U.S. Department of State

The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. It is administered by the Secretary of State.

Duties & Responsibilities

The Executive Branch and the U.S. Congress have constitutional responsibilities for U.S. foreign policy. Within the Executive Branch, the Department of State is the lead U.S. foreign affairs agency, and its head, the Secretary of State, is the President's principal foreign policy advisor, though other officials or individuals may have more influence on his foreign policy decisions. The Department advances U.S. objectives and interests in the world through its primary role in developing and implementing the President's foreign policy. The Department also supports the foreign affairs activities of other U.S. Government entities including the United States Department of Commerce and the U.S. Agency for International Development. It also provides an array of important services to U.S. citizens and to foreigners seeking to visit or immigrate to the U.S.

All foreign affairs activities - U.S. representation abroad, foreign assistance programs, countering international crime, foreign military training programs, the services the Department provides, and more - are paid for by the foreign affairs budget, which represents little more than 1% of the total federal budget, or about 12 cents a day for each American citizen. As stated by the Department of State, its purpose includes:

1. Protecting and assisting U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad;
2. Assisting U.S. businesses in the international marketplace;
3. Coordinating and providing support for international activities of other U.S. agencies (local, state, or federal government), official visits overseas and at home, and other diplomatic efforts;
4. Keeping the public informed about U.S. foreign policy and relations with other countries and providing feedback from the public to administration officials; and
5. Providing automobile registration for non-diplomatic staff vehicles and the vehicles of diplomats of foreign countries having diplomatic immunity in the United States.

The Department of State conducts these activities with a civilian workforce. This workforce, which is sometimes referred to as the diplomatic service, consists of Foreign Service personnel (including officers, and specialists) and domestic civil service employees. Although the vast majority of State Department employees serving overseas are part of the Foreign Service system, many civil service employees have been given temporary overseas assignments in certain hard to fill missions such as Iraq where no Foreign Service Officer is available to serve. These civil service employees assigned temporarily overseas officially serve under Limited Non-Career Appointments to the Foreign Service (or "LNA" assignments), however, such assignments are often referred to as excursionists within internal department communications and the FAM. This workforce represents America abroad; analyze and report on political, economic, and social trends in the host country; adjudicate visas; and respond to the needs of American citizens abroad. The U.S. maintains diplomatic relations with about 180 countries and also maintains relations with many international organizations, adding up to a total of more than 250 posts around the world. In the United States, about 5,000 professional, technical, and administrative domestic employees work alongside members of the Diplomatic Service compiling and analyzing reports from overseas, providing logistical support to posts, communicating with the American public, formulating and overseeing the budget, issuing passports and travel warnings, and more. In carrying out these responsibilities, the Department of State works in close coordination with other federal agencies, such as the Department of Defense. As required by the principle of checks and balances, the Department also consults with Congress about foreign policy initiatives and policies.

Function Regarding Immigration

If you're a citizen of a foreign country, in most cases you'll need a visa to enter the United States.  A visa, however, does not permit entry to the United States.  A visa simply indicates that your application has been reviewed by a U.S. consular officer at an American embassy or consulate, and that the officer has determined you are eligible to enter the country for a specific purpose. Consular affairs are the responsibility of the U.S. Department of State.

A visa allows you to travel to the United States as far as the port of entry (airport or land border crossing) and ask the immigration officer to allow you to enter the country. Only the immigration officer has the authority to permit you to enter the United States. He or she decides how long you can stay for any particular visit. Immigration matters are the responsibility of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

United States Foreign Service

The United States Foreign Service is the principal diplomatic arm of the United States government, under the aegis of the Department of State. It was created under the Foreign Service Act to serve as the principal personnel system under which the United States Secretary of State is authorized to assign diplomats abroad. Members of the Foreign Service serve at any of the 265 United States Embassies, Consulates and Diplomatic Missions around the world, as well at the State Department's headquarters in the Foggy Bottom section of Washington D.C. They represent the United States abroad by implementing the foreign policy of the United States and by directly aiding its citizens.

Foreign Service Officers represent the United States' interests abroad. In addition, they are responsible for the adjudication of visa and passport applications and assistance to U.S. citizens abroad. FSOs are classified into various specialties, including Management, Consular, Public Diplomacy, Political, and Economic.  Foreign Service Specialists perform unique services in support of the State Department worldwide. Examples of specialists include Medical Doctor, Health Practitioner, Information Resource Management, Office Management Specialist, and Regional Security Officer, (Federal law enforcement employment rules apply for RSO positions which are part of the Diplomatic Security Service).  Foreign Service Nationals are host or third-country citizens hired abroad to perform support tasks at Embassies and Consulates.

Embassies & Consulates

A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one state or an international inter-governmental organization (such as the United Nations) present in another state to represent the sending state/organization in the receiving state. In practice, a diplomatic mission usually denotes the permanent mission, namely the office of a country's diplomatic representatives in the capital city of another country.  A permanent diplomatic mission is usually known as an embassy, and the person in charge of the mission is known as an ambassador.  A Consulate is similar to (but not the same as) a diplomatic office, but with focus on dealing with individual persons and businesses, as defined by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. A Consulate or Consulate-General is generally a representative of the Embassy in locales outside of the capital city.