U.S. Code » Title 22 » Chapter CHAPTER 52— FOREIGN SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— MANAGEMENT OF SERVICE

22 U.S.C. § 3927

Chief of mission

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(a) DutiesUnder the direction of the President, the chief of mission to a foreign country—(1) shall have full responsibility for the direction, coordination, and supervision of all Government executive branch employees in that country (except for Voice of America correspondents on official assignment and employees under the command of a United States area military commander); and(2) shall keep fully and currently informed with respect to all activities and operations of the Government within that country, and shall insure that all Government executive branch employees in that country (except for Voice of America correspondents on official assignment and employees under the command of a United States area military commander) comply fully with all applicable directives of the chief of mission.(b) Duties of agencies with employees in foreign countries

Any executive branch agency having employees in a foreign country shall keep the chief of mission to that country fully and currently informed with respect to all activities and operations of its employees in that country, and shall insure that all of its employees in that country (except for Voice of America correspondents on official assignment and employees under the command of a United States area military commander) comply fully with all applicable directives of the chief of mission.

(c) Promotion of United States goods and services

Each chief of mission to a foreign country shall have as a principal duty the promotion of United States goods and services for export to such country.

(d) Promotion of United States economic interests

Each chief of mission to a foreign country shall have as a principal duty the promotion of United States economic and commercial interests in such country.

(Pub. L. 96–465, title I, § 207, Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2079; Pub. L. 97–241, title I, § 123, Aug. 24, 1982, 96 Stat. 281; Pub. L. 100–204, title I, § 136, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1345; Pub. L. 107–228, div. A, title V, § 505(b), Sept. 30, 2002, 116 Stat. 1393; Pub. L. 116–94, div. J, title VII, § 704, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 3070.)Editorial NotesAmendments

2019—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 116–94 added subsec. (d).

2002—Subsecs. (a)(1), (2), (b). Pub. L. 107–228 inserted “Voice of America correspondents on official assignment and” after “except for”.

1987—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–204, § 136(1), (2), inserted “executive branch” after “Government” in par. (1) and after second reference to “Government” in par. (2).

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100–204, § 136(3), inserted “executive branch” after “Any”.

1982—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 97–241 added subsec. (c).

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 12 cases (9 in the last 5 years), 1999–2026 · leading case: Mohamed Al-Saffy v. Thomas Vilsack, 827 F.3d 85 (D.C. Cir. 2016).
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Mohamed Al-Saffy v. Thomas Vilsack, 827 F.3d 85 (D.C. Cir. 2016). “See 22 U.S.C. § 3927 (a)(1) (“[T]he chief of mission to a foreign country * * * shall have full responsibility for the direction, coordination, and supervision of all Government *98 executive branch employees in that country (except for Voice of America correspondents on…”
Sam Gray Enter., Inc. v. United States, 43 Fed. Cl. 596 (Fed. Cl. 1999). “Although not cited by plaintiff, 22 U.S.C. § 3927 (a) provides that the "chief of mission” to a foreign country shall “have full responsibility for the direction, coordination, and supervision *603 of all Government executive branch employees in that country (except for…”
Yaghoubnezhad v. Stufft, 734 F. Supp. 3d 87 (D.D.C. 2024). · cites it 2× “; 22 U.S.C. § 3927 . 11 is a “consular officer,” as defined under the INA and its regulations.”
Prince v. Blinken, No. 2:23-cv-00100, 2023 WL 5670158 (N.D. Ind. Aug. 31, 2023). “” 22 U.S.C. §3927 (a)(1). The Princes cannot dispute that “[t]he Secretary is responsible for over 230 U.”
Ali v. United States Dep't of State, 676 F. Supp. 3d 460 (E.D.N.C. 2023). “See 22 U.S.C. § 3927 . Furthermore, visa “[iJnterviews are scheduled based on, among other things, the capacity of the consular offices and embassies.”
Bokhari v. Bitter, No. 2:23-cv-01947, 2024 WL 244211 (D.N.J. Jan. 22, 2024). “22 U.S.C. § 3927 . The Secretary of State has discretionary authority on the form and manner for making a visa application.”
Am. Fed'n of Gov't Employees v. Trump, No. 2025-0352 (D.D.C. Feb. 21, 2025). “¶¶ 3–4; see also 22 U.S.C. § 3927 (a) (outlining the duties of a chief of mission).”
United States Inst. of Peace v. Jackson, 783 F. Supp. 3d 316 (D.D.C. 2025). “20-8 (describing how USIP is outside of the Chief of Mission authority which controls governmental travel, 22 U.S.C. § 3927 (b)); Worden Decl. ¶ 4 (“For my overseas travel, I did not have to receive any Embassy clearance or notification.”
Kachooee v. Allen, No. 2025-0139 (D.D.C. Oct. 23, 2025). “See 22 U.S.C. § 3927 (“[T]he chief of mission to a foreign country .”
Dorobati, No. 4:24-cv-00743 (E.D. Ark. Jan. 12, 2026). “47 Although the individual adjudication actions in this case are not conducted by the Deputy Chief himself, the Deputy Chief maintains “full responsibility for the direction, coordination, and supervision of all Government executive branch employees in that country,” 22 U.S.C. §…”
Tasneem, No. 3:25-cv-30072 (D. Mass. Mar. 31, 2026). “(citing 22 U.S.C. § 3927 ). Therefore, if a consular office or embassy does not have the capacity to interview someone, “it cannot do so.”
Restrictions on Travel by Voice of Am. Correspondents (OLC 1999). “” 22 U.S.C. §§ 3927 (a), (b) (1994). See 1 Foreign Affairs Manual 013, Exhibit 013.”
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