Are You Experiencing Security Clearance Processing Delays?
Over the past several months we’ve heard from both hiring managers and cleared candidates that security clearance processing delays are becoming a serious problem. It’s no surprise that in the wake of the Office of Personnel Management cybersecurity breach, the 30-day eQIP shutdown, and some major reshuffling in contract investigation companies, delays are going to happen. The most recently released figures from the National Industrial Security Policy Program Committee bear that out. Top Secret and Secret investigation times have increased by about 50 days, and Top Secret reinvestigation times have increased by more than 80 days.
What do processing delays mean? Combined with a shrinking cleared population, they’re a serious concern for government contracting firms. Faced with the uncertainty of how a new investigation will turn out and with a three month waiting period, already cleared candidates certainly have the hiring advantage.
Do the recently reported figures hold true for your investigations?
Hi all,
My timeline thus far… interviewed and accepted a job offer from a gov’t contractor on July 30th. I did finger print and and submitted initial background check info the same day. I submit E-Qip (form SF-86) for secret clearance 20th of Aug. The credit bureau’s sent me notification that OPM pulled my credit in mid Oct. and my current supervisor received a questionnaire to fill out around the same time frame. I have not contacted my FSO, but the recruiter called me yesterday to informed me they have not heard from DOD regarding my clearance and to make sure I was still interested in waiting for the position. Since I am employed, I have the luxury of waiting; but the wait is nerve racking. I will update any change to my status.
I accepted a job with a contractor in mid-July 2015, but because of the OPM background investigation shut down I couldn’t submit my SF-86 until 1 September 2015 with investigation opened on 15 September 2015…I have now been waiting 14 months and have yet to hear from an investigator. The big issue with all of this is that I worked as an employee of an intelligence community agency for 10 years. They failed to update my background investigation at 5 years and I was at 3 years out of scope when I resigned. I took some time off because I was told by the Agency I resigned from and the contractor that once I submitted my reinvestigation paperwork my SCI would be recertified and I would be able to start working again. The FSO claims the SBPR average is now 297 days from initiation to adjudication but again I am at 400+ days with not even a call from an investigator.
I submitted my first eQIP application in late December 2015. After a couple of misfires involving my middle initial wandering outside the signature box followed by a second misfire due to my fingerprints expiring, my third eQIP was filed and accepted in June 2016 and the T3 investigation started in early Sept. At this point, it’s crickets. I haven’t heard a peep other than being told to complete the new counterintelligence training course requirement which becomes effective Nov 30. As others have stated, my FSO has no status information. It appears that my contract employer will keep me on for now despite the lack of a clearance but I get the impression my job is running on fumes until such time as an interim is granted. It might be time to start looking for a non-clearance job.
Hi all,
I was just contacted by my recruiter and he informed me that I received an interim clearance. Quick re-cap of my situation… Submitted eQip Aug 20th 2016, it took roughly 90 actual days to receive interim. My eQIP was by no means clean. Marijuana use from 2005 until 2012, I was arrested and plead no contest to domestic abuse in 2010 completing unsupervised probation in 2014, credit bad but settled all the delinquencies in 2015, and my oldest child was born and lives in Canada. I fully mitigated each negative or eyebrow raising item to the best of my ability in the spaces provided on the eQIP. So, I just want to tell everybody waiting to hang in there and best of luck.
Hi @fred_stabbage, did any of your list of contacts get interviewed and if so, when. I submitted mine around the same time and still hanging on a thread of hope.
eQIP submitted first week of June. Credit pulled and previous employer contacted week before Labor Day. Contacted about a month later that interim was denied. Been waiting with no word since. Read OPM is averaging 147 days for processing Secret investigations but not sure if that is from eQIP submission or date credit was pulled (assuming that is when the investigation actually began). Either way, I’ve got a lot more waiting ahead of me…
Hi @bbeelp, none of my references were contacted, besides my supervisor in mid-Oct. He was sent a questionnaire to fill out. Just a few points of clarity,the position I accepted is with a defense sub-contractor and the eQIP was submitted to the DOD. I thought it was going to be a long shot to get my interim because I had so many negative things on my eQIP. I just tried to be as honest as possible and give good mitigating factors. I just took my drug test yesterday, and should get my start date shortly. Good luck to you.
Hi All, below is my history:
Going to work for a DOD contractor on a conditional job offer that requires full secret clearance to start, doing aviation work in war zone. First time for security for me and no prior military. Clean and uncomplicated background including financial, family members and foreign travel. SF-86 history filled out for 10 years at employer’s request. Not a young person either, over 50.
8/23/16 – SF 86 Submitted to DOD CAF
9/25/16 - OPM sent investigative employment request to my employers, all of whom returned them promptly.
11/4/16 (after about 70 days or 10 weeks) – Interim Secret received.
Have not seen a credit check show up and none of my references have been contacted, nor have I.
Two questions please:
#1 do any particular jobs or employers get priority over others in the security clearance process?
#2 is it normal (or required) for an applicant for Secret to be interviewed during the investigative or adjudication process?
Hope this helps someone, good luck.
Hello,
I do not know the answer to question 1 but for question 2, it is normal (not required) for an applicant for secret to be interviewed during the investigative process. It is not required if there is no issue but if there is an issue or clarity to be discussed then interview will be conducted.
I have a question to you, how do you know credit check has been checked from them or not when you said " Have not seen a credit check show up"?
Hi, thanks for the reply.
My comment on the credit check topic was just to point out that, to date, I have not found a credit check in my credit history. I’ve read that some people do find them in their credit history and some don’t. And I’ve seen some people write that you can’t always tell when the BI folks check.