Careers Representing AmericaWhat to prepare and bring to the Assessment Center (For Foreign Service Generalist and Specialist candidates)
- All invited candidates, bring to gain entrance to the Assessment Center:
- Valid U.S. state or federal government-issued photo identification
- For Foreign Service Officer/Generalist Candidates Only (NOTE: Public Diplomacy, Political, Economic, Management and Consular candidates are all Generalist candidates):
- DS-4017 Statement of Interest (50kb, PDF)
- For Pickering, Rangel, and Diplomatic Fellows Only: DS-1950 Application for Employment.
- All invited candidates, bring to show or submit if you pass the oral assessment (FSOA):
- Valid U.S. passport or original U.S. birth certificate or certificate of naturalization
- The Social Security numbers of your dependents (while it is not a requirement that you bring these to the FSOA, it will facilitate the hiring process)
- If you are married, engaged, married but separated, or in a romantic relationship with a cohabitant who is a U.S. citizen, a DS-7601 Spousal Release (607kb, PDF), signed by your spouse, fiancé(e), estranged spouse, or cohabitant.
- Unless you have a Top Secret (or higher) clearance that was granted or updated by a U.S. Government agency within the 24-month period prior to your oral assessment date, all should also do the following.
In addition, those who do have a current Top Secret clearance must prepare a new SF-86 for the purpose of providing current data for the Final Review Panel’s suitability review.
Prepare electronically and certify (but do not hit the submit button) SF-86, Questionnaire for National Security Positions, on e-QIP. To do this:
- Please wait at least one week after receiving this letter and until you are within 90 days of your FSOA, and then download and follow the e-QIP instructions (46kb, PDF).
- Please note that the SF-86 will ask for places you have lived and employment activity going back ten (10) years. E-QIP will automatically ask you for ten years' worth of information. Please use the continuation sheet if necessary.
- If you have previously filled out an e-QIP application, the information should already be on file. Once you are re-initiated into the system, you should only need to update that information.
It is very important that you DO bring an archival copy of the SF-86 Security Form you have prepared, along with unsigned release forms generated in the e-QIP application, to your FSOA. - If you have a spouse, estranged spouse, co-habitant of a romantic nature, or a fiancé(e) who is not a U.S. citizen but who has a Social Security number:
- E-mail FSOAQuestions@state.gov to initiate the necessary background investigation process for this person to complete an electronic version of the SF-85P Questionnaire for Public Trust (pdf, 500kb) and SF-85PS Supplemental Questionnaire for Selected Positions (pdf, 187kb).
NOTE: Spouses/Cohabitants that have Social Security numbers MUST complete the SF-85 forms at the eQIP website. The hard copies provided here as links are for personal records and spouses/cohabitants who do not have Social Security numbers.
Please include "Initiate Security Clearance" in the subject line of your e-mail and your partner's full name, Social Security number, date and place (city and country) of birth in the body of the email, and your career track. - Bring the completed SF-85P (pdf, 500kb) and SF-85PS (pdf, 187kb), along with the associated signed release forms to the FSOA.
- If you have a spouse, estranged spouse, co-habitant of a romantic nature, or a fiancé(e) who is not a U.S. citizen and who does not have a Social Security Number:
- E-mail FSOAQuestions@state.gov to initiate the necessary background investigation process for this person to complete an electronic version of the SF-85P Questionnaire for Public Trust (pdf, 500kb) and SF-85PS Supplemental Questionnaire for Selected Positions (pdf, 187kb).
Keywords: oral assessment Foreign Service assessment sf86 sf-86
