AFSA stands up for U.S. Foreign Service members—at work, in the courts, on Capitol Hill, and in the media. Photo: LR Photography.
You Signed Up to Serve
A career in the Foreign Service means constant movement: new countries, new assignments, new rules, sometimes with almost no notice. You didn't choose this work expecting comfort or predictability. But you should be able to count on something. That's AFSA. For a century, we've been the one constant behind an unpredictable career—negotiating on your behalf, defending due process when it's tested, and translating what's happening in Washington into what it means for you and your family. When the ground shifts, we're the people who help you understand where you're standing.
Fast Facts
- Founded: 1924
- What we are: Professional association and labor union of the U.S. Foreign Service
- Members: 12,000
- Funding: Primarily funded by membership dues
- Headquarters: Washington, D.C.
- Nonprofit status: Nonprofit professional association and labor union
- Governance: Member-elected leadership
Mission
AFSA promotes a strong, professional career U.S. Foreign Service, fosters a better understanding of and appreciation for the Foreign Service’s critical role in promoting America’s economic prosperity and values, and safeguards the interests of its members.
What I appreciate most about AFSA membership is that, especially during the RIF, it gives Foreign Service professionals a collective voice, a shared community, and a principled advocate when the institution we serve needs defending.
—Ryan Gliha, FSO alum
Total Members
Posts
Years of Experience
Don’t Go It Alone
Historically, nearly 80 percent of active-duty Foreign Service employees choose to belong to AFSA. Not because membership is required—it isn't—but because they've found something worth having: a network of colleagues who already understand what this work asks of you, your spouse, your kids, your career. You're trained not to draw attention to your own work—it's part of what makes you effective abroad. AFSA carries some of that weight for you: making sure the country understands what this job actually requires, even when you're the last one who'd say so.
The connection to a community of people who understand our unique commitment and experiences is invaluable.
—Lori Michaelson, AFSA member
Join
Membership is open to active-duty and Foreign Service alumni employees across six agencies plus surviving spouses and partners, and anyone who wants to support the cause as an associate member.
AFSA’s History
AFSA traces its roots to 1918, when the American Consular Association was founded to represent the Consular Corps. In 1924, that group merged with the Diplomatic Corps to become the American Foreign Service Association—built, in the words of its founders, to foster an esprit de corps among Foreign Service employees. AFSA won representation elections at State and USAID in 1972 and was certified the following year as the Foreign Service's exclusive bargaining representative, later expanding to USIA, the Foreign Commercial Service, the Foreign Agricultural Service, and APHIS. The Foreign Service Act of 1980 cemented that role, affirming what AFSA has argued since its founding: that a professional, career Foreign Service is essential to the national interest. We publish The Foreign Service Journal, the profession's magazine of record. We administer scholarships for Foreign Service families. We're the people who show up—in negotiations, in Congress, in the press—when the institution needs defending.
Press
AFSA is a primary source on the Foreign Service—its people, its role, and the policy questions that affect it. Visit our press page to contact a member of the communications team, or explore The Foreign Service Journal archive for context on the profession.