Eligible Family Member (EFM): An individual related to a U.S. Government employee in one of the following ways:

• Spouse or same-sex domestic partner (as defined in 3 FAM 1610);
• Child, who is unmarried and under 21 years of age or, regardless of age, is incapable of self-support. The term shall include, in addition to natural offspring, stepchildren and adopted children, and those under legal guardianship of the employee or the spouse when such children are expected to be under such legal guardianship until they reach 21 years of age and when dependent upon and normally residing with the guardian;
• Parent (including stepparents and legally adoptive parents) of the employee or of the spouse, when such parent is at least 51 percent dependent on the employee for support;
• Sister or brother (including stepsisters and stepbrothers, or adoptive sisters or brothers) of the employee, or of the spouse, when such sibling is at least 51 percent dependent on the employee for support, unmarried, and under 21 years of age, or regardless of age, incapable of self-support.

U.S. Citizen Eligible Family Member (USEFM): For purposes of receiving a preference in hiring for a qualified position, an EFM who meets the following criteria:

• U.S. Citizen; and,
• EFM (see above) at least 18 years old; and
• Listed on the travel orders of a direct-hire Foreign, Civil, or uniformed service member assigned to or stationed abroad with a USG agency that is under COM authority, or at an office of the American Insitute in Taiwan; and either:

1. Resides at the sponsoring employee’s or uniformed service member’s post of assignment abroad or at an office of the American Institute in Taiwan; or
2. Resides at an Involuntary Separate Maintenance Allowance (ISMA) location authorized under 3 FAM 3232.2.

Appointment Eligible Family Member (AEFM): EFM (see above) eligible for a Family Member Appointment for purposes of Mission employment:

• Is a U.S. Citizen; and,
• Spouse or same-sex domestic partner (as defined in 3 FAM 1610) or a child of the sponsoring employee who is unmarried and at least 18 years ole; and
• Is listed on the travel orders or approved Form OF-126, Foreign service Residence and dependency Report, of a sponsoring employee, i.e., a direct-hire Foreign Service, Civil Service, or uniformed service member who is permanently assigned to or stationed abroad at a U.S. mission, or at an office of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT); and who is under chief of mission authority; and
• Is residing at the sponsoring employee’s post of assignment abroad or, as appropriate, office of the American Institute in Taiwan
• Does not receive a Foreign Service or Civil Society annuity

Member of Household (MOH): An individual who accompanies a direct-hire Foreign, Civil, or uniformed service member permanently assigned or stationed at a U.S. Foreign Service post or establishment abroad, or at an office of the American Institute in Taiwan. An MOH is:

• Not an EFM; and,
• Not on the travel orders of the sponsoring employee; and,
• Has been officially declared by the sponsoring USG employee to the COM as part of his/her household.

A MOH is under COM authority and may include a parent, unmarried partner, and other relative or adult child who falls outside the Department’s current legal and statutory definition of family member. A MOH does not have to be a U.S. citizen.

Not-Ordinarily Resident (NOR) – An individual who:

• Is not a citizen of the host country; and,
• Does not ordinarily reside (OR, see below) in the host country; and,
• Is not subject to host country employment and tax laws; and,
• Has a U.S. Social Security Number (SSN).

NOR employees are compensated under a General Schedule (GS) or Foreign Service (FS) salary schedule, not under the Local Compensation Plan (LCP).

Ordinarily Resident (OR) – A Foreign National or U.S. Citizen who:

• Is locally resident; and,
• Has legal, permanent resident status within the host country; and,
• Is subject to host country employment and tax laws.

EFMs without U.S. Social Security Numbers are also OR. All OR employees, including U.S. citizens, are compensated in accordance with the Local Compensation Plan (LCP).

English Level

Level 1: Rudimentary Knowledge

At this level an employee is, at most, required to have a rudimentary verbal understanding of a very limited English vocabulary such as might be required in understanding and following instructions of the type that might be given to a motor pool chauffeur. This level of understanding is typically not required for positions such as laborer and trades occupations where contacts are primarily with other local employees.

Level 2: Limited Knowledge

At this level an employee needs only a limited knowledge of written and spoken English, and a vocabulary limited to the specific occupation. An employee at this level would be expected to understand and carry out verbal instructions of a repetitive character, and to be able to prepare simple reports of the type that might be expected of a motor pool dispatcher.

Level 3: Good Working Knowledge

At this level an employee is required to have a good working knowledge of both written and spoken English. The employee should be able to read and understand agency regulations, operating instructions, memoranda, and related material concerning the field of work, to prepare correspondence and standardized reports, and to communicate effectively with English speaking staff members and the general public, including both English speaking and non-English speaking persons.

Level 4: Fluent

At this level an employee is required to possess a high degree of proficiency in both written and spoken English, including the ability to translate the host country language into precise and correct English, and English into the applicable foreign language. On occasion, an employee at this level might be expected to act as an interpreter in situations where considerable importance attaches to proper word meaning.

Level 5: Professional Translator/Interpreter or Equivalent

This level is essentially limited to professional translators and interpreters whose proficiency in written and spoken English truly matches that of a well educated native speaker. This includes the ability to deal effectively with highly technical and sophisticated terminology in which fine nuances of meaning may at times assume major importance in negotiations. At this level an employee should be capable of simultaneous translation, as in the case of conference reporting. An equivalent level of difficulty and responsibility relates to those employees who are required to be fluent in two or more foreign languages, or two or more distinctly different and complex native dialects.