PRESENTATION OF THE US DEPARTMENT OF STATES

The US Department of States (DOS) is the U.S. federal government department in charge of international relations, and is therefore the equivalent of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If your ESTA application is accepted, you won’t have to deal with this department. On the other hand, if your application is rejected, the Department of States Consular Affairs Office will be responsible for obtaining your US visa.

THE ORIGINS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATES

Under the Constitution of the United States of America, ratified in September 1787, responsibility for conducting the country’s foreign affairs rests with the President of the United States.

In July 1789, the House of Representatives and the Senate passed legislation establishing the Department of States, then called the Department of Foreign Affairs. This was the first federal executive department to be created.

It was renamed the Department of States a few months later, when its scope was expanded to include preservation of the laws, custody of the Great Seal, responsibility for the United States Mint (production and circulation of currency), etc.

The first Secretary of State appointed by President George Washington was Thomas Jefferson, who went on to become the third President of the United States (1801-1809).

The Department of States was originally located in Philadelphia. He is now in Washington DC, just a stone’s throw from the White House.

DEPARTMENT OF STATES ORGANIZATION

The Department of States is headed by a Secretary of State, assisted by an Assistant Secretary and a Chief of Staff.

The Secretary of State is part of the U.S. Cabinet, and therefore reports directly to the President of the United States.

The current Secretary of State is Mike Pompeo (since April 2018). He succeeds Rex Tillerson, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell.

The Department of States is supported by a large number of bureaus and agencies, including the Office of Consular Affairs, the Diplomatic Security Service, the Office of International Organizations, the Office of Legislative Affairs, the Office of Public Affairs, the Office of Counterterrorism, and others.

THE MISSIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATES

The Department of States is dedicated to “promoting democracy and ensuring a free, prosperous and peaceful world.”

Its main mission is to protect the interests of its citizens at various levels:

• national security by fighting corruption, ensuring respect for human rights, controlling access to its territory, etc.
• international security by strengthening diplomatic relations, intervening to guarantee peace and respect for democracy, participating in international efforts to combat terrorism and drugs, manage humanitarian crises, ensure the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, etc.
• by multiplying business opportunities, establishing partnerships, etc.

OVERVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATES CONSULAR AFFAIRS OFFICE

The Bureau of Consular Affairs is responsible for :

• protection of American citizens abroad (estimated at 9 million);
• issuing passports and other official documents for its nationals;
• protecting America’s borders
• visa issuance for the USA
• international cooperation to protect children (adoption, abduction, etc.)

For short stays (90 days maximum) for tourism, business or transit, French nationals can take advantage of ESTA travel authorization. Several entry criteria must be met in order to travel without a visa, and the ESTA application must be made online.

If ESTA is not an option for you for one reason or another, a visa application must be made at the American embassy to travel to the USA. There are two types of visa:

• non-immigrant visas for temporary stays (J visas for exchange programs, F visas for students, B visas for tourists, etc.).
• Immigrant visas are for potential expatriation to the U.S. through employment, such as the E1 visa, or for family, such as the IR1 or CR1 visa.