwide. Certain medical conditions that require monitoring or follow-up care, or are prone to exacerbation in certain overseas environments, may result in a finding of non-worldwide availability and thus disqualify a candidate from eligibility. In cases where medical problems lead to a denial of medical clearance, the candidate may request a waiver of the worldwide availability requirement. A decision to grant a waiver is made on a case-by-case basis and only if it is clearly in the best interests of the Foreign Service.
You will also be asked to reaffirm in writing that you accept the following two conditions of Foreign Service employment:
- First, support of U.S. Government policies and objectives, regardless of your personal views;
- Second, Worldwide Availability
Even though the Foreign Agricultural Service attempts to work with each employee’s individual and family needs, all employees must be willing to serve anywhere that FAS determines to be necessary. This can mean in isolated, potentially unhealthy or dangerous environments, or where you might not have training in the local language. While you will have some input into the assignment process, everyone is expected to serve part of his or her career at hardship posts. FAS also has unaccompanied posts; if assigned to one, you would not be able to take family with you.
Medical Clearance
Those entering the Foreign Service must be able to serve at any overseas post. Many facilities are remote, unhealthy, or have limited medical support. Therefore, each candidate must meet medical fitness standards which are, of necessity, often more rigorous than those of other professions. Candidates who are offered tentative job offers are provided with instructions for obtaining their medical clearances. Candidates can either schedule exams at the Department of State’s Office of Medical Service or have them done by their own physicians. The candidate’s medical insurance should be used to cover the cost of the exam. FAS will pay any remaining costs after the candidate’s medical insurer has paid its customary fee. While candidates must be medically cleared for full overseas duty, the Department of State no longer considers the medical condition of family members for preemployment purposes. However, the Department of State still requires medical clearances for family members before they can travel overseas to accompany an employee on assignment at U.S. Government expense. Family members who, for medical reasons, cannot accompany an employee on an overseas assignment may be eligible to receive a separate maintenance allowance.
Security Clearance
A comprehensive security background investigation, conducted by the Defense Counterintelligence Security Agency (DCSA) and adjudicated by the USDA’s Personnel and Document Security Division (PDSP) provides information necessary to both determine a candidate’s suitability for appointment to the Foreign Service and their eligibility for a Top Secret security clearance. The applicant’s suitability is based on the eight suitability factors as described in 5 CFR 731 and eligibility for access to a Top Secret clearance is based on the 13 Adjudicative Guidelines set forth in Security Executive Agent Directive 4 (SEAD 4). Factors considered during the adjudication process are as follows, but not limited to: Allegiance to the United States, Personal Conduct, Financial Considerations, Alcohol Consumption, Drug Involvement, Criminal Conduct, Honesty, Psychological Conditions, Misconduct or Negligence in Employment. Candidates who cannot be granted a security clearance are ineligible for appointment. Candidates who have held an active Top Secret security clearance with another U.S. federal agency within the past two years and whose last background investigation is no more than five years old may be able to have their security clearances granted by USDA under the criteria of reciprocity. However, for the purposes of determining candidates’ suitability, candidates whose background investigation is more than two years old still need to update their documentation to support an updated investigation.