---
kind: "section"
citation: "22 U.S.C. § 3927"
title: "22"
title_heading: "Foreign Relations and Intercourse"
number: "3927"
heading: "Chief of mission"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/22/3927"
units:
  - "Chapter 52 — Foreign Service"
  - "Subchapter II — Management of Service"
---

# §3927. Chief of mission

- (a) **Duties—** Under the direction of the President, the [chief of mission](/usc/22/3902.md?p=3) to a [foreign country](/usc/22/2321c.md?p=2)—
  - (1) shall have full responsibility for the direction, coordination, and supervision of all [Government](/usc/22/3902.md?p=7) executive branch employees in that country (except for Voice of America correspondents on official assignment and employees under the command of a United States area military commander); and
  - (2) shall keep fully and currently informed with respect to all activities and operations of the [Government](/usc/22/3902.md?p=7) within that country, and shall insure that all [Government](/usc/22/3902.md?p=7) executive branch employees in that country (except for Voice of America correspondents on official assignment and employees under the command of a United States area military commander) comply fully with all applicable directives of the [chief of mission](/usc/22/3902.md?p=3).
- (b) **Duties of agencies with employees in foreign countries—** Any executive branch [agency](/usc/22/3902.md?p=2) having employees in a [foreign country](/usc/22/2321c.md?p=2) shall keep the [chief of mission](/usc/22/3902.md?p=3) to that country fully and currently informed with respect to all activities and operations of its employees in that country, and shall insure that all of its employees in that country (except for Voice of America correspondents on official assignment and employees under the command of a United States area military commander) comply fully with all applicable directives of the [chief of mission](/usc/22/3902.md?p=3).
- (c) **Promotion of United States goods and services—** Each [chief of mission](/usc/22/3902.md?p=3) to a [foreign country](/usc/22/2321c.md?p=2) shall have as a principal duty the promotion of United States goods and services for export to such country.
- (d) **Promotion of United States economic interests—** Each [chief of mission](/usc/22/3902.md?p=3) to a [foreign country](/usc/22/2321c.md?p=2) shall have as a principal duty the promotion of United States economic and commercial interests in such country.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 96–465, title I, § 207, Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2079; Pub. L. 97–241, title I, § 123, Aug. 24, 1982, 96 Stat. 281; Pub. L. 100–204, title I, § 136, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1345; Pub. L. 107–228, div. A, title V, § 505(b), Sept. 30, 2002, 116 Stat. 1393; Pub. L. 116–94, div. J, title VII, § 704, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 3070.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2019—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 116–94 added subsec. (d).

2002—Subsecs. (a)(1), (2), (b). Pub. L. 107–228 inserted “Voice of America correspondents on official assignment and” after “except for”.

1987—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–204, § 136(1), (2), inserted “executive branch” after “Government” in par. (1) and after second reference to “Government” in par. (2).

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100–204, § 136(3), inserted “executive branch” after “Any”.

1982—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 97–241 added subsec. (c).