(a) Candidates will not be certified as eligible for appointment as Foreign Service officers of class 8 unless they are at least 21 years of age, is a citizen of the United States, and, if married, married to a citizen of the United States. A candidate may be certified as eligible for direct appointment to class 7 if, in addition to meeting these specifications, the candidate also has additional qualifications of experience, education, and age which the Board of Examiners for the Foreign Service currently defines as demonstrating ability and special skills for which there is a need in the Foreign Service. Recommended candidates who meet these requirements will be certified for appointment, in accordance with the needs of the Service, in the order of their standing on their respective registers.
(b) Separate registers for Department of State candidates will be maintained for the administrative, consular, commercial/economic, and political functional specialties. Successful candidates for the U.S. Information Agency will have their names placed on a separate rank-order register and appointments will be made according to the needs of the Agency. Postponement of entrance on duty for required active military service, or required alternative service, civilian Government service abroad (to a maximum of 2 years of such civilian service), or Peace Corps volunteer service, will be authorized. A candidate may be certified for appointment to class 7 or 8 without first having passed an examination in a foreign language, but the appointment will be subject to the condition that the newly appointed officer may not receive more than one promotion unless, within a specified period of time, adequate proficiency in a foreign language is achieved. (22 U.S.C. 1221 et seq.) [37 FR 19356, Sept. 20, 1972, as amended at 38 FR 13640, May 24, 1973]