From the time your information hits the system, your interim Secret or Top Secret clearance could be granted in as little as
5-10 days
.
What is checked for interim security clearance?
An interim clearance for a secret clearance is based on
a review of your SF-86, clearance databases, and a basic credit and criminal background check
. A top secret interim clearance may be given based on a review of the SF-86, credit checks, and submission to a single scope background investigation.
Why would an interim security clearance be denied?
Common issues that could result in a denied interim security clearance are
prior criminal conduct, debt, foreign contacts, or even inconsistencies in the security clearance application
.
Who approves interim security clearance?
There is an entire office dedicated to this process–as mentioned above, the interim clearance process is a formal one and not left to the jurisdiction of an individual unit or command. Interim clearances are issued by
the Vetting Risk Operations Center (VROC)
.
What will disqualify you from a Secret clearance?
These conditions may disqualify you from access to classified information:
Drug abuse
. Illegal drug possession. Diagnosis of drug abuse or dependence by a medical professional.
What happens after interim security clearance?
If an interim clearance is granted,
it will follow the employee to the next cleared contractor facility
(if there is still a need). If you consult a few Facility Security Officers (FSOs) about this, you're likely to get theoretical answers – since not too many people change jobs within a few months of hire.
What are the 5 levels of security clearance?
These are
confidential, secret, top secret and sensitive compartmented information
. This type of security clearance provides access to information that may cause damage to national security if disclosed without authorization.
What is the highest level of security clearance?
There are three levels of security clearance, with the highest level being
Top Secret
. Secret is the next level of clearance and Confidential is the final.
What percentage of security clearances are denied?
myth #1: Many security clearances are denied.
Peregrine noted the rate of security clearance denials is incredibly low.
Less than 1%
of security clearances investigations result in denial. Individuals may not be eligible for an interim clearance, and they may have significant issues that need to be mitigated.
How difficult is it to get a secret security clearance?
The National Security Agency denied the most applicants–
9.2 percent
. The National Reconnaissance Office and the Central Intelligence Agency had the next greatest number of denials, at 7.4 percent and 6.5 percent, respectively. These numbers might seem relatively low, but there's a reason for that.
Is a polygraph required for secret clearance?
A polygraph test may be required as an add-on requirement to a Top Secret or TS/SCI clearance depending upon the job or hiring organization
. The CIA is an example of an organization that requires all of its employees to pass a full-scope polygraph test – even its cleaning staff!
Do security clearances check Internet history?
Although security clearance background checks can be intensely thorough,
the government can't view your emails, Internet browsing history, hard drive data, and other virtual assets without a subpoena or warrant
.
Will paid collections hurt my security clearance status?
While it is generally conceded that
excessive debt is a cause for denying security clearances
, no branch of the military has a set amount of debt that will result in being denied.
How long does clearance adjudication take?
Why Would Adjudication Take So Long? Average adjudication timelines for Department of Defense/Industry applicants in the fourth quarter of 2021 were
31 days for a Top Secret clearance and 14 days for a Secret clearance
.
What is the difference between Top Secret and secret clearance?
The clearance process for Secret level access uses an investigation called the National Agency Check with Law and Credit that goes back five years, while the clearance process for Top Secret uses a Single Scope Background Investigation that goes back ten years.
What is a Yankee White clearance?
A yankee white clearance isn't as much a separate background investigation as it is
an administrative nickname for security clearances issued for specific offices serving the president and vice president
. Think of it as a special suitability designation, rather than a separate security clearance.
How much is a Top Secret SCI clearance worth?
A Secret clearance investigation in 2018 runs a whopping $433 dollars. A Top Secrets runs
$5,596
. And in any case, the government foots the bill on said clearance costs; contractors or individual employees are not paying for them.
