I am a new foreign service government employee or returning to the foreign service after a break.

All mandatory forms must be sent to your HR Officer prior to your reporting date.

The following forms are required for Foreign Service Employees:

• Agreement To Join The Foreign Service The Agreement to Join the Foreign Service is the last page of your confirmation letter. Please sign that form and fax it immediately and send the original with the other completed forms.
• DS-1031A, US Department of State Biographic Data Sheet Please complete the form annotating all colleges that you attended and list all of your dependents. Sign and date the form.
• DS-4145, Continued Service AgreementPlease read, sign and date.
• DS-4146, Foreign Service Assignments and Policy Commitments Please read, sign and date.
• DS-5002, Designation of Beneficiary Standard rules determine who is eligible to receive these payments. If you are satisfied with the order of payment for that program, you do not have to take any action. But if you want these funds to go to someone else, you need to file a Designation of Beneficiary for that program.

  If you die while you are a Federal employee, payments will be made in the below order as set and dictated by the law as follows:

  • To your widow or widower
  • If none, to your child or children in equal shares, with the share of any deceased child distributed among the child’s descendants
  • If none, to your parents in equal shares or the entire amount to your surviving parent
  • If none, to the executor or administrator of your estate
  • If none, to your next of kin under the laws of the state where you lived at the time of your death

   

  Please read carefully the specific instructions on each designation form before making your designation.

• DS-7663, Department of State Drug Testing PolicyPlease read, sign and date.
• I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
  • Complete, sign and date Sections 1 and 2.
  • You must bring two forms of identification with you to orientation. You will be asked to show proof of eligibility for employment in the U.S. You will find a list of acceptable documents on the third page of the I-9 form.
  • You must bring one document from List A; OR
  • One document from List B and one document for List C.
  • You must bring one photocopy of each presented I-9 document for the Department to retain with your personnel records.

   

  Please be advised that the Department utilizes E-Verify to compare information from the Form I-9 to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment eligibility. The Department reserves the right to terminate employment if your HR Service Provider is unable to confirm your eligibility to work in the United States.

• DS-4147, Final Confirmation of Medical Clearance Status and Availability for Entry into the Foreign Service Please read, print your name, social security number, date of birth and sign.
• OF-306, Declaration of Federal Employment
  • Provide complete answers and check the boxes that apply to you.
  • Please remember to clarify your responses to questions 8 through 13 and question 17 in the space provided under number 15.
  • If you answer “Yes” to any question from 8 through 12, please immediately telephone the Human Resources Specialist who offered you employment.
  • For number 15, your answer should still be “Yes” if you applied for any of the types of pay listed, but were denied.
  • When you complete this form sign and date after number 17a only.
• SF-1152, Unpaid Compensation Designation of Beneficiary Standard rules determine who is eligible to receive these payments. If you are satisfied with the order of payment for that program, you do not have to take any action. But if you want these funds to go to someone else, you need to file a Designation of Beneficiary for that program.

  If you die while you are a Federal employee, payments will be made in the below order as set and dictated by the law as follows:

  • To your widow or widower
  • If none, to your child or children in equal shares, with the share of any deceased child distributed among the child’s descendants
  • If none, to your parents in equal shares or the entire amount to your surviving parent>
  • If none, to the executor or administrator of your estate
  • If none, to your next of kin under the laws of the state where you lived at the time of your death

   

  Please read carefully the specific instructions on each designation form before making your designation.

• SF-1199A, Direct Deposit Sign-Up Form Completion of this form is mandatory for the timely payment of your biweekly salary.

  Section 1

  • A – Enter your name, address, and telephone number.
  • B – Skip
  • C – Enter your social security number
  • D – Check next to your account type.
  • E – Enter your account number. Do you leave blank spaces between the numbers. You may use dashes if they are part of your account number.
  • F – Self-explanatory
  • G – Skip

   

  Joint Account Holders’ Certification:

  If there are two names on the account, both account holders must sign here.

  Section 2

  • Government Agency Name: Department of State
  • Government Agency Address: Washington, DC 20522

   

  Section 3

  • This must be completed, signed, and dated by your financial institution and given back to you; or provide a voided check.
• SF-144, Statement of Prior Federal Service
  • This form will be used to allow the US Department of State to verify your pervious federal employment service.
  • In number 5, ensure that you annotate all federal agencies of employment, dates of employment and type of appointment.
  • In number 6, annotate absences, if applicable.
  • In box number 7, annotate military service, dates and type of discharge. Sign and date the form.
• SF-181, Ethnicity and Race Identification

  Your completion of this form and providing this information is voluntary. Your failure to do so will have no effect on you or your Federal employment. However, if you fail to provide the information, the employing agency will attempt to identify your race and national origin by visual perception.

  • Check the box next to the category that defines your racial and national origin.
  • Mark only one box.
• SF-256, Self-Identification of Disability

  Self Identification of disability status is voluntary. The Privacy Act statement and purpose for disability data collection is explained on the back of the form.

  • Read through the definitions provided and enter the code of the one which best described your status.
  • Enter only one code.
• SF-2809, Health Benefits Election Form The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) is one of the most valuable benefits of Federal employment, but coverage is not automatic — you must select one of the more than 100 available health plans in order to be covered. You have 60 days from your entry on duty date to sign-up for a health insurance plan. If you don’t make an election, you are considered to have declined coverage and you must wait until open season to enroll.VERY IMPORTANT: Enrollment is not retroactive, and it cannot be made effective the day you enter on duty as you must have been in a pay status during some part of the pay period which precedes the one in which your enrollment becomes effective. Once this requirement has been met your enrollment will become effective on the first day of the first pay period that begins after your employing office receives your enrollment request. Thus the earliest that your health insurance can possibly become effective is the beginning of the pay period that begins after the pay period in which you are hired. You cannot be reimbursed for any medical expenses incurred prior to the effective date. You need to consider this in canceling any other health insurance coverage you may already have, and for scheduling of doctor visits or tests.Although you have 60 days to make your election, it is to your advantage to make this election soon in order to be covered in case of accident or illness. There is no retroactive coverage of your expenses prior to the effective date of your coverage. The policy will begin coverage on the effective date, however, and will cover expenses occurring on or after that date, even for conditions occurring before that date. Additional information on all current health plans is available at: http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/search/plansearch.aspx
• SF-2817, Life Insurance Election If you’re in a FEGLI-eligible position, you’re automatically enrolled in Basic life insurance, which is effective on the first day you enter in a pay and duty status UNLESS you waive this coverage before the end of your first pay period. You do NOT get any Optional insurance automatically – you have to take action to elect it. You have 60 days from your entry date to sign up for any Optional life insurance. If you do not make an election, you are considered to have waived optional insurance.No proof of insurability is required for the Basic insurance you get upon being hired or any optional insurance you sign-up for during the first 60days. Proof of insurability may be required for insurance changes after that time.
• SF-2823, Life Insurance Designation of Beneficiary Standard rules determine who is eligible to receive these payments. If you are satisfied with the order of payment for that program, you do not have to take any action. But if you want these funds to go to someone else, you need to file a Designation of Beneficiary for that program.

  If you die while you are a Federal employee, payments will be made in the below order as set and dictated by the law as follows:

  • To your widow or widower
  • If none, to your child or children in equal shares, with the share of any deceased child distributed among the child’s descendants
  • If none, to your parents in equal shares or the entire amount to your surviving parent>
  • If none, to the executor or administrator of your estate
  • If none, to your next of kin under the laws of the state where you lived at the time of your death

   

  NOTE: If a qualifying court order or an assignment of benefits is on file for the Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program, the court order or assignment takes precedence over any designation of beneficiary and the above normal order of precedence.

  Please read carefully the specific instructions on each designation form before making your designation.

• TSP-1, Thrift Savings Plan Election Form (link goes to www.tsp.gov)If your appointment confers eligibility for the Federal Employees Retirement System your agency will automatically enroll you in this program.

  Almost all new employees are automatically covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). FERS is a three-tiered retirement plan. The three tiers are:

  • Social Security Benefits
  • Basic Benefit Plan
  • Thrift Savings Plan

   

  You pay full Social Security taxes and a small contribution to the Basic Benefit Plan. In addition, your agency will set up a Thrift Savings Plan account for you and will automatically contribute an amount equal to 1% of your basic pay each pay period. These Agency Automatic (1%) Contributions are not taken out of your salary, and your agency makes these contributions whether or not you contribute your own money to the TSP.

  You are also able to make tax-deferred contributions to the TSP and a portion is matched by the Government. Your agency will invest $1.00 for every $1.00 you invest for the first 3 percent of your basic salary, and 50 cents for each $1.00 you invest for the next 2 percent of your basic salary. The agency contributions are not taken out of your salary; they are an extra benefit to you.

  You can start, change, stop, and resume TSP contributions at any time. There is no waiting period.

  The best way to assure that your retirement income meets your needs is to start investing in the Thrift Savings Plan at the beginning of your Federal service, and to continue to do so throughout your career. It is particularly important for higher-paid employees to save enough through the TSP since Social Security replaces a smaller percentage of the income of higher-paid workers than it does for lower-paid workers. You may contribute up to the maximum annual amount permitted by Internal Revenue Service regulations, currently $17,500 percent of your basic pay.

• DS-7664, Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments
  • Check the applicable box, sign and date.
• W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate Form
  • Enter your name, address, and social security number.
  • Indicate the tax rate category and number of exemptions you wish to claim on this Federal income tax withholding form.
  • If you are unsure about the number of exemptions to claim, you can use the Personal Allowances Worksheet at the top of the W-4 form, or, the Deductions and Adjustment Worksheet on the reverse of the form. Additional withholding advice should be sought from a tax professional.
  • Sign and date the form.