This is an unofficial guide based on student experiences. For the most authoritative, up-to-date information, see the official orientation website.
Orientation can be chaotic. Now that you are either heading to post or settling into training, these are some things you may need or want to revisit.
If you get married or add a new little one to the family during orientation or follow-on training, you will need to add them to your OF-126, obtain a medical clearance for them, and add them to your orders. You may also need to notify DS about adding an adult EFM for reporting purposes. For more information, see the Entry-Level Resources: Family Members page on SharePoint (Intranet).
To update your OF-126 (Foreign Service Residence and Dependency Report), login to MyApps and:
Click “HR Applications”.
Select the “OF-126” button which will take you to GEMS.
Select “Employee Self Service” (link at top of page).
On the right side, under OF-126, select either “View Previous OF-126 Submissions” to view current information in the system or "Submit New Form" to update information.
Once you've made the necessary updates, click “Submit".
If you have updated your OF-126 but it is not reflected in your Employee Profile, please e-mail your HR Technician.
Married another member of the FS? You and your spouse should update your OF-126 to reflect your tandem status. Follow the initial steps above, but pay particular attention to the following:
In Box 9a, select the appropriate box: "M" for Married.
In Box 9b, select the appropriate description of your tandem status. For example, select “C” if your spouse is with State.
In Box 11 (Will spouse travel as dependent?), select “Y”. (Note: If you select “N”, your spouse will not show up on your employee profile. If your spouse will not be traveling on your orders, that's okay. You will be able to indicate that when you create your TMTWO in My Itinerary.)
You can make changes to your Thrift Savings Plan through EmployeeExpress. Issues with TSP can be resolved by a Payroll Customer Support Analyst at 800-521-2553 or via PayHelp@state.gov.
Form TSP-65 can be downloaded from the TSP website (www.tsp.gov) to combine your uniformed services TSP account with your new federal/civilian TSP account. It takes about 60 days for the two to be merged.
Leaving for an overseas post is a qualifying life event (QLE), allowing you to select new or different health insurance options outside of the open enrollment period. Complete a FEHB SF-2809 Health Insurance Election Form to enroll in health benefits and submit to HRSC@state.gov.
Consumer Checkbook: Guide to FED Health Plans (subscription-based, around $8)
Login to Employee Express to review your ELS. Ensure your salary and deductions are correct. If you are experiencing issues receiving the security code for your initial login, click on the Submit Help Request link at the upper right of the login page. In the description of the problem, indicate you would like to have your state.gov email address updated in Employee Express.
If you are a local hire and will be in training in the D.C. area for more than six months before departing for post, you are eligible for DC area locality pay once you complete orientation. In order to initiate this change, fill out the DS-1707 form accessible on GoBrowser through the HR Applications link.