Global Employment Initiative (GEI)
- Established by the Global Community Liaison Office (GCLO) to help family members explore employment and professional development options while posted overseas.
- Global Employment Advisors (GEAs) provide on-site and virtual employment coaching sessions, training workshops, and career development services at no cost to eligible family members and members of household.
- Helps international employers fill vacancies by utilizing our capable family members already overseas.
GEI Information:
GEI is not a job placement service; instead, it supports family members in their job search by providing resources, guidance, and facilitating skills development. Currently, there are 20 Global Employment Advisors (GEAs) covering over 200 posts, creating a worldwide network of employment coaches who understand the challenges of working overseas.
Services Available for Foreign Service Family Members
The Global Community Liaison Office’s Global Employment Initiative (GEI) helps family members explore employment and professional development options overseas and when returning to the U.S.
The following services are offered at post via webinars and one-on-one meetings both in person and remotely:
- Preparation of private sector and federal resumes
- Tips and practice for interviews
- Briefings and assistance with the federal application process
- Assistance with workplace cross-cultural issues
- Networking guidance
- Advice on both inside and outside the mission employment
- Tips on self-employment, telework, and strategic volunteer options
- Long-term career planning
Questions: GEI@state.gov
Global Employment Advisors (GEAs)
Global Employment Advisors (GEAs) provide on-site and virtual job coaching sessions, training workshops, and career development services at no cost to family members of U.S. government employees who will serve, are currently serving, or have recently returned from serving overseas under Chief of Mission authority.
| Region | Supported Posts | Contact |
| Africa (AF) | Botswana, Burundi, Central African Republic, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe | GEIAFEast@state.gov |
| Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Congo, Congo (Dem. Rep. of), Cote D’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, and Tunisia | GEIAFWest@state.gov | |
| East Asia Pacific (EAP) |
Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam | GEIEAPCentral@state.gov |
| Fiji, Japan, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Philippines and Taiwan | GEIEAPNorth@state.gov | |
| Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, and Timor-Leste | GEIEAPSouth@state.gov | |
| South Korea | GEISeoul@state.gov | |
| China and Mongolia | GEISCACentral@state.gov | |
| Europe (EUR) | Austria, Belarus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine | GEIEURCentral@state.gov |
| Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, and Turkey | GEIEUREast@state.gov | |
| Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden | GEIEURNorth@state.gov | |
| France, Italy, and Switzerland | GEIEURSouth@state.gov | |
| Iceland, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom | GEIEURWest@state.gov | |
| Near East Asia (NEA) | Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, and Saudi Arabia | GEINEA@state.gov |
| Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar and United Arab Emirates | GEISCA@state.gov | |
| Egypt | GEIEgypt@state.gov | |
| South and Central Asia (SCA) |
Bangladesh, India, Iraq, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka | GEISCA@state.gov |
| Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan | GEISCACentral@state.gov | |
| United States (DC Metro Area) | Supports adult family members returning to the United States and those preparing for their first/next tour overseas. | GEIUSA@state.gov |
| Western Hemisphere (WHA) | Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico | GEIWHACentral@state.gov |
| Canada and United States (Outside the DC Metro Area) | GEIWHANorth@state.gov | |
| Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Suriname | GEIWHASouth@state.gov | |
| Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Netherland Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela | GEIWHASouth2@state.gov |
GEI Services for Employers
Since 2002, the Global Employment Initiative (GEI) has helped prospective employers, including Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and a wide range of other local and international organizations, to fill hundreds of job vacancies by tapping into the talent pool of Foreign Service family members overseas.
Many of our candidates are highly educated and multilingual. They have extensive experience in a variety of fields and are ready to work in the countries* where you do business. Our Global Employment Advisors (GEAs) can help you recruit the best mobile talent at no cost to you.
Advantages To Your Organization
- Our professionals are available full-time, part-time, or contractually.
- Our candidates do not require funding for relocation or housing as they are already in-country.*
- Our professionals can often obtain local work permits through diplomatic channels at no cost to your organization.
- GCLO’s Global Employment Advisors do not charge any overhead or placement fees.
* Please see Bilateral Work Agreement/de Facto Work Arrangements for a list of countries where Foreign Service family members may seek employment.