Consular Fellows use language proficiency in Chinese-Mandarin, Spanish, Arabic, or Portuguese working in U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. 

Apply here: https://www.pearsonvue.com/us/en/cfpt.html 

The Consular Fellows Program is a limited non-career appointment of up to five years which directly supports the Bureau of Consular Affairs' mission to provide overseas consular services that protect U.S. citizens, ensure U.S. national security, facilitate legitimate travel to the U.S. by foreign national travelers, and foster economic growth at home. 

Consular Fellows adjudicate visa applications of foreign nationals seeking to travel to the United States to visit, study, and work.  They adjudicate Immigrant Visas for foreign nationals immigrating to the United States, many of whom are often reuniting with U.S. citizen family members.  Consular Fellows also assist U.S. citizens traveling or living abroad.  No matter where they serve, Consular Fellows are on the front lines of U.S. diplomacy — protecting U.S. citizens, preventing fraud, combatting human trafficking, and protecting U.S. border security.  

Working for the U.S. Department of State overseas can be challenging and sometimes dangerous. Health and sanitation facilities in foreign countries may be limited, air and water quality may not be up to U.S. standards, sporadic power and water outages may occur, internet service may be unreliable and/or expensive, and access to U.S.-branded goods may be limited. The Consular Fellows Program seeks individuals who maintain composure while continuing to exercise sound judgment – even in the face of potentially stressful circumstances and living conditions. 

The Department of State places language-qualified U.S. citizen Consular Fellows serving in Limited Non-Career Appointments (LNA) in country-specific posts with high visa workloads. Fellows will serve as entry-level adjudicator consular officers in consular sections at U.S. embassies and consulates overseas. LNA appointments, do not provide expedited, alternate, preferential, or otherwise "special" access into either the Foreign Service or the Department of State Civil Service – LNA appointments do not always lead to onward employment with the Department of State, or with the U.S. government. Consular Fellows may consider becoming Foreign Service Specialists or Generalists, as well as Civil Service employees, but they must meet all applicable qualifications and complete the standard application processes. Consular Fellows who successfully complete 48 months of consecutive service as a Consular Fellow may qualify for non-competitive eligibility for federal government Civil Service positions. 

Individuals considering the Portuguese and Chinese language programs are hired specifically for service in Brazil and China. Per the Foreign Affairs Manual (3 FAM 2424.5), the Department does not permit U.S. employees to be assigned to posts in countries of which they are nationals.   

Service time and benefits earned as a Consular Fellow can be counted as federal employment, and credited towards federal retirement eligibility.

Consular Fellows who subsequently enter the Foreign Service as Entry Level Generalists are still required to fulfill the consular service requirement.

Applicant must be a U.S. citizen and available for work outside the United States.   U.S. citizen candidates with dual nationality are ineligible for assignment within their country of dual nationality. The Portuguese and Chinese language programs are designed to fill consular positions in Brazil and China.

Periodic service rotating as an embassy or consulate duty officer requires a 24/7 commitment, typically for a one-week (six night) period of time.

Successful candidates who earn a job offer must be able to pass the Basic Consular Training Course. Failure to successfully complete this training would constitute grounds for separation.

Candidates earning a job offer must be able to obtain medical, security, and suitability clearances, including a country-specific clearance for the locale(s) of assignment. Suitability may include a review of specific factors of an employee's appropriateness for assignment to a specific post, including, for example, whether the candidate has an immediate family member still residing in the country of proposed assignment, or whether the candidate's spouse, children, parents, etc. have such a relationship.

Additional benefits include: Tax Free Housing Overseas, Tax Free Educational Allowance for eligible family members, overtime compensation, Accrual of Annual and Sick Leave, Life Insurance, inclusion in the Federal Employees' Health Benefits Plan (FEHB), inclusion in the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS), and the possibility of hardship pay (where applicable), and may qualify for Non-Competitive Eligibility (NCE) for civil service hiring following 48 months of successful, consecutive service as a CF. Details about these benefits can be found at https://careers.state.gov. Not all benefits are applicable to LNA positions. For example, the Language Incentive Pay program is not included under the Consular Fellows program when proficiency in a specific language is a hiring prerequisite.

Qualifying, active military duty candidates may request unrestricted additional time to schedule their Assessment after passing the language test. Candidates must notify BEX when they are discharged from the military and reschedule an Assessment within the next six months. Foreign Service candidates who can document creditable veterans' service by submitting form DD 214 or other certification will be eligible to receive additional points on the Hiring Register: 0.175 for a five-point standing and 0.35 for a 10-point standing. In all cases points are awarded once a candidate has passed the Assessment. Instructions on how to claim these points are provided at that time.