Waivers of the Worldwide Availability Requirement for Foreign Service Candidates

Résumé

This Final Rule amends the regulations on the appointment of Foreign Service Officers to allow the Director General (DG) of the Foreign Service, or the Director General's delegatee, to review the case of a Department of State Foreign Service candidate who has been denied an unlimited medical clearance for assignment worldwide to determine whether or not it is in the best interest of the Service to appoint the candidate despite the medical disqualification. This decision, as to whether or not to grant a waiver of the Foreign Service worldwide availability requirement, was previously made by a committee created solely for that purpose. The shifting of this decision to the Director General, or the Director General's delegatee, in no way alters the rights or interests of any parties, nor does it alter the substantive criteria by which a decision whether or not to waive the worldwide availability requirement will be made. As with the committee's decisions at present, the decisions of the Director General, or the Director General's delegatee, will be final and will not be subject to further appeal. In addition, while candidates must still be medically cleared for full overseas duty, the