FY27 Marine Corps Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus (FLPB) Eligibility Requirements

1.  Purpose.  Per refs (a) and (b), this MARADMIN promulgates Marine
Corps policy for the Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus (FLPB) for
Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 and is effective 1 October 2026.  All FLPB
eligibility is based upon the fiscal year the Marine certifies their
proficiency, e.g., a Marine who tested in FY26 receives FLPB based
on FY26 eligibility requirements, and eligibility does not change
when FY27 begins.
2.  Background.  The Marine Corps employs FLPB to meet evolving
mission requirements by incentivizing the acquisition, maintenance,
and enhancement of critical foreign language skills.  In accordance
with refs (b) and (c), and in coordination with the Fleet Marine
Force and Supporting Establishment, the Marine Corps Senior Language
Authority (SLA), under the appointment and executive oversight of
the Deputy Commandant for Information (DC I), manages the FLPB
program.
3.  Validating Proficiency.  Per refs (c) and (d), Marines must
validate their proficiency via the Defense Language Proficiency Test
(DLPT) and/or Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) to maintain FLPB
eligibility.  These tests measure proficiency in Listening (L),
Reading (R), and Speaking (S) using Interagency Language Roundtable
(ILR) scores ranging from 0 to 5.  In accordance with ref (e), the
minimum time required between attempts per modality is 180 calendar
days.  If no DLPT exists for a language or dialect, Marines may take
the OPI to receive both a listening and a speaking score.
4.  FLPB Eligibility.
4.a.  Per ref (c), Marines must meet the requirements for one of the
following five categories to be eligible for FLPB:   
Category 1:  MOS Language Requirements.
Category 2:  Host Nation Support Languages.
Category 3:  Ad hoc Mission Support.
Category 4:  Strategic Language Oral Fluency Initiative.
Category 5:  Lump-Sum Bonus for Total Force Capabilities.
4.a.1.  Category 1:  MOS Language Requirements.  The languages in
this category satisfy MOS requirements and are reflected in ref (f),
(g), and/or unit tables of organization.  Per ref (c), in order to
be eligible for an MOS-required language, the Marine must: (1) hold
the required PMOS and EMOS, or AMOS; and (2) maintain current DLPT
scores at minimum ILR proficiency levels in the language required
by that MOS or billet.  All payments for these languages will be
made via the FLPB Payment Table contained in ref (c) and paragraph
5.b.1.  The specific MOS requirements under Category 1 can be found
in the FY27 FLPB MARADMIN CUI addendum at:
https://intelshare.intelink.gov/sites/hqmcintel/SitePages/Sub-
Section.aspx?Sub-Section=FLP
4.a.1.a.  Suppression. Paragraph 4.a.1.a. of ref(h) is hereby
superseded and rescinded. The minimum qualifying score for Foreign
Language Proficiency Bonus (FLPB) for PMOS 0370 and 0372 remains
Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) level 1 in accordance with
ref (c).
4.a.2.  Category 2:  Host Nation Support Languages.  To incentivize
LREC capabilities, Marines stationed overseas who demonstrate
proficiency (minimum ILR proficiency level 2) in the language of
their host nation or specified regional requirement are eligible for
FLPB.  If eligible, Marines assigned to the approved Monitored
Command Codes (MCC) will receive payment for the correlated
languages via FLPB Payment Table contained in ref (c) and in
paragraph 5.b.1.  To request the addition of an MCC or language to
the list, commands are encouraged to contact the Foreign Language
Program.  All requests will be subject to further analysis to
determine whether the addition is appropriate.  To view the current
list of eligible MCCs and the corresponding languages, view the FY27
FLPB MARADMIN CUI addendum at:  https://intelshare.intelink.gov/
sites/hqmcintel/SitePages/Sub-Section.aspx?Sub-Section=FLP
4.a.3.  Category 3:  Ad Hoc Mission Support.  Marines who are
deployed or in direct support of contingency operations, MAGTF, or
Combatant Command requirements; assigned to Foreign Professional
Military Education (FPME); or otherwise engaged with partner nation
military and/or government personnel may request an ad hoc FLPB
payment for any language if they are not normally qualified for
automatic payment.  Due to budgetary limits, activities not in
direct support of MAGTF operations or partner nation mission
requirements are subject to adjudication by the Foreign Language
Program and may not qualify for FLPB.  All payments will be made via
FLPB Payment Table contained in ref (c) and paragraph 5.b.1.
Instructions for submitting ad hoc requests are outlined in
paragraph 6.a.3. and a template can be found on the FLP SharePoint
at: https://intelshare.intelink.gov/sites/hqmcintel/SitePages/Sub-
Section.aspx?Sub-Section=FLP
4.a.4.  Category 4:  Strategic Language Oral Fluency Initiative.  To
support enduring strategic needs, Marines with Professional Working
Proficiency (ILR level 3) or higher in Speaking Comprehension for
languages listed on the Marine Corps Enduring Strategic Language
List (ESLL) may receive FLPB for the Speaking modality. Other
modalities (L/R), scores lower than ILR level 3, and languages not
included on the ESLL will not be eligible for FLPB.  The current
ESLL can be found in the FY27 FLPB MARADMIN CUI addendum at: https:
//intelshare.intelink.gov/sites/hqmcintel/SitePages/Sub-Section.aspx
?Sub-Section=FLP
4.a.5.  Category 5:   Lump-Sum Bonus for Service-Wide Capabilities.
The USMC, pursuant to ref (b), offers lump-sum bonuses to formally
certify self-assessed foreign language proficiency to those Marines
who do not otherwise qualify to receive monthly FLPB for specific
modalities of a language.  All Marines may certify on an annual
basis and may be paid a lump-sum equivalent to one month's worth of
FLPB as listed in paragraph 5.b.1, per modality scored at ILR skill
level 2 or higher, not to exceed the $12,000 annual cap. Contingent
upon inventory levels of capability awareness throughout the Force,
the USMC reserves the right to remove eligibility for any language
at any time.     
4.a.5.a.  Spanish (SPA) is excluded from eligibility for the
Category 5 Lump-Sum Bonus.
4.a.5.b. Example: A Marine has self-professed Bulgarian skills and
takes a DLPT and Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) in September 2025,
scoring L3/R2+/S2. The Marine will be paid an annual Category 5
Lump-Sum Bonus of $600. This is calculated using the payment table
in paragraph 5.b.1 as a one-time equivalent to one month of FLPB
($300 for the listening score of 3, $200 for the reading score of
2+, and $100 for the speaking score of 2). The Marine may be
eligible to test and apply for another annual Bulgarian lump-sum
bonus in September 2026.
5.  Payment.
5.a.  The minimum ILR level and eligible modalities required for
FLPB vary between the different categories and are as follows:
FLPB Category        Eligible Modalities       Minimum ILR Level
 Category 1                 L/R/S               (see par 4.a.1)
 Category 2                 L/R/S                      2
 Category 3                 L/R/S                      2
 Category 4                   S                        3
 Category 5                 L/R/S                      2
5.b.  Marines eligible to receive FLPB under Categories 1, 2 and 4
(paragraphs 4.a.1, 4.a.2, and 4.a.4) will be paid on a monthly basis
according to the FLPB Payment Table in paragraph 5.b.1.  Payment for
Category 3 and Category 5 are paid in a lump sum at the beginning of
the certification period. The Category 5 Lump-Sum Bonus is
equivalent to one month's worth of FLPB per eligible modality, as
illustrated in paragraph 5.b.1. 
5.b.1.  FLPB Pay Table
ILR Skill-Level       Monthly Payment 
1                     $50.00
1+                    $80.00
2                     $100.00
2+                    $200.00
3                     $300.00
3+                    $350.00
4                     $400.00
5.c.  Per refs (b) and (c), and 37 U.S.C. §353, total FLPB payments
may not exceed $12,000 per year, per Marine. Categories 1, 2, and 4,
FLPB will be paid on a monthly basis and total FLPB payments may not
exceed $1,000 per month. Category 3 is paid as a lump sum after the
ad hoc mission is complete. For Categories 1, 2, 3, and 4, payments
may be pro-rated to the day based on a 30-day month for partial
months of eligibility. Category 5 is paid as a strict lump sum
equivalent to one month's FLPB pay and is not subject to proration. 
6.  Administration. 
6.a.  Waivers, Ad Hoc Requests, and Exceptions to Policy.
6.a.1.  Early Retest Waiver. In accordance with ref (e), the minimum
time required between test attempts per modality is 180 calendar
days. Marines may request an early retest waiver via the
Headquarters Marine Corps Foreign Language Program based on the
completion of a Significant Language Training Event (SLTE), pending
deployment, enrollment in a Service-sponsored school, or meeting a
requirement for advancement eligibility. No individual may take more
than two iterations of the same test within a 12-month period.
6.a.2.   Score Extension Waiver. Per ref (c), Marines may request a
waiver via the Headquarters Marine Corps Foreign Language Program to
extend their test scores past the expiration date when temporarily
assigned to a location with no DLPT testing site within 50 miles,
when deployed in support of operations, when enrolled in a
Service-sponsored school, or when scores expire during an active
Significant Language Training Event (SLTE). Marines are expected to
retest within 90 days following the conclusion of their training
event, deployment, or return to home station. Waiver requests must
be submitted prior to the expiration of the current proficiency
scores; retroactive waivers will not be considered.
6.a.3.  Category 3 Ad Hoc Request Process.
6.a.3.a.  Requests must reflect Marine Corps Total Force System
(MCTFS) data for language test dates, scores, and geographical
location code data, and must include a Marine Corps Task List (MCTL)
item from ref (i) that was supported.  All periods of performance
must be complete at the time of the request.  Requests that do not
meet these requirements will not be considered.
6.a.3.b.  Approval authority for these requests is the first O-5 in
the Marine's chain of command or, in the alternative, any personnel
with By Direction signature authority.
6.a.3.c.  To initiate a request to receive FLPB by exception, visit:
https://intelshare.intelink.gov/sites/hqmcintel/SitePages/Sub-
Section.aspx?Sub-Section=FLP.  A Common Access Card is required to
access the site, and a User's Guide is provided through a link
directly below the widget.  Organizations with administrative
control of a Marine may submit requests for FLPB payment waivers on
their behalf.
6.a.4.  MARSOC ETP for Dual-Modality OPI.
6.a.4.a.  In order to support the MOS requirements prescribed in
refs (c) and (f), an exception to OPI scoring policy is only
applicable to Marines with Military Occupational Specialty (MOS)
0370 and 0372. Ref (b) authorizes this exception to Department of
Defense Foreign Language Proficiency validation testing policy for
the assignment of scores in two modalities on the OPI to meet
service-specific requirements.
6.a.4.b.  When scheduling an OPI for PMOS 0370/0372 Marines via the
OPI Authorization Reporting System (OARS), Test Control Officers
(TCO) shall select SOCOM in the Reason Code.  When selecting this
Reason Code, TCOs will verify that the "Dual Modality" radial is
automatically checked.  Eligibility requirements for OPIs remain in
effect IAW the current version of ref (b).
6.b.  Per refs (b) and (c), Marines receiving FLPB must sign a Page
11 entry in their service record specifying the amount of
proficiency bonus, the period for which the bonus will be paid, and
the initial certification or recertification necessary for
proficiency bonus payment. Individual commands are responsible for
facilitating the written agreement and ensuring it is recorded as a
Page 11 entry in the Marine's Service Record Book or Officer
Qualification Record.
6.c. FLPB eligibility and payment rates are governed by the policy
directive in effect on the exact date the Marine certifies their
proficiency. Marines receiving FLPB under prior FY25 or FY26
guidance will continue to receive those payments under those rules
until their current test scores expire. If a Marine recertifies
prior to their existing scores' expiration, all payments based on
previous guidance will cease, and any subsequent FLPB determinations
will be governed by the specific policy in effect on the date of
that recertification.
7.  Applicability.   This MARADMIN is applicable to all active and
reserve component Marines. 
8.  Direct all questions to the MARADMIN POC.
9.  Release authorized by Lieutenant General Joseph A. Matos III, 
Headquarters Marine Corps, Deputy Commandant for Information.