Ambassadors of the United States are persons nominated by the president to serve as the United States' diplomatic representatives to foreign nations, international organizations, and as ambassadors-at-large. Constitution , their appointment must be confirmed by the United States Senate ; [ 1 ] while an ambassador may be appointed during a recess , they can serve only until the end of the next session of Congress, unless subsequently confirmed.
Ambassadors are the highest-ranking diplomats of the U. They are under the jurisdiction of the Department of State and answer directly to the secretary of state ; however, ambassadors serve " at the pleasure of the President ", meaning they can be dismissed at any time. Appointments change regularly for various reasons, such as reassignment or retirement. In most cases, career foreign service officers serve a tour of approximately three years per ambassadorship, whereas political appointees customarily tender their resignations upon the inauguration of a new president.
The State Department publishes a monthly list of ambassadors. Department of State, [ 4 ] along with the names and appointment dates of past and present ambassadors-at-large [ 5 ] and mission to international organizations.
Note that the information in this list is subject to change due to regular personnel changes resulting from retirements and reassignments. The State Department posts updated lists of ambassadors approximately monthly, accessible via an interactive menu-based website.
Current ambassadors from the United States to the United Nations :. Current ambassadors-at-large from the United States with worldwide responsibility: [ 12 ] [ 13 ]. Senior diplomatic representatives of the United States hosted in posts other than embassies. Unlike other consulates, these persons report directly to the Secretary of State.
