Title 5Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-73

§5927 Advances of pay

Title 5 › Part PART III— - EMPLOYEES › Subpart Subpart D— - Pay and Allowances › Chapter CHAPTER 59— - ALLOWANCES › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - OVERSEAS DIFFERENTIALS AND ALLOWANCES › § 5927

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Agencies can give an employee up to three months’ pay ahead of time. That can happen when the worker is sent to a job in a foreign area; when a U.S. citizen employee (except those appointed under section 303 and employed under section 311 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980) is officially stationed outside the United States and needs medical care abroad (or a family member does) in situations the President defines; or when an employee paid under section 408 of that Act is authorized to be outside their country of employment and needs medical care outside that country in situations the President defines. "Country of employment" means the foreign country where the person was hired by the Government.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §5927

Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Up to three months’ pay may be paid in advance—
(1)to an employee upon the assignment of the employee to a post in a foreign area;
(2)to an employee, other than an employee appointed under section 303 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (and employed under section 311 of such Act), who—
(A)is a citizen of the United States;
(B)is officially stationed or located outside the United States pursuant to Government authorization; and
(C)requires (or has a family member who requires) medical treatment outside the United States, in circumstances specified by the President in regulations; and
(3)to an employee compensated pursuant to section 408 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, who—
(A)pursuant to United States Government authorization is located outside the country of employment; and
(B)requires medical treatment outside the country of employment in circumstances specified by the President in regulations.
(b)For the purpose of this section, the term “country of employment”, as used with respect to an individual under subsection (a)(3), means the country (or other area) outside the United States where such individual is hired (as described in subsection (a)(3)) by the Government.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 303, 311, and 408 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, referred to in subsec. (a)(2), (3), are classified to section 3943, 3951, and 3968, respectively, of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse.

Amendments

2002—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 107–228, § 320(1), amended par. (3) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (3) read as follows: “to a foreign national employee appointed under section 303 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, or a nonfamily member United States citizen appointed under such section 303 (and employed under section 311 of such Act) for service at such nonfamily member’s post of residence, who— “(A) is located outside the country of employment of such foreign national employee or nonfamily member (as the case may be) pursuant to Government authorization; and “(B) requires medical treatment outside the country of employment of such foreign national employee or nonfamily member (as the case may be), in circumstances specified by the President in

Regulations

.” Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 107–228, § 320(2), substituted “hired” for “appointed”. 1999—Pub. L. 106–113 reenacted section catchline without change and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Up to three months’ pay may be paid in advance to an employee upon the assignment of the employee to a post in a foreign area.”

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. § 5927

Title 5Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73