The assistant secretary for consular affairs leads a team of 13,000 consular professionals in almost 300 locations across the U.S. and around the world.3 He or she manages a budget of approximately $4.3 billion.
• Holds responsibility for the provision of services such as assisting next of kin following the deaths of Americans abroad; conducting searches for missing Americans; visiting U.S. citizens imprisoned abroad; providing repatriation loans to destitute Americans; providing directly to the American people, accurate and timely information on travel and conditions abroad; supporting the resolution of international child custody disputes and the development and implementation of international adoption policy; coordinating large-scale emergency evacuations and pursuing consular reciprocity with other nations
• Administers the department’s visa and passport programs to protect our borders, while facilitating international travel and supporting the U.S. economy, without compromising security
• Domestically, oversees the management of visa centers and regional passport offices as well as bureau staff and operations in Washington, D.C.
• Testifies before congressional committees and appears in the media
• Exercises strong management and provides guidance to thousands of U.S. consular officers at posts around the world and, domestically, in passport agencies across the country and at the Bureau of Consular Affairs
• Liaises with other executive agencies and departments, including the Department of Homeland Security and its component agencies; the intelligence community and law enforcement agencies; the departments of Commerce, Labor, HHS, Treasury and Defense; the Bureau of Engraving and Printing; the Government Printing Office; the White House; and the Washington consular corps, and closely coordinates with senior State Department leadership and private sector stakeholders4