Federally Affiliated Count Overseas Operation

October 1, 2019
The Honorable (First) (Last)
Address
City, ST 00000
Dear Mr./Ms. (Last):
The Census Bureau is preparing for the 2020 Census. We need your help to count everyone in
the United States, including U.S. federal civilian employees stationed or assigned overseas and
their dependents living with them overseas. When counting U.S. federal civilian employees
stationed or assigned overseas and their dependents living with them overseas, we will collect
totals by home state of residence.
It is vital that the Census Bureau has an accurate and complete count. Many federal laws require
the use of census data to distribute funding, monitor important programs, and enforce laws
against discrimination. States, cities, counties, and tribal governments use census data to plan
future programs, services, and development.
In February 2020, the Census Bureau will send a request for your agency’s contact person to
provide a count of its civilian employees who are stationed or assigned overseas, and their
dependents living with them overseas, by home state of residence, as of census day April 1,
2020. Counts will need to be returned to the Census Bureau by May 29, 2020. Personnel and
administrative records may be used to compile these counts.
Please provide the following information for your agency’s contact person:
 Name
 Title
 Mailing address
 Phone number
 Email address
Please email the requested information by November 22, 2019 to
dcmd.overseas.program@census.gov. If applicable, you may also send contact information for a
secondary contact person within your agency. In February 2020, the Census Bureau will deliver
a request for the counts, along with 2020 Census materials to the contact person(s). You will be
copied on this correspondence.
The Census Bureau is required by law to protect this information (Title 13, U.S. Code, Section
9). The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release your responses in a way that could
identify anyone. We are conducting the 2020 Census under the authority of Title 13, U.S. Code,
Sections 141, 193, 221 and 223. Per the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, data
are protected from cybersecurity risks through screening of the systems that transmit data.

For more information about how we protect this information, please visit our Web site at
census.gov and click on "Data Protection and Privacy Policy" at the bottom of the home page.
This page also includes information about the collection, storage, and use of these records. Click
on "System of Records Notices (SORN)" and look for Privacy Act System of Records Notice
COMMERCE/CENSUS-5, Decennial Census Program.
We estimate that it will take the appointed contact between 40 and 120 hours on average to
prepare the counts of overseas federal civilian personnel and their dependents, depending on the
number of overseas federal civilian personnel and dependents. This includes the time needed to:
read the count request letter and the instructions on how to complete the count form, complete
the form with counts of overseas personnel by home state of residence using your administrative
records, and send the completed form back to the Census Bureau. Send comments regarding this
burden estimate or any other aspect of this burden to: Paperwork Reduction Project xxxx-xxxx,
U.S. Census Bureau, DCMD-2H174, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Washington, DC 20233. You may
email comments to <2020.census.paperwork@census.gov>. Use “Paperwork Reduction Project
xxxx-xxxx” as the subject. This collection of information has been approved by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). The eight-digit OMB approval number xxxx-xxxx confirms
this approval. If this number were not displayed, we could not conduct the census.
Please visit our website at 2020census.gov for more information about the 2020 Census. If you
have any questions regarding this request, please contact Deborah Russell at 301-763-9383 or by
email at
dcmd.overseas.program@census.gov.

Sincerely,

Director

Enclosures

February 3, 2020
(First) (Last)
Address
City, ST 00000
Dear Mr./Ms. (Last):
The Census Bureau is preparing for the 2020 Census. We need your help to count everyone in
the United States, including U.S. federal civilian employees stationed or assigned overseas and
their dependents living with them overseas. When counting U.S. federal civilian employees
stationed or assigned overseas and their dependents living with them overseas, we will collect
totals by home state of residence.
It is vital that the Census Bureau has an accurate and complete count. Many federal laws require
the use of census data to distribute funding, monitor important programs, and enforce laws
against discrimination. States, cities, counties, and tribal governments use census data to plan
future programs, services, and development.
The following forms are enclosed:
 Form D-Q-FA: Federally Affiliated Overseas Personnel and Dependents: Counts by
Home State of Residence.
 Form D-IS-FA: Instructions for completing form D-Q-FA.
Please complete form D-Q-FA using your most up-to-date records as of census day, April 1,
2020 and return it no later than May 29, 2020.
The Census Bureau is required by law to protect this information (Title 13, U.S. Code, Section
9). The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release your responses in a way that could
identify anyone. We are conducting the 2020 Census under the authority of Title 13, U.S. Code,
Sections 141, 193, 221 and 223. Per the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, data
are protected from cybersecurity risks through screening of the systems that transmit data. All
web data submissions are encrypted in order to protect your privacy.
For more information about how we protect this information, please visit our Web site at
census.gov and click on "Data Protection and Privacy Policy" at the bottom of the home page.
This page also includes information about the collection, storage, and use of these records. Click
on "System of Records Notices (SORN)" and look for Privacy Act System of Records Notice
COMMERCE/CENSUS-5, Decennial Census Program.
We estimate that it will take the appointed contact between 40 and 120 hours on average to
prepare the counts of overseas federal civilian personnel and their dependents, depending on the
number of overseas federal civilian personnel and dependents. This includes the time needed to:

read the count request letter and the instructions on how to complete the count form, complete
the form with counts of overseas personnel by home state of residence using your administrative
records, and send the completed form back to the Census Bureau. Send comments regarding this
burden estimate or any other aspect of this burden to: Paperwork Reduction Project xxxx-xxxx,
U.S. Census Bureau, DCMD-2H174, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Washington, DC 20233. You may
email comments to <2020.census.paperwork@census.gov>. Use “Paperwork Reduction Project
xxxx-xxxx” as the subject. This collection of information has been approved by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). The eight-digit OMB approval number xxxx-xxxx confirms
this approval. If this number were not displayed, we could not conduct the census.
Please return the completed D-Q-FA form no later than May 29, 2020 to:
U.S. Census Bureau, DCMD-2H472F
4600 Silver Hill Road
Washington, DC 20233
Please visit our website at 2020census.gov for more information about the 2020 Census. If you
have any questions regarding this request, please contact Deborah Russellat 301-763-9383 or by
email at
dcmd.overseas.program@census.gov.

Sincerely,

Director

Enclosures

Month Day, 2020
(First) (Last)
Address
City, ST 00000
Dear Mr/Ms. (Last):
The Census Bureau is preparing for the 2020 Census. We need your help to count everyone in
the United States, including U.S. federal civilian employees stationed or assigned overseas and
their dependents living with them overseas. When counting U.S. federal civilian employees
stationed or assigned overseas and their dependents living with them overseas, we will collect
totals by home state of residence.
It is vital that the Census Bureau has an accurate and complete count. Many federal laws require
the use of census data to distribute funding, monitor important programs, and enforce laws
against discrimination. States, cities, counties, and tribal governments use census data to plan
future programs, services, and development.
Please go online to overseas.survey.census.gov to complete form D-Q-FA (Federally Affiliated
Overseas Personnel and Dependents: Counts by Home State of Residence) using your most upto-date records as of census day, April 1, 2020. Instructions for completing form D-Q-FA are
enclosed.
The completed form D-Q-FA must be submitted online no later than May 29, 2020. You must
use the following login credentials to access the form.
Username: (placeholder)
Password: (placeholder)
The Census Bureau is required by law to protect this information (Title 13, U.S. Code, Section
9). The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release responses in a way that could identify
anyone. We are conducting the 2020 Census under the authority of Title 13, U.S. Code, Sections
141, 193, 221 and 223. Per the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, your data are
protected from cybersecurity risks through screening of the systems that transmit your data. All
web data submissions are encrypted in order to protect your privacy.
For more information about how we protect your information, please visit our website at
census.gov and click on "Data Protection and Privacy Policy" at the bottom of the home page.
This page also includes information about the collection, storage, and use of these records. Click
on "System of Records Notices (SORN)" and look for Privacy Act System of Records Notice
COMMERCE/CENSUS-5, Decennial Census Program.

We estimate that it will take the appointed contact between 40 and 120 hours on average to
prepare the counts of overseas federal civilian personnel and their dependents, depending on the
number of overseas federal civilian personnel and dependents. This includes the time needed to:
read the count request letter and the instructions on how to complete the count form, complete
the form with counts of overseas personnel by home state of residence using your administrative
records, and send the completed form back to the Census Bureau. Send comments regarding this
burden estimate or any other aspect of this burden to: Paperwork Reduction Project xxxx-xxxx,
U.S. Census Bureau, DCMD-2H174, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Washington, DC 20233. You may
email comments to <2020.census.paperwork@census.gov>. Use “Paperwork Reduction Project
xxxx-xxxx” as the subject. This collection of information has been approved by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). The eight-digit OMB approval number xxxx-xxxx confirms
this approval. If this number were not displayed, we could not conduct the census.
Please visit our website at 2020census.gov for more information about the 2020 Census. If you
have any questions regarding this request, please contact Deborah Russellat 301-763-9383 or by
email at
dcmd.overseas.program@census.gov.
Sincerely,

Director

Enclosure

Month Day, 2019
The Honorable (First) (Last)
Address
City, ST 00000
Dear Mr/Ms. (Last):
The U.S. Census Bureau needs your help to obtain a count of U.S. federal civilian employees
stationed or assigned overseas and their dependents living with them overseas by home state of
residence as of April 1, 2020.
In October of 2019, the Census Bureau mailed a letter requesting information for a contact
person. Please email the requested contact person information to
dcmd.overseas.program@census.gov by December 13, 2019.
If you have any questions, please contact Deborah Russell at 301–763–9383 or by email at
dcmd.overseas.program@census.gov.
Thank you for your help with the 2020 Census.

Sincerely,

Director

Month Day, 2020
(First) (Last)
Address
City, ST 00000
Dear Mr./Ms. (Last):
The U.S. Census Bureau needs your help to obtain a count of U.S. federal civilian employees
stationed or assigned overseas and their dependents living with them overseas by home state of
residence as of April 1, 2020.
In February 2020, Census Bureau mailed a letter requesting your assistance with the 2020
Census. We have not received any information from your department or agency regarding counts
of overseas personnel.
Please complete the enclosed form D-Q-FA, Federally Affiliated Overseas Personnel and
Dependents: Counts by Home State of Residence by May 29, 2020, and return it in the
postage-paid envelope.
If you have any questions, please contact Deborah Russell at 301–763–9383 or by email at
dcmd.overseas.program@census.gov.
Thank you for your help with the 2020 Census.

Sincerely,

Director

Enclosure

FORM

D-IS-FA

(4-19-2018)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING FORM D-Q-FA
FEDERALLY AFFILIATED OVERSEAS PERSONNEL AND DEPENDENTS:
COUNTS BY HOME STATE OF RESIDENCE

Item 1: Department/Agency Name – Enter the
full name of your department or agency.
Item 2: Overseas Personnel – Indicate whether
your department/agency has any overseas personnel,
as of April 1, 2020. For the purposes of this form:

Item 5: Avoiding Duplicate Reporting –
Indicate whether you were able to unduplicate your
counts according to the following guidelines:

• If both spouses of an overseas married couple work
for your department/agency, count them as two
employees, but do not count either as a dependent.
If they have additional dependents living with them,
count the dependents with either spouse, but not
with both spouses. This same rule applies to any
situation where two or more overseas persons work
for your agency and have some type of dependent
relationship, such as parent and child.

AF
T

• "Overseas personnel" are defined as employees of a
U.S. federal agency (regardless of citizenship status)
who are stationed or assigned outside of the 50
United States and the District of Columbia. In other
words, "overseas" includes all foreign countries and
foreign territories, as well as the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American
Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands.

Item 4: Reference Date – The counts in Item 3
should be based on a reference date of April 1, 2020,
or as close as possible to that date. Indicate whether
you were able to provide counts as of April 1, 2020. If
the answer is "No," enter the specific reference date
for the counts you provided.

• Do not count contract employees as "overseas
personnel." Contract employees are individuals hired
by firms that have a contractual relationship with
your agency. Contract employees are not paid
directly by your agency.

Item 3: Counts by Home State of Residence –

R

• For the "Personnel" column, include each employee
of your department/agency who is stationed or
assigned overseas, as defined in the instructions for
Item 2.

D

ο Count each employee in the row that corresponds
to their reported home state of residence while
serving overseas. Valid options for home state of
residence include the 50 United States and the
District of Columbia.

• For the "Dependents" column, include dependents
of the employee who are living with the employee at
their overseas post. Do not include any dependent
who lives stateside or in countries other than the
one to which your employee is assigned.
ο Count each dependent living overseas in the row
that corresponds to their reported home state of
residence. If needed, you may use the associated
employee's home state of residence as your
source for the dependent's home state.

• Do not include any employee of your
department/agency who is married to, or is the
dependent of, an overseas member of the military or
a federal civilian employee of the Department of
Defense. These persons will be counted as
dependents of the Department of Defense employee.
• If your employee is married to, or is the dependent
of, an overseas employee of another federal
agency, other than the Department of Defense,
include the employee and dependents in your
counts. Explain in the "Notes" section:
(1) the extent to which this occurred;
(2) the other agencies involved;
(3) the states involved;
(4) the number of people added to each particular
state.

If you cannot provide such detail, indicate in the
"Notes" the extent to which this occurred.

• For the "Other location" row, include overseas
personnel and dependents who report residence in
a foreign country, foreign territory, or U.S. territory.
For example, include a person who reports
residence in Germany, France, Saint Martin, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or Guam.

Items 6 and 7: Contact Person Information –
For Item 6, enter the name, title, telephone number,
telephone extension (if applicable), and email address
of the primary person we should contact if we have
questions about the counts submitted. For Item 7,
enter information for a secondary contact person, if
available.

• For the "Home state not reported" row, only include
overseas personnel and dependents for whom a
location of residence (other than their current
overseas post) is not available in your records.

Item 8: Certification – Certify the counts by
signing and printing your name and entering the date.