U.S. Department of State

Home Service Transfer Allowance

Home Service Transfer Allowance (HSTA): The purpose of the HSTA is to help defray an employee's extraordinary but necessary and reasonable costs when they transfer from a foreign post to a post in the United States. To qualify for the allowance, the employee must sign the attestation in DSSR 252.6b, stating that they agree to complete 12 months of USG service after they transfer to the U.S. The HSTA is also available to family members who relocate to the U.S. following the death of an employee assigned to a foreign area.

The HSTA is similar to the Foreign Transfer Allowance (FTA) because it also has five portions:  a miscellaneous expense portion (DSSR 252.1), a wardrobe portion (DSSR 252.2), a subsistence expense portion (DSSR 252.3), a lease penalty expense portion (DSSR 252.4) and a pet shipment and required quarantine expense portion (DSSR 252.5).

For the subsistence expense portion, agencies may choose whether to use either "Actual-Expense Reimbursement Method - Agency Method #1" or  "Partial-Flat-Rate Reimbursement Method - Agency Method #2".  In addition to either Method #1 or #2, an agency may offer to employees the optional "Fixed- Amount Reimbursement Method."  If the optional method is offered by an agency the employee may choose which method they want to use.  Please check your agency's implementing regulations for guidance on which method(s) of reimbursement your agency offers.  Note: These calculations differ from reimbursements under FTA.

For Actual-Expense Reimbursement Method - Agency Method #1 and Partial-Flat-Rate Reimbursement Method - Agency Method #2:  (1) if the U.S. post of assignment is in the continental U.S. (CONUS) the standard CONUS per diem rate is used; (2) if the U.S. post of assignment is outside the continental U.S. (OCONUS) then the per diem of that location (Alaska, Hawaii, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, etc.) is used.   For the Fixed- Amount Reimbursement Method the per diem of the U.S. post of assignment (whether CONUS or OCONUS) always applies. DSSR 252.3 explains how to make calculations under the actual expense reimbursement method and the fixed amount reimbursement system. See DSSR 250, 3 FAM 3231 and DSSR 960 HSTA Worksheet for further information on the HSTA. 

FORMS:

SF-1190 (07/2009) - Foreign Allowances Application, Grant and Report

DSSR 960 HSTA Worksheet

RESOURCES:

FAQ - Home Service Transfer Allowance

Foreign Service Assignment Notebook

Have questions about calculating your HSTA amount or if you're authorized? Need amendments to your orders? Contact your  GTM Assignment Technician! 

Need to submit a HSTA claim? See PCS Travel Claim Center

Have questions about your HSTA claim? Contact Employee Claims Customer Service