Title 5Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-73

§3597 Reemployment following limited appointment in the Foreign Service

Title 5 › Part PART III— - EMPLOYEES › Subpart Subpart B— - Employment and Retention › Chapter CHAPTER 35— - RETENTION PREFERENCE, VOLUNTARY SEPARATION INCENTIVE PAYMENTS, RESTORATION, AND REEMPLOYMENT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER VI— - REEMPLOYMENT FOLLOWING LIMITED APPOINTMENT IN THE FOREIGN SERVICE › § 3597

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

An employee who takes a limited Foreign Service appointment under section 309 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, with their agency head’s permission, must be rehired in their former job or in a similar or higher job when that appointment ends. When rehired, the employee must get any pay‑step increases they would have earned if they had stayed in their former position.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §3597

Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

An employee of any agency who accepts, with the consent of the head of that agency, a limited appointment in the Foreign Service under section 309 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 is entitled, upon the expiration of that appointment, to be reemployed in that employee’s former position or in a corresponding or higher position in that agency. Upon reemployment under this section, an employee shall be entitled to any within-grade increases in pay which the employee would have received if the employee had remained in the former position in the agency.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 309 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, referred to in text, is classified to section 3949 of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective Feb. 15, 1981, except as otherwise provided, see section 2403 of Pub. L. 96–465, set out as a note under section 3901 of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

5 U.S.C. § 3597

Title 5Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73