22 USC § 3946 - Career appointments

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t22/s3946"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "22 USC § 3946 - Career appointments"
title_number: 22
title_name: "FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE"
section_number: "3946"
section_name: "Career appointments"
chapter_number: 52
chapter_name: "FOREIGN SERVICE"
subchapter_number: "III"
subchapter_name: "APPOINTMENTS"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-03-26"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 96–465, title I, § 306, Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2086; Pub. L. 100–204, title I, § 181(c), Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1363.)"
---


# § 3946. Career appointments

**(a)** **Trial period under limited appointment** Before receiving a career appointment in the Service, an individual shall first serve under a limited appointment as a career candidate for a trial period of service prescribed by the Secretary. During such trial period of service, the Secretary shall decide whether—

**(1)** to offer a career appointment to the candidate under section 3943 of this title, or

**(2)** to recommend to the President that the candidate be given a career appointment under section 3942 of this title.

**(b)** **Decisions by Secretary** Decisions by the Secretary under subsection (a) shall be based upon the recommendations of boards, established by the Secretary and composed entirely or primarily of career members of the Service, which shall evaluate the fitness and aptitude of career candidates for the work of the Service.

**(c)** **Foreign Service Grievance Board decisions** section 4137 of this title

Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the authority of the Secretary or the Foreign Service Grievance Board under .

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 96–465, title I, § 306, Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2086; Pub. L. 100–204, title I, § 181(c), Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1363.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1987—Subsec. (c).  added subsec. (c).

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1987 Amendment

> “The amendments made by this section [amending this section and sections 4010 and 4137 of this title] shall not apply with respect to any grievance in which the Board has issued a final decision pursuant to section 1107 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (
> 
> ) before the date of enactment of this Act [
> 
> ].”

, , , provided that: