9 FAM 600
visa section administration
9 FAM 601
Managing a visa unit
Management and Leadership
(CT:VISA-2143; 03-26-2025)
(Office of Origin: CA/VO)
9 FAM 601.1-1 Managing a visa section – overview
(CT:VISA-1670; 12-15-2022)
The CA Management Framework is known as Balanced, SMART, and Lean. The framework is based on proven management practices and aligns with the goals of our organization. As an organization, we believe in becoming the recognized government leader in management excellence through innovative and balanced practices that help us achieve our mission. The CA Management Framework reminds all consular professionals that to maintain a successful organization, we must balance competing needs and priorities, set good goals, and constantly look for opportunities to improve. See also 7 FAH-1 H-200, Managing Consular Operations, and Management and Leadership on the CA Intranet, CAWeb.
9 FAM 601.1-2 Consular leadership and management
(CT:VISA-1670; 12-15-2022)
1CA enables Consular Professionals to solve problems, optimize operations, fuel innovation, and inspire greater individual and team effectiveness. To excel in an environment of budgetary austerity and increasing demand for our services, CA must operate as a global enterprise with a shared mission and common business culture. 1CA promotes and sustains a culture that encourages and supports the practice of Leadership, Management, and Innovation excellence. 1CA fosters a culture of shared values through the CA Leadership and Management Tenets and leverages proven management methods and tools to improve complex CA operations and to offer a shared approach to management across the Bureau. See the 1CA website.
9 FAM 601.1-3 consular training and mentoring
(CT:VISA-1903; 02-06-2024)
a. In addition to the training and mentoring programs offered by the Foreign Service Institute’s Consular Training Division and the Leadership and Management School, the 1CA website, under LEARN, offers information on consular training related to leadership, management, and innovation. There is a complete list of Tenet Lesson Plan Resources for each of the Consular Leadership and Management Tenets.
b. There are also other training resources in support of 1CA tools and management methods. The CA Super User program on the 1CA website connects consular teams with subject matter experts (“CA Super Users”) from around the world to select, implement, and launch CA-approved innovative solutions and tools to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of consular operations and sustain these solutions and tools over the long term.
c. Additionally, see 7 FAH-1 H-550, 7 FAH-1 H-645.2, 7 FAH-1 H-740, and 7 FAH-1 H-943.1 for information on the role of training in ensuring appropriate management controls in consular operations.
9 FAM 601.1-4 consular ethics
(CT:VISA-2143; 03-26-2025)
The real or implied appearance of impropriety in consular operations greatly impacts the reputation and integrity of our functions and our personnel. Both CA and DS work diligently to mitigate the vulnerabilities in our systems and to strengthen the ethical standards under which we operate. Consular officers must make decisions every day that affect national security and should not be tainted by allegations of misfeasance, malfeasance, or an appearance of impropriety. Through the transparency in our operations and the unquestionable integrity of our staff, the Department of State provides the highest level of service to our customers and demonstrates the ideals of democracy to the government of the receiving state and its citizens. For more information on consular ethics see Preventing Malfeasance under the Prevent Fraud tab, located on CAWeb.
9 FAM 601.1-5 visas and public service
(CT:VISA-1455; 01-19-2022)
a. Public Service: Consular work is about public service. See 7 FAH-1 H-821 and 7 FAH-1 H-822 for additional information on what public service does and does not mean, and 7 FAH-1 H-824 for details on who has responsibility for ensuring high quality public service.
b. Congressional and Media Relations: Members of Congress and the media are two particularly important groups that focus on the service(s) we provide. For additional information on Congressional relations, see 9 FAM 602.2-4 and 7 FAH-1 H-840; for information on handling outreach with media, see 7 FAH-1 H-850.