Joining US State Dept Foreign Service

[celiothrkn 0]

Has anyone here worked for the Foreign Service before and been married to a foreign spouse? Or does anyone here know any friends who have foreign spouses and have worked for the Foreign Service?

I am currently going through CR1 process for my wife, who is a Chinese citizen from China. At the same time I am preparing for the Foreign Service exam to become an Officer for the US State Dept. While the passing rates for the Foreign Service are low, I want to get my facts straight and be mentally prepared.

The Foreign Service process will take about a year before getting deployed to a "worldwide assignment," basically any embassy or consulate. This brings up issues on my wife's green card. I know that if green card holders spend more than 6 months of a year outside the US, their green cards get confiscated at customs & immigration upon their next entry into the US. Moreover I believe spouses with green cards need 3 years of cumulative physical presence in the US to qualify for naturalization into a US citizen. Please correct me if I am mistaken.

My wife is not willingly leaving the US for long periods; she is simply accompanying her USC husband (and USC son) according to his Foreign Service placement by the US State Dept. How will this affect my wife holding onto her green card or eventual naturalization? This tricky issue is further complicated by the fact that the land upon which the US Embassy is built is in fact American soil; some Embassies will offer spouses an administrative / clerical job. If my wife gets such a position, she would technically be spending at least 9am - 5pm on American soil every day. In my mind, it sounds logical that it constitutes towards any "physical presence" requirement.

In addition, I understand that diplomats and accompanying dependents are issued diplomatic passports in order to proceed with their line of work. If that is the case, then my wife would line up at the diplomatic line at the customs & immigration, which may be more understanding and not confiscate her green card.

[internetkafe 0]

Has anyone here worked for the Foreign Service before and been married to a foreign spouse? Or does anyone here know any friends who have foreign spouses and have worked for the Foreign Service?

I am currently going through CR1 process for my wife, who is a Chinese citizen from China. At the same time I am preparing for the Foreign Service exam to become an Officer for the US State Dept. While the passing rates for the Foreign Service are low, I want to get my facts straight and be mentally prepared.

The Foreign Service process will take about a year before getting deployed to a "worldwide assignment," basically any embassy or consulate. This brings up issues on my wife's green card. I know that if green card holders spend more than 6 months of a year outside the US, their green cards get confiscated at customs & immigration upon their next entry into the US. Moreover I believe spouses with green cards need 3 years of cumulative physical presence in the US to qualify for naturalization into a US citizen. Please correct me if I am mistaken.

My wife is not willingly leaving the US for long periods; she is simply accompanying her USC husband (and USC son) according to his Foreign Service placement by the US State Dept. How will this affect my wife holding onto her green card or eventual naturalization? This tricky issue is further complicated by the fact that the land upon which the US Embassy is built is in fact American soil; some Embassies will offer spouses an administrative / clerical job. If my wife gets such a position, she would technically be spending at least 9am - 5pm on American soil every day. In my mind, it sounds logical that it constitutes towards any "physical presence" requirement.

In addition, I understand that diplomats and accompanying dependents are issued diplomatic passports in order to proceed with their line of work. If that is the case, then my wife would line up at the diplomatic line at the customs & immigration, which may be more understanding and not confiscate her green card.

If she follows you to another country with government appointment, it should not negatively affect her status. I know someone who works for the DOS and his wife is a US citizen from Turkey.

I am interested in DOS positions too. Can you tell me more about the exam and the process in general? Thanks.

[milimelo 4,550]

Since you would be under the DOS here's info for you:

http://www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/c1966.htm